Steve Bateman, general manager of Hinton Garage, told AM that some £60,000 has been spent on the new showroom that was eventually developed at Upper Bristol Road in Bath.
“Originally we had plans to open the showroom at our Locksbrook Road branch where our bodyshop, rentals, and rescue and recovery services are located,” says Bateman. “After the council denied us planning permission, we ended up converting the aftersales reception area into the Chevrolet showroom.”
The showroom features the full range of Chevrolet models available in the UK and Hinton Garage hopes to sell 100 new and 150 used vehicles in its first year of operation.
“By the end of 2008 we hope that these figures will increase to 250 new and 300 used,” continues Bateman.
Last year, Hinton Garage reported a turnover of £10.2m. It expects this to increase by £2.5m with the addition of the Chevrolet dealership.
“We’re hoping it’s going to be very successful. We’re pleased we got the franchise because we believe Chevrolet is a good value brand,” says Bateman.
Looking to the future, Bateman says that Hinton Garage would “absolutely” consider taking on another Chevrolet franchise but that no plans had been made as yet.
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