Hino dealership CMI Hino in Adelaide is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a truck and bus dealer and is now the oldest Hino dealer in Australia having taken onto brand back in 1965 when Hino first came to this country.
Joint managing director Paul Crawford is one of three brothers running the family owned CMI dealership and explained how it all started…
“In the early ’60s we became involved with Toyota Motor Corporation through Thiess Toyota, and that then led us in the mid’60s to become involved with this new brand, Hino trucks,” Mr Crawford said.
“In those days Hino was really setting new benchmarks for reliability and durability which was not seen up until then. Obviously Hino trucks have really evolved over the last 50 years, but I’ve got to say that the foundation for the Hino brand – particularly its core, QDR (quality, durability and reliability) – was there from the beginning, and is still there today.”
With the celebration, Mr Crawford added how he is still proud to sell a product with such confidence.
CMI’s 45th birthday celebrations included adorning its well-preserved 1970 Hino KL 300 with livery of a long-standing customer, Harris Bros of Lenswood, South Australia.
The KL 300 is a part of CMI’s vehicle collection. The KL 300 has covered over 1.6 million kilometres in its lifetime while remaining in good condition.
It is equipped with an EC 100 engine that develops 88kW and 298Nm of torque.
