Ferrari Maserati Sydney open new showroom

Last night 550 guests witnessed the opening of the new Ferrari Maserati Sydney dealership, located on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets in Waterloo. Making their way down under just for the event were Amedeo Felisa, the Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari SpA, and Raffaele Fusilli, Global Corporate Director of Maserati SpA.

The new digs, which also house the headquarters of importers Ateco, are spread over five levels and total 12,000 square metres. In a sign the worst of the world’s financial woes are behind us $30 million was spent on the new building and centralising Ferrari and Maserati operations forms a key factor in the future plans for both marques.

“Bringing these facilities together under one roof is central to our plan to expand our business and offer the highest levels of customer service,” says Edward Butler, Dealer Principal of Ferrari Maserati Sydney. “Our sales team will sell the first car to a customer, but it is the quality of our customer service and our ability to deliver to customers an all-encompassing Ferrari and Maserati ownership experience, which fully encapsulates the passion and style of these unique marques, that will encourage our customers to come back for their next Ferrari and Maserati.”

More pics and detailed press release after the jump.

Neville Crichton, Executive Chairman of European Automotive Imports, the Australian and New Zealand importer of Ferrari and Maserati.

Edward Butler, the dealer principal of Ferrari Maserati Sydney.

Amedeo Felisa, the CEO of Ferrari in the new showroom of Ferrari Maserati Sydney with the new Ferrari 458 Italia.

Raffaele Fusilli, Maserati’s Global Corporate Director, at the wheel of the new Maserati GranCabrio at the launch of Ferrari Maserati Sydney.

MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SUPERCAR SUPER DEALER OPENS IN SYDNEY

Automotive legends Ferrari and Maserati have a new home in Sydney with Ferrari Maserati Sydney officially opening its doors last night (3 February 2010) in Waterloo providing Australia’s largest city with a quality of customer service and facilities on a par with anything in the world.

More than 550 Ferrari and Maserati owners saw the Australian debut of the latest models from both companies, the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Maserati GranCabrio flown in especially for the gala evening event joining the newly launched Ferrari California. Ferrari Maserati Sydney’s Dealer Principal, Edward Butler, welcomed senior executives from both Ferrari and Maserati with Amedeo Felisa, the Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari SpA, and Raffaele Fusilli, Global Corporate Director of Maserati SpA, making their first visits to Australia specifically for the opening of the new dealership.

For the Neville Crichton, Executive Chairman of Ferrari and Maserati’s Australian and New Zealand importer, European Automotive Imports, the opening of Ferrari Maserati Sydney was the culmination of a four year programme to take the quality of Australia’s Ferrari and Maserati network to a new benchmark level for customer service.

“We now have all-new dealerships in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with major upgrades in Adelaide and Auckland, along with a new Maserati dealer in Christchurch that also provides Ferrari owners with a service centre,” explains Mr Crichton. “This magnificent new Sydney dealership means that we now have a network of dealership that can stand comparison with the best in the world. Wherever our owners visit a dealership they will be welcomed by a unique level of customer service in facilities that match the legendary performance, technology and style of their cars.”

The visiting executives told the audience at the launch that the Ferrari Maserati Sydney is, in the words of Ferrari CEO, Amedeo Felisa “one of the best Ferrari dealerships in world” while Maserati Global Commercial Director, Raffaele Fusilli concluded his speech by saying he was “proud to be able to welcome Maserati owners to the best Maserati dealer in the world.”

Replacing separate sales and service facilities in William Street and Artarmon, the new dealership represents a multi-million dollar investment in a five level facility that more than triples the size of sales and service facilities for Ferrari and Maserati in Sydney.

“Bringing these facilities together under one roof is central to our plan to expand our business and offer the highest levels of customer service,” says Edward Butler, Dealer Principal of Ferrari Maserati Sydney. “Our sales team will sell the first car to a customer, but it is the quality of our customer service and our ability to deliver to customers an all-encompassing Ferrari and Maserati ownership experience, which fully encapsulates the passion and style of these unique marques, that will encourage our customers to come back for their next Ferrari and Maserati.”

