At first glance, the Superhuman Café tucked inside Lee Motors Sdn Bhd might feel like a side story. Good coffee, healthy meals, and a comfortable place to wait while your car gets serviced. But spend a little time with Managing Director Mr Eugene from Lee Motors Sdn Bhd, and you begin to realise it is actually a window into how he thinks about business. Because for him, it has never just been about selling cars.
“We don’t just sell cars. We focus on relationships and loyalty,” he says, almost casually. It sounds simple, but that line carries the weight of a company that has been around for over 70 years.
Lee Motors began as a small motorcycle workshop started by his grandfather in 1955. Today, it spans multiple brands from Proton and Honda to BMW, Volkswagen, and BYD, alongside services such as body and paint, leasing, and more. Growth, however, was not driven by aggressive expansion. It happened naturally, shaped by opportunities that fit into their ecosystem.
And at the centre of that ecosystem, there is one word Mr Eugene keeps coming back to: TRUST.
“Without trust, things don’t work,” he says plainly. “But trust also takes time. You need at least ten years to truly understand and trust someone.”
That philosophy does not just apply internally to his team, many of whom have been with the company for over a decade, but it also extends directly to customers.
In a place like Alor Setar, where Lee Motors has become a household name, that TRUST is generational. Customers are not just first time buyers, they are often returning families, from parents to children and even grandparents, all connected through the same dealership.
That is not something you build overnight.
Interestingly, Mr Eugene himself did not grow up as a car enthusiast. It was the business that shaped him into one. After nearly two decades in the automotive industry, being surrounded by cars, customers, and conversations, passion naturally followed.
“It helps when you love what you are doing,” he says. “If you treat it purely as business, it is different.”
That mindset shows in the details, even down to his cufflinks shaped like a muffler, and in the way he talks about his own car, a BMW 6 Series GT he has held onto for years because it simply works for him.
Still, priorities remain grounded. While he openly admits his dream car is a Porsche 911, he is quick to point out that business comes first.
“Cash flow and responsibility are the priorities now. Maybe one day.”
That same grounded thinking shapes how he runs Lee Motors today. Despite overseeing multiple brands and operations, he does not claim to manage everything directly. Instead, he builds teams and then trusts them.
But again, not blindly.
TRUST, in his world, is earned slowly, reinforced over time, and constantly maintained.
Even with strong managers in place, he still makes it a point to stay close to the ground and sometimes personally introduce customers to sales advisors while quietly observing the experience.
Because at the end of the day, margins may shrink, competition may grow, and the industry may evolve, but for Lee Motors, the goal remains unchanged.
“To be the most trusted dealership, with the best customer service.”
And whether it is through a seamless car buying journey or something as simple as a good cup of coffee upstairs, every touchpoint is designed to reinforce that same promise.
For Lee Motors Sdn Bhd, TRUST is not as a slogan, but as the foundation everything else is built on.
