OBITUARY: Alkis Iacovides, pioneer in niche motor brands

Alkis Iacovides, an avid motor enthusiast, a pioneer in niche car brand dealerships and Cyprus distributor for Porsche and Harley Davidson, died on Sunday. He was 69.

Having been involved in the family business that included real estate and other investments, Alkis Iacovides got involved in the motor trade as the Nicosia partner of the Mitsubishi dealership, Fairways Motors.

However, he was quick to disengage from the mass-volume car sales market and made a name for himself, initially as an importer of Korando all-purpose cars from South Korea and for a short while as Cyprus distributor for the hand-built Morgan sportsters.

That is when in 1993 he established A.I. Motokinisi, that would, over the years, handle various niche brands.

Alkis then decided to diversify into the motorbike sector as well, distributing various makes.

He moved on to the trendy Italian brands Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, ending up with Harley Davidson, for which he also helped establish a favourable image in the market and launched the Harley owners’ group (HOG) on the island.

Iacovides’ biggest break came when he started representing Porsche, establishing the Porsche Centre in Nicosia and a branch in Limassol, catering to the affluent and international clientele.

The company also has clothing boutiques with Porsche and Harley Davidson apparel and accessories while also representing Bentley, Vredestein tyres and Hisun yachts.

In 1997, in appreciation for boosting bilateral trade ties with Korea, Alkis Iacovides was appointed Honorary Consul for Cyprus, later becoming Consul-General of the Republic of Korea, a title he kept to date.