More than 20 years after starting S&S Auto at lakeside, owners Karen Herrtwich and Spencer Shulman are reinventing their business, preparing it for the next decade. They have expanded their Riberas del Pilar facility to accommodate more makes and models and are increasing their office size to better serve their clients.
The couple started with a small used car lot in the early 1990s and over time have managed to establish working relationships with almost every new car dealership in metro-area Guadalajara. Their inventory consists of basically almost any make and model sold in Mexico, and that includes some models not found north-of-the-border.
“We are the only new car distributor at Lakeside,” says Shulman. “We educate our customers so that they make the right decision and get exactly the vehicle they want and need.”
It’s important to sit new clients down and and ask them the right questions about what they are going to use the car for, says Shulman. He can then help them match their budget to their needs and figure out what is the best mode of payment.
“We offer more options on payment than most dealers in Guadalajara,” Shulman adds.
S&S Auto also does all the legwork and the paperwork, so that the buyer doesn’t have to make endless trips to Guadalajara or get involved in registration of the car. They have ties with a variety of Mexican insurance companies and can help their clients find the best fit for them.
“We only deal with reputable dealerships,” says Herrtwich, who over the years has found out where the bad apples are in the business. If you are buying a used car from a dealership, S&S Auto has ties with mechanics in Guadalajara they trust to check out the car, before you buy.
S&S also will take clients’ cars in for service checkups at the dealerships and handle any warrantee problems with the vehicles.
Herrtwich notes that S&S has contacts to find most any after-market accessory or add on their clients want too.
Herrtwich says S&S has serviced thousands of satisfied clients over the past two decades and offers recommendations on request.
“There are great cars you can find here in Mexico that are not available in the U.S. or Canada, and now is a perfect time to take advantage of exchange rate strength (U.S. and Canadian) to get a great deal,” says Shulman. “I recently sold a Lincoln to a Canadian client who saved over $CN10,000 plus tax on the Canadian price of the same model.”
Find S&S Auto on the Carretera Chapala-Ajijic next to Puritan Poultry and Josie’s Restaurant in Riberas del Pilar. Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tel. (376) 765-4800 and 4806.