Established in 1906
C.F.F. Wearne & Co. was founded
Australian brothers, Charlie Frederick Foster Wearne and Theodore James Benjamin Wearne, started the motor company and acquired the Oldsmobile agency
Expanding business
CFF Wearne & Co secured the Rolls-Royce franchise.
Inroads in Southeast Asia
Wearnes purchased Ford Motors (Burma) Limited in Rangoon, which held the Ford agency for the whole of Burma (now Myanmar). With this acquisition, Wearnes’ automotive empire in Southeast Asia now stretched from Burma for well over 3,000km through to British North Borneo.
Formation of Malayan Motors
Subsidiary automotive companies were formed to handle the different agencies of Wearnes to avoid any conflict of interests. The first was Malayan Motors at 14-20 Orchard Road which handled all agencies except Ford, namely Armstrong-Siddley, Morris, Sunbeam, Packard, Rolls-Royce, Essex, Erksine and Standard.
The dream of providing air transport
Charlie Wearne envisaged providing air service in Malaya and shipped in an Avro-Avian plane to be assembled by Malayan Motors’ mechanics. The plane drew great interest when it was displayed at Malayan Motors’ showroom.
Wearnes Air Services
Wearnes Air Services Ltd was inaugurated with two de Havilland 89 Dragon Rapide planes named ‘Governor Raffles’ and ‘Governor Fullerton’. World War II ended the business just as it was about to turn profitable.
Double-decker buses and other agencies
General Transport Company introduced three double-decker buses supplied by a Wearnes subsidiary, Federated Motors. Similar in trim and colour to those in London, the units were fitted with special extractor fans to cope with the local humid climate.
Assembling motor cars
In association with the Motors Investments, Wearnes formed Associated Motor Industries Malaysia Sdn Bhd to assemble passenger cars in plants built in Batu Tiga, Selangor and in Singapore. Taking only 10 days to assemble and deliver per vehicle, the quality of Wearnes-assembled cars were said to be as good as imported ones.
Global recession & energy crisis
The onset of the oil crisis aggravated by higher taxation curtailed private car ownership. Associated Motor Industries (Private) Limited ceased its operations as the car assembly business in Singapore was no longer economically viable.
The move to Leng Kee Road & responding to market trends
Automotive operations on Orchard Road were relocated following the Government’s acquisition of the properties. Malayan Motors relocated to 45 Leng Kee Road.
Strategic focus
Wearnes sold off Associated Motor Industries Malaysia Sdn Bhd to Ford Motor Company and focussed on being an automotive retail dealer. After much deliberation, after an association for over 70 years, the Ford franchise was also eventually relinquished.
Centennial celebrations & further growth
Wearnes celebrated its centennial year and topped its achievements to-date by procuring the Bugatti sales agency for the Southeast Asia region and the Renault franchise in Singapore. Regional presence was boosted with a new Renault dealership in Hong Kong and a new Volkswagen dealership in Malaysia.
Consolidation of Wearnes Automotive Pte. Ltd.
Wearnes rebranded all its various automotive companies and divisions under a single brand – Wearnes Automotive – with a new tagline “Passion Driven. Since 1906.”
StarChase acquires Wearnes Automotive
Wearnes Automotive is acquired by the StarChase group. Its core business activities comprise the sale and distribution of premium Automotive as well as Lifestyle products and services.
New 200,000 square feet multi-faceted facility launched
Wearnes-StarChase Limited unveiled a brand-new integrated lifestyle facility with the grand opening of its eight-storey Wearnes Automotive Centre on 1 November 2019. Located in the heart of Singapore and in close proximity to Wearnes’ existing showrooms, the new Wearnes Automotive Centre is a $30 million tower that spans over 200,000 square feet across its eight storeys.