2 minute read
Professional Development: Giltrap North Shore
Driving the North Shore
Grand openings and launch events are a regular occurrence at car dealerships. After all, “shiny and new” is at the heart of the automotive world. But opening the showroom doors at Giltrap North Shore after the lockdown felt better than any glittering occasion, I’ve ever been part of.
I guess Joni Mitchell summed it up best: “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”
Our team all missed being part of the North Shore, and the “busyness of business” on Wairau Road. That said, our service team deserve a tremendous amount of credit for the work they did to keep essential service vehicles on the roads throughout the lockdown.
We are proud to be New Zealand owned, proud to represent Kia and Holden, and especially proud to be part of the North Shore. The North Shore is our community, and we are doing everything we can to provide a safe environment for anyone visiting our dealership. We are also offering contactless test drives, and our team can show customers around cars with video calls.
What hasn’t changed is our dedication to keeping the North Shore moving. We are an award-winning dealership, specialising in Holden and Kia, with a complete range of new and used vehicles. We also provide genuine parts and an award-winning service department. 2020 had already delivered another new normal for us when Holden announced it
would cease production. As a passionate Holden dealership, it was tough news to take. Still, at the same time, General Motors made an assurance that they would be supporting all Holden vehicles for at least 10 years. Along with call centre support, spare parts
and servicing, they will also honour all existing warranties, guarantees and free scheduled service offers. In other words, Holden is standing by their cars, and so are we. There is another upside for customers, with Holden offering unprecedented discounts across a range that I genuinely believe is their best. Vehicles like the new Colorado, Acadia, Trailblazer and Equinox are all impressive cars…
and right now they are impressively priced.
In my early days in the automotive industry, I wouldn’t have predicted Holden to have stopped producing cars in 2020. Embarrassingly, I will admit that I would not have picked Kia to have become such an automotive powerhouse. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t returned with a giant grin on their face after a drive in the Stinger (surely the coolest car badge around!) The same goes for the way those new to Kia are left wholly impressed with the value, quality and smart design of top sellers like the Seltos and Sorento. Along with the full range of new Kia models, we have a great selection of pre-owned cars.
Because we all live, work and play locally, we also know what drives the North Shore, and our friendly team are happy to help find the right car for you. If you are interested in looking at any vehicle or need more information for service or parts, we are always happy to help.
Phil Dixon General Manager Giltrap North Shore, 150 Wairau Road, Wairau Valley, Auckland 0627 Ph: (09) 444 8114