The all new $30 million building at the junction of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets offers entirely separate showrooms for new and pre-owned supercars, as well as dedicated, separate workshops for Ferrari and Maserati and a level of dealership technology that matches the supercars to which it is dedicated. Spread over five levels the new facility is also the new home of Australia and New Zealand’s largest independent car importer, The Ateco Group.

This new dealership also launches a new corporate identity for Ferrari and Maserati, reflecting the passion, technical excellence and unique style of the brands. The exhibition areas, which use lighting and display technology similar to that found in photographic studios, enhances illumination, viewing angles, space and backgrounds. The personalization area stimulates creativity, and offers all that is needed to support a client in choosing the many options to uniquely configure new car. Maserati, for example, now offers more than nine million possible trim and colour combinations and these special areas enable prospective owners to choose a car that is entirely personal, exclusive and unique to them.

“Our aim with developing this new dealership has been simple – to provide a quality of service and a working environment that is equal or better to anything in the world,” says Mr Butler. “Indeed, with Ferrari Maserati Sydney providing a world debut for an entire new image for Ferrari, it would be fair to say we are one of the best Ferrari and Maserati dealerships in the world.”

Dealership facts

• Overall: 12,000 square metres on five levels

• Basement Level One
  Parking for Ateco/EAI: 85 cars
  Storage facilities

• Basement Level Two
  Parking for Customers: 65 cars
  Car presentation area
  Three bay car detailing area with studio quality lighting to ensure high quality work

• Ground Level
  Concierge Desk and Reception
  Service Receptionists
  Customer reception area
  Ferrari Workshop
  950 Sq Metres
  Nine Service Bays
  One High-Tech presentation Bay
  Engine preparation area
  Parts store and preparation area
  Service offices
  New car show room
  1195 Sq metres
  Eight light pod hero car display points
  Angled ‘floating floor’ so cars are ideally position for viewing inside our outside the showroom
  Liquid Polymer single piece gloss floor
  Lounge area with café area, library and picture gallery
  Ferrari Atelier
  Maserati Atelier
  Ferrari Merchandise Centre
  Maserati Merchandise Centre
  Five offices and one meeting room

• Level One
  Pre-owned showroom
  Single light pod area for presenting new cars to their owners
  Café area
  Merchandise centre
  Two offices
  Liquid Polymer single piece gloss floor
  Maserati Workshop
  1000 Sq metres
  10 Workshop bays
  Service lunch room
  Two offices
  Engine preparation area
  Technical Training Centre
  Class room
  Training Workshop with hoist and fully equipped service area
  Three display bays, one with a hoist

• Level Two
  1475 of Office Space
  14 Offices
  45 Low level office cubicle spaces
  1 board room
  4 meeting rooms
  1 canteen with commercial kitchen
  2 drink and personal food preparation areas

• Employees
  Ateco: Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Citroen, Parts, Administration
  EAI: Ferrari, Maserati
  Ateco: 69
  EAI: 9
  Ferrari Maserati Sydney: 29
  Sales: 4
  Service and Parts: 18
  Administration and Customer Service: 7
  Ateco Employees not based at Waterloo
  Australia: 17 (Parts Centre, Arundel Park; Regional Office, Melbourne)
  New Zealand: 18

• Technology
  Servers/Computers
  Ateco: 8
  Dealership: 3
  PCs and Notebooks: 100
  Cabling
  Fibre optic links to each floor with a Cat 6 back up
  Total computer cable in the building: 10 Kilometers
  Cisco Wireless (Wi-Fi) network on each floor for seamless notebook use
  Building automation
  Multi-level alarm system with five sectors and more than 100 sensors
  Electronically controlled lights on timers and motion sensors
  Split sector and room AirCon
  Remote control access
  Swipe card access with personalized zone and sector access
  Audio visual
  State of the art presentation systems in training centre and meeting rooms
  Vehicle personalization presentation systems