Gasan Enterprises celebrates 75 years of Ford

Speaking last week at an event to mark Gasan Enterprises’ 75th anniversary as Malta’s Ford automobile importers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Joe Gasan hailed a successful past and a promising future for the trans-Atlantic partnership.
Speaking about Ford’s beginnings in Malta, Mr Gasan explains, "From humble beginnings in what was then Kingsway, my father wanted to take the automotive business to new heights and in 1934 started construction of Gasan Garage in Gzira, a landmark building that over the years was to see the building and maintenance of buses, the servicing of military vehicles and aircraft engines and the launch of hundreds of different Ford models and the sale of over 35,000 Fords.
Over the years Gasan Enterprises progressed in line with the automotive industry itself. Mr Gasan cites the strongest characteristics that have marked the Gasan Group over the last 75 years have been: its drive to pursue new challenges; the character to be professional in all the group dose; and the determination to achieve goals no matter how difficult or far-fetched those goals may seem.
He adds, "We have been through many experiences that, rather than erode our willingness to go on, have strengthened our resolve to become stronger and more professional in all we do.
"We are celebrating 75 years of a successful and fruitful relationship with the world's second largest producer of automobiles. Ford Motor Company has evolved over the years to become a veritable leader in the automotive industry.
"The Blue Oval - instantly recognisable and sought out by customers here in Malta and the world over - is a trademark for quality, reliability and an unrivalled driving quality. This is witnessed by the excellent vehicles that we see on our roads today and the very high levels of customer satisfaction, both in terms of vehicle ownership and dealership facilities.
"From a personal viewpoint, I can verily state that although Malta has always been a small market when viewed against its larger European neighbours, we could always count on tremendous support and respect from the various Ford Management teams who have helped us and guided us to achieve the position Ford enjoys and rightfully merits, in Malta.
"On taking over from my father in the early 70, I was attracted by the stylish, efficient and most competitive automobiles that were coming out of Japan and quickly negotiated the distributorship for Mazda in Malta.
"I am pleased to say that since then, we have delivered nearly 8,000 Mazda cars and commercial vehicles and we look forward to many more fruitful years ahead as Mazda is fast becoming an important player on the world automotive scene. I would like to personally thank Mr. Dan Morris, President of Mazda Motors Europe for being with us here tonight.
"In 1985, as we sought to expand the portfolio of motor vehicles that we offered to our automotive customers we acquired the Volvo franchise, a move that allowed us to penetrate the Premium Car segment. To this day, I am proud to say that we have launched over 500 Volvo cars on our roads!
"It is ironic that today both Mazda and Volvo form part of the Ford family, having been acquired by Ford Motor Company several years after we sought, and took their representation."
Mr Gasan adds, "We celebrate the past because it is what has shaped us into what we are and stand for today. We celebrate the present as we lay strong foundations for the years ahead. And we look forward to the future, as we seek the challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing and exciting environment."