Kovacs Motors: more than just a car lot

In September, owner Adam Kovacs started servicing all makes of German cars at his Sonoma location on Highway 12. It’s his response to the 30-to-40-percent decline in car sales in the last few months. “I don’t believe in retail,” he said, and has reduced the number of late-model Audis, Volkswagens, BMWs, Mercedes and Porsches for sale on his lot – from about 25 to around 12.
The shop has two mechanics who specialize in Audi and VW repairs – one is Kovacs himself; the other is Javier Carrillo, who lives in Sonoma and was trained by Kovacs in the San Rafael repair shop he started six years ago. Kovacs said he and Carrillo can do anything an Audi or VW dealer can do, including program keys for all current models, because he’s invested $25,000 in the latest shop equipment. “There’s no reason for owners to take their cars to dealers in Marin or Santa Rosa,” he said. His two shops work on upwards of 200 cars per month.
Kovacs, whose wife Evelyn runs the business office, was born in Hungary and grew up in Germany. He hasn’t lowered his selling prices in response to the tough economy, just the number of cars he sells. Most are two- to three-year-old models he buys from leasing companies. For customers who want a specific make and model, he goes to the car auction in Los Angeles, where he usually finds it.
Kovacs Motors,
19190 Hwy. 12, Sonoma,
707.996.4149;
www.kovacsmotors.com
Service
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Monday – Friday