IT’S HARD not to miss the imposing Audi Centre close to the M4’s elevated section with its 22m high glazed frontage.
It has seven storeys that incorporate three showroom floors which can display up to 116 cars, and two basement levels housing a 32-bay workshop and extensive parking facilities. Designed by the architects Wilkinson Eyre, famous for the design of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the massive glass-fronted edifice cost Audi a thumping £45 million.
The whole thing is on such a grand scale: for example, the impressive aluminium standing seam roof which is composed of aluminium sheets in the region of 40m in length (all achieved in one sheet without a joint). Or the fully suspended 50m wide mezzanine floor.
Audi boss Jeremy Hicks explained the thinking behind the Centre’s launch. “Audi is an enormously successful company with many ambitious plans for its 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.”
The new Audi West London Centre will be operated today by the Sytner Group, a long way from the AFN West London I used to visit to service my Audi and interview staff for the magazine I produced for the company. It was then part of the AFN Group, led by Mark Bishop, which included three Porsche dealerships and two Audi Centres.
It’s interesting how complex some of these ownership structures can be. AFN was the retail division of Porsche Cars – although the company no longer exists. While Sytner started as one of BMW’s largest dealers. Its owner, Frank Sytner, was a works driver and champion for BMW in the British Touring Car Championship when I was the BTCC reporter for Autosport!
Continuing the motor racing flavour, today’s Sytner Group is owned by the Penske Automotive Group from America, owned by a former Indy Car racing driver Roger Penske. While inside the new Audi Centre there is dramatic aluminium installation by Gerry Judah featuring the record-breaking Auto Union Streamliner from the 1930s.
£45 million investment in Audi West London
