Hup Clark
Hup Clark has been in the automotive business since the late 60’s. Educated at Rothesay Regional High School and UNBSJ, his career path seemed always destined to be involved with cars.
Humble Beginnings – the making of a “car guy”
In the early to mid 70’s Hup’s passion for cars was drag racing and then, he went on to building stock cars to compete at local tracks. In 1972 he started working in the car business as the manager of a local auto parts store – Motorway. This business grew to become the local speed shop and supplier of parts for hot rods, in southern New Brunswick. Hup remained in the auto parts business for the next 12 years in various capacities eventually becoming the owner of the local Bumper-to-Bumper franchise.
Stepping up to the M-B opportunity
In 1984 it became obvious that his real interest in the automotive business was not car parts but selling cars and car dealerships. In the fall of 1985 an opportunity to join King Motors as the sales manager became available. At that time King Motors was selling Mazda, Subaru, and Mercedes-Benz. Over the next 24 months Hup learned the ropes of the retail car business, dealing with manufacturers and meeting a broad cross-section of industry people in Canada.
Then, in 1988 Hup purchased the Mercedes-Benz and Subaru franchises from King Motors and became one of the youngest Mercedes-Benz Dealer principals in Canada. At that time Mercedes-Benz was selling about 1500 cars a year in Canada and in New Brunswick he had a stellar year selling all of 15 cars! In fall of 1988 Admiral Fine Cars opened as the Mercedes-Benz Subaru Dealership on Bayside Drive in Saint John. Hup and his sales team worked diligently to grow their business. All the franchises were small but over the course of the next 5 years the business began to grow.
In 1992 Hup secured a business partner, formed BayStar Motors and moved to Rothesay Avenue to be on the main car dealership street in Saint John. Hup’s focus on customers and their satisfaction grew the business steadily over the next 12 years. Each year the growth of Mercedes-Benz was encouraging, the introduction of the new C-class in 1994, the brand new E-class in 1996, the introduction of the ML-class and CLK-class in 1998 all contributed to the company’s growth. By 2004, 75 new Mercedes-Benz vehicles were sold – quite a contrast from 3 cars per year in 1986.
Mercedes-Benz had great plans for capital construction projects, new volume vehicles and overall growth of the franchise. The BayStar partner group at that time was not willing to invest in the dealership to the degree needed so the store was sold. So, in the summer of 2004 Baystar was sold to a larger local car dealer. Hup and his staff started working for the well-known and highly respected Brett family under a new brand – TriStar Mercedes Benz.
The significant investment made by the Brett family in a new facility gave Hup the tools to take the new dealership -TriStar – to a new level. Sales began growing, new models were introduced, prices became more main stream, and TriStar was rewarded with unparalleled growth in the size of the business – selling in excess of 200 new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benz’s annually.
Unparalleled Luxury Car Expertise
Hup’s 25 years of serving customers in the luxury car business has made him an expert in high-end vehicles. His expertise in quality appraisals for car owners, insurance companies and other dealerships made him the go-to person as all would request his advice on values for these vehicles. He has successfully completed training courses on automobile sales management, new car and used car sales, leasing and financing. As well, he is a recognized industry expert on car leasing.
Hup has contacts across Canada and the USA in the luxury car business that enable him to locate and sell all brands of high line vehicles. Although his first love has been Mercedes-Benz, Hup has successfully negotiated excellent deals for clients on BMW, Audi, Bentley, Range Rover and Porsche among others. His clients call for advice on all makes and models looking for the straight, clear answers he is known to provide.
AEC – Your New Source
In 2012 Hup is embarking in a new business venture called Atlantic Euro Cars Inc. He and his partner – Gary Smith – will be acting as new and pre-owned luxury car brokers in Atlantic Canada. Working as an independent, he will find his clients the very best deals, lowest interest rates and the best leasing solutions available in the market. Atlantic Euro Cars promises a seamless experience, as Hup will take the stress away from you, the buyer, using his expertise to determine where to buy, what to buy, the best price and best service.
Vehicle purchases are undoubtedly one of your most significant expenses, and can be full of “unknowns”. For a stress-free car buying experience, contact someone with the knowledge and expertise to guide you through the maze. Let the pleasure of owning a premium vehicle be your only concern.
Call Hup Today
Hup would love to share the excitement of finding the exact right car for you. Please contact him any time at the office 506-638-9340 or on his cell at 506-636-0306