Inchcape Retail has invested more than £3 million in modernising its Volkswagen dealership on the site of a former Marconi building at Chelmsford, Essex.

The outlet, on a 3.7-acre site, used to be part of the Lind Automotive Group, acquired in May 2006.

Inchcape has Volkswagen’s Essex market area, with other dealerships at Colchester, Southend and Romford.

Inchcape Volkswagen Chelmsford dealer principal Darren Thompson said: “Lind was already planning to update the site, but we have invested in a bigger development.

The dealership is within a redeveloped office block built in the 1960s as the headquarters of Marconi’s marine division.

The original motor retail site was developed from the former staff canteen.

Now Inchcape has transformed the larger adjoining building, which has a glass atrium entrance leading to a new-car showroom on the ground floor.

On the first floor is a showroom for 100 used cars.

The dealership stocks VW LCVs, has a bodyshop, a 15-bay workshop and parts department.

It employs 60 people and Thompson said the dealership was attracting interest in the area because of its design.

He was confident of its success despite the
economic downturn.