UK car buyers have voted BMW as having the best designed showrooms in Britain.

A poll by Gilbran, the automotive real estate company, found that nearly one-in-four (24%) of British drivers selected BMW as having the best designed showrooms, with Mercedes in second place with 20% of the vote. Audi came in at number three, voted for by 11% of British drivers, with Honda also scoring highly at 8%.

The research revealed a divide between the sexes: BMW showrooms appealed most to male drivers, of whom 27% selected them as the best, while Mercedes showrooms were favoured by women (21%). Audi showrooms also appealed strongly to female drivers, with 14% of women voting them the best designed, compared to only 8% of men.

Ford, VW, Renault and Peugeot were each selected by 5% of drivers as having the best showrooms, with Vauxhall chosen by 4%, Citroen by 3% and Nissan by 2% of British drivers. “These results give a valuable insight into the preferences of the British car buying public, and how showroom design impacts on a carmaker’s brand,” says Nigel Smith, Gilbran managing director.

“The results are particularly interesting when considered in relation to different brands’ market share. The car buying public express a liking for BMW showroom design, and the brand commands a 4.72% market share of new cars sold in 2006*, outselling Audi, Mercedes, Citroen and Nissan.”

*SMMT figures for new car registrations, September 2006

Research conducted by TNS amongst a representative sample of 640 GB drivers, by CATI telephone survey between October 13-15.