German Car Zone

Bartek Sikorski · 11-12-2007, 10:28 PM

Audi Australia Pty Ltd (Audi) has this week announced its plan to build a $50 million dollar brand ‘lighthouse development’ in Sydney, on South Dowling Street.

Clearly reflecting the successful growth of the brand in the past three years, the very high profile new ‘Audi lighthouse’ facility is situated on a 3,655 square metre site at Victoria Park, with 100 metres of absolute street frontage directly along South Dowling Street at Rosebery.

Due to open in early 2009, the development is one of the most significant overseas investments made to-date by Audi’s Ingolstadt-based parent company, AUDI AG.

The eight-level, 12,000+ square metre facility, developed by AUDI AG and designed by Audi’s master architect Johnson Pilton Walker, incorporates a flagship retail showroom and customer facilities, after-sales centre and commercial space which will become Audi’s national HQ. It will also be used as a brand forum for events and new product launches.

Audi Australia’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, says that the AUDI AG Supervisory Board’s approval for this concept is a direct result of the brand’s strong growth in the past three years including an increase of 30% in 2005, 20% in 2006 and another projected 20% in 2007.

“This flagship facility is representative of the brand’s outstanding achievements. It is a clear message of support from our headquarters for our year-on-year record growth and will raise awareness of the Audi brand to a completely new level. Significantly, it also demonstrates AUDI AG’s long term commitment to Australia, which has been identified as a key strategic growth market,” Mr Hofmann said.

“A key part of Audi’s growth strategy in the medium term requires investment by the dealer network in facility upgrades, preparing the brand to reach 15,000 unit sales in the year 2015 and to deliver best-in-class customer satisfaction. The total investment in new and upgraded facilities within Australia will exceed $140 million in the next few years,” Hofmann said.

The prominent flagship development features 100 metres of street frontage on South Dowling Street, and stands some 26 metres high and 25 metres deep. It is just 10 minutes from the CBD, enroute to the airport and will effectively act as a ‘brand beacon’ for the 125,000 vehicles per day and approx 45 million vehicles per year which travel on one of the busiest arterial roads in Australia.

The Audi retail and after-sales facility will trade as ‘Audi Centre Sydney” and will be operated by a newly-established separate business entity, owned by Audi Australia.

The new retail centre will champion benchmark processes, profitability, Corporate Identity, CSI and operational standards. The facility will include space for more than 25 new cars, 70 pre-owned vehicles and 20 productive service bays. The sales volume is expected to reach 1,000 unit sales by 2015.

“Not only will the new retail business significantly raise the profile of Audi and benefit the Sydney dealer network in terms of a much stronger brand presence, but it will also fast-track an increase of the brand’s awareness nationally to a level on par with our competitors,” Audi’s Joerg Hofmann added.

Combined with the significant facility developments being made around Australia by the Audi dealer network, including the construction of the first “Audi Terminal” in the world at Five Dock, at an investment of $11 million, the newly-opened $11 million Audi Penfold development in Burwood, Victoria, and the imminent $7 million Audi Centre Canberra facility, this new Audi Australia development clearly strengthens the Audi brand message for the future.

Audi completed the purchase of the Rosebery site in late October 2007 for $19.6 million from vendors Babcock & Brown and Payce Consolidated.

http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publish/Audi_News/article_3572.shtml

Monster · 11-12-2007, 10:41 PM

Dam you beat me to it.

Another article

Quote:

Victoria Park retail development to be the biggest Audi facility in the world

By DAVID HASSALL 13 November 2007

AUDI Australia is about to enter into retailing, with a $50 million landmark facility in one of the country’s most high-profile locations. The ‘Audi lighthouse’ will be the biggest Audi facility in the world when it opens in early 2009, according to the company.

Located on Sydney’s South Dowling St – the main road between the city and the airport – near the Eastern Distributor tunnel exit, the massive new eight-level facility will also be Audi’s new corporate headquarters in Australia.

Interestingly, the Victoria Park development site was once a British Leyland car assembly plant.

