News May 24 2006

Barmy/balmy - who cares? It's all the same in Brisbane!

ItalianCar was lucky enough to swing an invitation to the gala opening of the new Alfa - Ferrari - Maserati (and shortly to be Fiat) showroom last week. We were there on two counts - as reported previously we were the first customer at the new showroom/building site, where we picked up the new ItalianCar Italian car - a 147 Selespeed.

Plus we were wearing our editorial hat. Not really expecting more than a few people standing around the cars sipping champagne, we were amazed to see an orchestra, circus acts, a red carpet and a valet car parking service all laid on.

With around 600 people there we had clearly underestimated the importance of the evening. The dealership also houses Bentley (who are they? Ed) and - just our luck - almost all the people we chatted to were Bentley or Rolls owners.

Oh well…

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Here's the full (official) report:

New Brisbane Ferrari and Maserati dealer opens

The remarkable pace of change and growth within the Australian Ferrari and Maserati dealer group continued at the weekend (19 May 2006) with the opening in Brisbane of the third all-new Ferrari and Maserati dealership following the appointment of new national distributors, European Automotive Imports, in October last year.

"When we took over the distributorship of Ferrari and Maserati in Australia and New Zealand last year, we pledged a rapid and radical upgrade of Ferrari and Maserati representation in Australia and New Zealand," Kevin Wall, General Manager for Ferrari in Australia and New Zealand told more than 600 guests who attended the official opening.

"We have already seen new dealerships in Melbourne and Sydney and now Greg Willims and his team have taken Ferrari and Maserati representation to a new standard, one that can stand proudly alongside any facility for Italy's two most famous car companies in the world."

The multi-million dollar dealership features a two level showroom facility, above a large covered parking area and dedicated service centre. Ferrari and Maserati have their own reception area and lobby, with a lifts and stairs leading to the large second floor showroom.

Euromarque is situated in the Brisbane suburb of Fortitude Valley, the heart of the premium retail area of the Queensland state capital, with not just every premium car brand situated in the area, but also a growing number of premium shops, galleries and up-market housing developments, all a few minutes from the Brisbane CBD. This site also provides easy access to the quickest roads to the Gold Coast, the most important car market in Australia outside the state capitals and, in particular, for premium and prestige car brands.

"Strong, high quality representation in Brisbane is essential for Maserati's growth in Australia," says Edward Butler, General Manager for Maserati in Australia and New Zealand.

"The car market and, in particular at the prestige and premium end, shows sustained growth at levels not seen elsewhere in Australia and the strong and dynamic economy in Queensland also means that this is a stable and long term growth in demand. Greg Willims has provided a dealership that clearly says that Maserati has customer service and support commensurate with the qualities and abilities of our vehicles. The fact that this has been achieved in such a short period of time is a testament to the dedication, skill and enthusiasm of everyone at Euromarque."

Greg Willims has enjoyed an impressive career in the Queensland automotive industry, but the opening of the new dealership represents a very special moment.

"This really is a dream come true, at so many levels," says Mr Willims. "Of course, representing Ferrari and Maserati has to be a dream for anyone working in the automotive industry, but to be able to do so with a facility that can be judged amongst the best in the world, to be able to offer a level of customer care that is world class and to have enabled our team to share in this success, that is a unique experience and one that I will cherish.

Representing two car marques that are the epitome of motorsport success, for whom winning is the only acceptable result, means that we, too, now have one aim:

To be the number one Ferrari and Maserati dealer in Australia and New Zealand!"

© italiancar.com.au 24/05/06