- First of three Ode to Dealer films.
- Mazda Vereeniging franchise dates back to 1964.
- Plitt family in motor trade over 80 years.
- Mazda East London and Rola Cape Town follow.
Vereeniging is the setting for the first instalment of Ode to Dealer, a new documentary series from Mazda Southern Africa. The film follows a family whose dealership has been linked to the brand for more than six decades.
The series looks at the people, relationships and generations that have shaped Mazda in Southern Africa, and Mazda Vereeniging was chosen as its opening chapter.
The Plitt family and Mazda Vereeniging
The Plitt family has been involved in the motor industry for more than 80 years. Its relationship with Mazda began in 1964, when Selwyn Plitt was asked whether the family business would take on the franchise. “I was the one who brought Mazda into the business,” he recalls in the documentary, adding that he is proud to be the oldest Mazda dealer in the country.
His son, Rory Plitt, is now the third-generation dealer principal and has worked in the Vaal Triangle business for 34 years. He started young, driving once he had his licence and working alongside earlier generations. “It’s in a blue, blue, blue moon that I won’t be in on Saturday morning,” he says.
A fourth generation grows up in the showroom
Rory’s son, Dylan Plitt, represents the fourth generation. Born in Vereeniging, he remembers Saturday mornings with his father, running through the showroom, climbing in and out of different models and watching the technicians in the workshop. That everyday exposure, he says, left him with an understanding that the brand has been in the country for a long time and has built strong, reliable cars.
Staff and customers in the Vereeniging film
Long-serving team members Tony Killian and Ronnie Foster also appear, reflecting on their workshop experience with the vehicles and the reliability they have seen over the years. Customer Salome Van der Berg describes how knowing Rory led her to the brand, and says she cannot see herself driving anything else.
Rather than concentrating only on vehicles, the campaign places dealer heritage, generational relationships, human stories and local relevance at its centre.
Next Ode to Dealer instalments
The Vereeniging film is the first of three planned instalments, with Mazda East London and Mazda Rola Cape Town to follow. More information, and details of the nearest dealership, are available at www.mazda.co.za and on the @mazda_sa social media channels.
Supplied by MotorPress (Kaelin Dreyer, Marketing administrator, Mazda Southern Africa)
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