A CONVOY of 181 vehicles has successfully traveled some 40 kilometers from Qurain to The Entertainment City, Doha in Kuwait, making a new world record. Organized by the Kuwait dealer Mohammad Saleh & Reza Yousef Behbehani, the event was attended by Guinness World Record officials. The brand affectionately known as ‘Jims' in the region, has broken the world record and entered the Guinness World Record book. Customers and local youth were invited to join the convoy over 1km long. Governor of Mubarak Al Kabir Governorate Sheikh Ali Al Salem Al Sabah inaugurated the event. Director of Sales at Behbehani Co. Adel Behbehani said “being from such a demographically small country, we have created history with the help of the Ministry of Interior, the local traffic officers and our Kuwaiti youth.” Mohammad Saleh & Reza Yousef Behbehani is the world's largest standalone GMC dealer for both retail and total sales, a distinction held by the dealer for the past six years, further underlining the brand's market strength in the region. GMC is one of the most popular brands in Kuwait. GMC entered the Middle East market in the 1930s with 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles that were specifically developed for desert use. In 1937, GMC introduced its first sports utility vehicle, the GMC Suburban, which is now known as the Yukon XL. The Suburban earned itself a lasting place in the hearts and minds of the region's motorists and has achieved unprecedented market penetration. GM invented the SUV with the early Suburban first seen in 1936, which is the grandfather of the modern SUV and the first in the segment. It was followed by the Sierra in 1962, the brand's first full-size personal-use pickup and the GMC Jimmy in 1970. Today, the strength of the GMC brand remains evident, representing almost 30 percent of GM Middle East's total sales in 2011. The Middle East market has always been a key market for GMC and is in fact the only region outside North America where the brand is offered. GMC's future success is set to continue as it strengthens its comprehensive line-up of crossovers, SUVs and full-size pickups, with the latest introduction of the new Terrain in 2010 bringing a new level of style and power to the luxury mid-size crossover segment. — SG
