In Brazil, Tucson Prime's journey from street dog to car salesman has created an Instagram star

SERRA (Brazil): In the spotlight in the run-up to the country's presidential election, Brazil's influence keeps expanding in many fields, even the most unexpected.

Now, the internet can't get enough of the incredible story of Tucson Prime. From a stray dog in Brazil to a car manufacturer's mascot on social media, Tucson Prime's life has been a rollercoaster of surprises.

The story of Tucson Prime started when a car dealer, Emerson Mariano, adopted a street dog and turned him into a car salesman.

This took place in Serra, Brazil, at a Hyundai dealership where the animal had taken to hanging around, looking generally good-natured.

After seeing him standing there, in front of his dealership, Emerson Mariano decided to take the dog under his wing — a decision that turned out to be a wise move.

Named Tucson Prime in a nod to a Hyundai vehicle model, the dog quickly became the mascot of the dealership. In Serra, he even became the carmaker's greatest asset in attracting new customers.

His kennel, which today sits among the cars on display, certainly does not go unnoticed, and nor do his strolls through the aisles.

This unusual situation did not escape the attention of Hyundai's marketing department in Brazil, which decided to set up an Instagram profile for the dog.

Once a local curiosity, Tucson Prime quickly became a national star, followed today by nearly 200,000 people.

Becoming a real mascot for the brand, this canine car salesman now shows his Instagram followers the ins and outs of how a dealership operates, just as if he was one of its employees. Like a four-legged influencer, he has also formed several partnerships with institutions and brands related to animals.

Check out Tucson Prime's adventures on Instagram: instagram.com/tucson_prime