It is a story where family and business meet, one of generational transfer of skills, opportunity and becoming part of the Ford family.
It is the story of the Lazarus family and the Ford family Pretoria joining forces stretching back over many decades culminating the well-known Lazarus Ford and the man in charge, Colin Lazarus.
Today, the Lazarus dealership in Pretoria is still Ford centric, notwithstanding other brands that have been added to its portfolio. The famous “Ford Museum” at the dealership with some old and new and very rare exotic Fords, attracts many visitors to the dealership.
Currently, the fourth generation Lazarus, Ross (main picture with his dad, Colin), is slowly taking over the ropes from his famous and well-known dad, Colin Lazarus, the man who tells the Lazarus story in the video (see video link at the end).
The Lazarus story is the latest video from Ford SA's 'Our Ford Stories' series and coincides with Ford South Africa's centenary celebrations.
This video visits the well-known Lazarus dealership in Pretoria where Colin speaks vividly and passionately about his formative memories with the Ford Motor Company and how it has evolved into a family legacy.
In 1957, two months after Colin was born, the Lazarus Motor Company was established with Colin’s father and grandfather selling tractors and cars in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng. Despite being a competitive industry, Colin believes that their early success came from delivering solid customer service. In 1961, Colin’s father was awarded a Ford franchise in Bronkhorstspruit, and the Lazarus Motor Company has been a proud Ford dealer ever since.
Colin openly admits that Ford holds a soft spot in his heart. “I grew up with Fords, and some of my fondest childhood memories are with the Ford brand, that’s all we ever had,” he remembers.
Colin is a true petrolhead, and his collection of classic and modern Fords – encapsulating 100 years of Ford South Africa – lends credibility to this passion. A variety of bakkies, sports cars and hot hatches are kept in pristine condition in his personal museum.
Many of the cars, like the last Bantam to leave the production line, carry a unique story, while his 1971 Mustang Mach 1 adds quintessential charm and vintage to the collection. Vehicles with motorsport heritage are represented by his trio of generational Ford GTs, including the latest model, which is a road-going version of the GT that won Le Mans in 2016.
Do not miss the opportunity to watch the video and live the Lazarus story.
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A light on my car’s dashboard came on, and instead of fixing the problem, I waited for the bulb to burn out. Crisis solved.
Jarod Kintz
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