The $50 million required to buy the land and build the lavish new complex is to be provided by Audi AG in Germany.

It will become the new home of Audi Centre Sydney, which has until now been operated in nearby Rosebery by the Sutton Group.

Audi Australia has negotiated an agreement to take over that franchise from January 1 and has appointed Allan Brinck as the new dealer principal.

Mr Brinck was chosen for his factory-owned retail experience, having been the general sales manager of BMW Melbourne’s Southbank and Kings Way operations. He is a Sydney native and previously worked for the Alto and Trivett groups.

Audi Australia has formed a new entity to operate the dealership called Audi Australia Retail Company, but says it currently has no plans to take over or establish any more factory-owned dealerships although it does expect to expand to 40 dealers by 2015.

Victoria Park development will co-ordinated by experienced local automotive industry identity Peter Ruefli, who returned to the Audi brand as dealer development manager in 2005.

The company bought the 3655 square-metre Victoria Park block for $19.6 million late last month and will start construction of the 12,000 square-metre building early in the new year.

Designed by Audi’s local architect Johnson Pilton Walker, the facility is expected to be operational by the first quarter 2009.

With a 100-metre street frontage and an estimated 45 million cars passing each year, the new Audi HQ will provide the company with a high-profile presence in its largest market.

At an Audi dealer conference in Sydney last month, the company’s 30 dealers around Australia committed to spending a total of $140 million building new showrooms or upgrading existing facilities to allow for the company’s runaway growth.

Audi sales in Australia have almost doubled since 2004 and this level of sustained growth is second only to Russia in the Audi world.

As well as a further doubling of sales to 15,000 units by 2015, the four-ring brand also plans to expand its model range from 25 to 40 in that period, requiring considerably more floorspace at dealerships.

Earlier this year, Penfolds opened a new $11 million site in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood and Audi Centre Canberra will soon complete a $7 million redevelopment.

The most significant development to date is at Audi Five Dock in Sydney, where the first showroom in the world built to the company’s new “Terminal” architecture and costing $11 million is due to be completed before Christmas.

Audi’s own factory-owned dealership at Victoria Park is expected to account for 1500 new car sales – 10 per cent of the national total – and 1500 used cars within seven years.

Audi Australia managing director Joerg Hofmann said that the Audi AG board’s approval of the $50 million to build the new corporate HQ and dealership reflected the brand’s strong growth here in the three years since the franchise became factory-owned.

Mr Hofmann said the investment also demonstrated Audi’s commitment to the Australian market, describing it as “one of the most significant overseas investments made to date” by the parent company.

“It was a big negotiation process with head office in Germany because, as you can imagine, a lot of countries are in competition from headquarters,” said Mr Hofmann, adding that negotiations took two years.

“So it was very exciting to get it approved. $50 million for Australia is a huge investment – it is the biggest Audi overseas investment.

“It will be the biggest facility in the southern hemisphere, and for the time being it will be maybe the biggest Audi facility in the world. There are a few big projects coming up in Europe as well, but they will take some time.

“We are so excited and happy about it because it clearly shows the confidence of head office in Australia. It is a clear message of support from our headquarters and will raise awareness of the Audi brand to a completely new level.”

Each of the new building’s four storeys will feature a mezzanine floor, making a total of eight levels linked by ramps, with car parking on the roof and underground.

The first four levels will be for new and used car sales, accommodating 25 new display cars and 70 pre-owned, the next two will be for service (with 20 bays) and corporate headquarters will occupy the top two levels.

GoAuto - News

Monster · 09-15-2008, 04:22 AM

I had a look at it on Saturday night, sorry no photos, the place is pretty nice, however I don't really fancy the exterior design. The location of the showroom isn't that good either, it is not near any other car dealership, so I don't think it will attract a lot of car buyers. The one thing I really don't like is how Audi has this shiny new building and everything around it is old and run down. right next to the Audi show room is this extremely old and dilapidated garage.

German Car Zone

Audi Announces $50 Million ‘Lighthouse’ Development in Sydney