New £5m Nissan opens in Scotland 09 | 12 | 2016
THE UK’S NEWEST Nissan dealership, and the latest landmark on the Glasgow skyline, has been officially opened.
Macklin Motors Nissan on the city’s Port Dundas Road boasts a prominent eight-storey glass car display tower that stands proud above the M8 motorway.
Built at a cost of more than £5 million, it was opened by David Crane, chief operations officer of Macklin Motors’ parent company, Vertu Motors plc, and Nissan brand ambassador Sir Chris Hoy.
The opening of the new outlet further cements the relationship between Nissan and Vertu Motors, which now operates 11 Nissan outlets nationwide. It also strengthens Nissan’s presence in Central Scotland.
“We are thrilled and hugely excited to be adding a new dealership on this scale to the Nissan network,” Alex Smith, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB), said.
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“The past year has seen the opening of a number of increasingly large and ever more impressive Nissan dealerships in major cities across the UK.
“Macklin Motors in Glasgow is a symbol of the aspirations Nissan has as a brand and the confidence our retail partners, like Vertu Motors, have in our ability to meet them.”
The opening was also welcomed by David Crane, chief operations officer of Vertu Motors.
“The opening of Macklin Motors Nissan Glasgow Central is a significant milestone, which demonstrates our commitment and confidence in the city,” Crane said.
“This official opening is the culmination of more than two years of hard work by hundreds of people and an investment of millions of pounds. The team at Macklin Motors, led by general manager Robert Auld, will be on hand to offer customers a fantastic experience in the stunning surroundings of the new dealership.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in getting us to this point and thank our guests for taking the time to celebrate this fantastic milestone with us.”
Catered by Michelin-starred chef, Tom Kitchin, the official opening was attended by a veritable who’s who of Glasgow society.
Guests had a chance to tour the new facility, built on the site of the old DC Thomson printworks, which incorporates a stunning new car showroom, on site café and state-of-the-art workshop.
Understandably though, much of the attention was focused on the computer-controlled eight-storey glass display tower, which can hold up to 30 cars.
The new dealership will supply the full range of new and used Nissan cars, including the 100% electric Nissan Leaf and high performance models like the GT-R supercar.
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Jim McGill
CAPTION: From left — Michelin chef Tom Kitchin; divisional director for Nissan at Vertu Motors, Mike Rich; Macklin Motors general manager, Robert Auld; Sir Chris Hoy; managing director Nissan Motors (GB), Alex Smith; and chief operations officer of Vertu Motors, David Crane.