Robert “Pino” Harris, well-known in motoring circles and the largest truck dealer in the State, has died unexpectedly at the age of 75.
Mr Harris, from Phibsborough in Dublin, had been in ill health for about two years, but was expected to recover from a recent bout of illness in hospital before his death overnight.
The son of a Limerick scrap dealer, Mr Harris entered the trucking industry after encountering Hino, a Japanese brand virtually unknown in Europe at the time, at an overseas motor show in the 1960s. He began importing the trucks into the Republic in 1968 with his company J Harris Assemblers. He later expanded the business to include Chinese, Italian, and Korean vehicles.
In the mid-1990s, his three truck franchises – Hino, Isuzu and Iveco – mopped up 25 per cent of the Republic's market for heavy goods vehicles. The Hino brand became strong in the construction industry with a 40 per cent market share of cement mixers for decades.
Mr Harris was also a prolific property investor, and is believed to have made millions buying and selling land in west Dublin. Known as a “hands on” operator in business, a number of his staff remained with him for decades.
‘Christina O’ yacht
He was previously part-owner of the famous €65 million Christina O yacht, once owned by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Revenue lost a High Court challenge against a €9 million tax break on Mr Harris's investment in the yacht in 2008.The court proceedings arose after Mr Harris claimed certain income tax reliefs arising from his membership of a limited partnership registered under the law of the Cook Islands, the Christina O Ltd (CL) Partnership.
Despite his wealth, Mr Harris was said to have lived a simple lifestyle, and remained living in Phibsborough until his death. He married late in 1993 after the death of his mother, and had no children.
Mr Harris was the victim of a failed kidnapping attempt by paramilitaries in the 1980s but escaped by ramming his car past his assailants.
Politically, he was close to Fianna Fáil and was a major supporter of former taoiseach Charles Haughey.
He was also a close friend of property tycoon Jim Mansfield, who kept a special corner exclusively for Mr Harris in his restaurant at the Citywest Hotel.
Mr Harris did not court publicity and was reticent about being photographed during his dealings with the media.
Bill Cullen
He was a well-known figure in motoring circles, and also enjoyed a close relationship with entrepreneur Bill Cullen. They were also in business together, with Mr Cullen speaking favourably of the relationship in an interview with The Irish Times in 2014.
“It’s great to work with a man who I have known all my life, whose mother was a friend of my mother’s,” he said.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced following a post-mortem examination.
