Mansour Automotive
“Adventure is worthwhile in itself”
Amelia Earhart
Road to success
The Mansour family’s love of cars is as old as the automobile. The company’s founder, the late, great Loutfy Mansour Sr, who set up Mansour Automotive in 1975, was an avid collector before he became an owner of a car business. He had been a successful cotton trader for many years when, in 1975, he learned that the legendary US automotive giant, General Motors, was looking to expand to Egypt. The automotive sector, which had been nationalised since the 1950s, was starting to liberalise again under economic reforms enacted by the administration of President Anwar Sadat. It was an opportunity for exporters in countries like America, and for dealers in Egypt.
In one of the most significant business deals in the family’s history, Loutfy agreed with GM for the rights to sell Chevrolet vehicles in several cities. But in 1976, tragically, he passed away just as his brainchild was getting off the ground. It was left to his dedicated and devoted sons to take the venture on.
Chevrolet’s maxim was “a car for every purse and purpose”. It had been a roaring success since the Roaring Twenties and epitomised the American Dream, and the Mansour family wanted to be a part of it.
They were selling a dream to their customers too, of course – the possibility for freedom and adventure that the open road promises.
Gradually, the business expanded and consolidated the GM dealership landscape in Egypt, eventually becoming one of the largest GM dealers in the world. Today it has more than 100 branches in Egypt and a significant presence in Ghana, Libya, Iraq, Uganda and Tanzania. It is estimated that one-in-three vehicles sold in Egypt is a Mansour Automotive vehicle.
Today, led by Group CEO Ankush Arora, the company has diversified its offering. Vehicles from other manufacturers including MG, Peugeot, Isuzu, Stellantis and SAIC have been added to the product list.
As well as distributing cars from overseas, Mansour Automotive also operates a factory in Egypt, which it jointly owns with GM and other investors, to assemble trucks and cars locally. Being able to build locally has given Mansour Automotive an important strategic advantage over other importers.
Throughout its decades of operation, the company has always prioritised the continuous development of its workforce. It has more than 1,500 highly qualified employees trained at the Mansour Academy of Excellence, and more than 125 sales & service outlets across Egypt, Iraq, Libya, and 13 Sub-Sahara African markets.
However, the journey is far from over for Mansour Automotive. The reputation for innovation and industry leadership that the company first earned back in the 1970s and 1980s is mirrored today in its pioneering role in developing a market for electric vehicles.
The company sponsored the COP27 climate talks in Egypt in 2022, in partnership with GM. Recognising that Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa face many climate vulnerabilities, Mansour Automotive is committed to playing a role in the path to net zero. As part of this strategy, the company is engaging with the Egyptian government on measures that will help to stimulate demand and enable the EV sector to take off. At the same time, the Mansour Group’s investment firm, Man Capital, is backing Infinity, Africa’s leading renewable energy company, which is constructing an EV charging network across Egypt, which will provide the infrastructure for Egypt’s EV sector.
Mansour Automotive and General Motors sponsored the COP27 climate conference and provided a fleet of EVs to delegates at the 2022 event
The company has been on a remarkable journey for half a century. As it looks to the future, its core values of ‘Integrity, Accountability, Customers First, Innovation, Empathy and Growth Through Continuous Improvement’ will continue to drive its operations, from sales to after-service.
Dedication to these values has enabled Mansour Automotive to earn the trust of over one million customers across the region. The company will continue to drive innovation and remain at the forefront of the sector’s development for years to come.
Find our more at Mansour Automotive.
How Mansour Automotive marketed the launch in 2022 of a new model of the Opal Mokka, a sports utility vehicle.
A video about Mansour Automotive’s partnership with Chevrolet that was produced to coincide with a 2021 visit to the business by Mary Barra, the Chair and CEO of General Motors.
Image credits: Mansour family; Mansour Automotive; Unsplash; Getty Images