London builds biggest Audi dealership
November 27, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
As if losing the Ashes wasn’t bad enough.
Now the Poms have beaten us in that other classic, age-old, back and forth, tug of war battle that has single-handedly been responsible for decades of hostilities between our two great nations: who has the biggest Audi dealership.
West London Audi last month toppled Sydney’s $50 million Lighthouse complex, which held the illustrious title for the grand duration of slightly more than seven weeks.
The £45 million (AUD$81.2 million) 17,650 sq m building has seven stories, three showroom floors capable of holding 116 cars and a 32-bay workshop in the two-tiered basement.
Six years in the making, it is staffed by a team of 100 and Audi UK director, Jeremy Hicks, expects around 30,000 customers to walk through its glistening glass doors within 12 months.
“In its scope, size and complexity, West London Audi is like nothing we’ve built before. It is 100 times more complicated than a normal retail centre.
“The sheer scale of this project is very emblematic of the increasing significance of Audi not only in the UK but globally,” he said.
Hicks said the complex – which takes styling cues from a manta ray and a B2 stealth aircraft – will be necessary to fulfill Audi’s ambitious plans for the future.
“With both our existing model ranges and a host of new models for new segments, we aim to grow to a total of 44 ranges by 2015.
“By creating retail premises of this magnitude with this level of sophistication, we are ensuring that our extensive and contemporary line-up of cars gets the showcase it deserves.”
So it’s bigger, more practical and arguably better looking and more inviting than our silver box for silver cars.
And they got Sirs Bobby Charlton and Jackie Stewart, Gordon Ramsay, Ronan Keating and Bryan Ferry all to attend the grand opening.
Better in every way, it seems? Not so. Two words for you:
Sandra Sully.
Can’t beat that England.
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Sandra Who? At least those guys are World famous.
Do you have to take everything so seriously?
Oh yeah sexy sandra….. :)
Dont you dare diss Sandra Sully. IF she endorsed our version then that makes everything ok. Stupid Poms stop stealing our things.
Aaww come on Shak…the UK’s such a nice place everyone wants to come here. We’ve even got the Ashes
Cupid Stunt – Everyone wants to go there – but only for a SHORT TIME! Then they get the hell out!
Maybe, I came back and am staying here. The driving conditons are easier to live with. Doing a max of 100kmh in Victoria did my little brain in.
just hope Audis service efforts are better than my local Audi gargage who a near useless and frankly are lie to their customers…that’s a longer story after events at gettting our A6 repaired.
Alborz, I hope you seriously aren’t comparing Sandra Sully to BBC presenters Fiona Bruce and Kate Silverton?
Should have stuck with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, much better than Tower Bridge and London Eye ( big ferris wheel basically)
Actually Alborz, the two words are, Pure Madness.
not when you see how many Audi’s are sold in the UK.
Yes, Churchill would be horrified.
well written story. :)
Actually our news writter Tim Beissmann wrote this story.
I would’ve picked Miranda Kerr
Yeah I wrote it, and I totally stand by my call too.
Shak, you and me are on a winner with Sully pal.
Exatcly the best of Aussie news.
agreed
Yeah Sandra isnt that bad, but then again there is many better I reckon.
I reckon her monotone voice would drive me nuts after too long with her
Okay I apologise then, you have good taste in women, shame about Tim though.
I could be wrong, but isn’t it ‘pohm’ (Prisoner Of His/Her Majesty) not pom?
Nope, the term Pom comes from Pomegranite ( the colour an englishman turned when he burned in the Aussie sun) or as pronounced in the late 19th century Pommygrant which was rhyming slang for Immigrant, hence English Immigrnats were called Pommygrants, or just Pommies for short.
Nothing to do with Prisoners of Mother Enlgand or Prisoner of His/her Majesty
Hmm… what about Jennifer Hawkins? Isn’t she an Audi ambassador?
The Sydney lighthouse is an amazing building.
It demonstrates the cutting edge of architectural design. Its so advanced that it manages to make a 50 Million dollar building look like an old outback tin shed made with 20 dollars of rusty corrugated iron…
which is why you only ever see photos of it that are taken at night.
I’m kinda partial to English chicks actually, there better than English cars anyway. I have a soft spot for Sandra too, but if you want the best of British, google ‘Madison Welch’!