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Four-wheel luxury
New car showroom opens in Naples
Jennifer Whitney/ staff
The new Naples Luxury Imports showroom on U.S. 41 opened at the end of August. Bentley, Rolls Royce, Bugatti, Maserati, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover are all represented in the sparkling 30,000 square feet of show space.
Jennifer Whitney
In the Jaguar showroom, a round inset light fixture in the ceiling highlights the curves of the new vehicle displayed under it.
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Curiosity seekers, dreamers and the fortunate few with the means to pay six-figures for four wheels can now view some of the world’s glitziest automobiles at the newly opened Naples Luxury Imports showroom on U.S. 41 North.
Bentley, Rolls Royce, Bugatti, Maserati, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover are all represented in the sparkling 30,000 square feet of show space — a far cry from the 2,500 that the dealership used to occupy, managing partner John Harris said.
Porsche will stay in its current location next to the new building.
“If you saw that little place next door, it was like trying to run a Publix out of a 7-Eleven,” he said.
Four years in the making, Harris wouldn’t disclose the cost of the project, saying he didn’t want the public to see the luxury dealership as exclusionary.
“Our biggest challenge is letting people know we have pre-owned Jaguars for $20,000 (as well as) Rolls Royce for $500,000,” Harris said.
But there’s no mistaking the glamour that the dealership exudes.
Guests are greeted by a pristine “Neptune” blue Bentley whose sparkle is matched by the spotless floor and glass office doors.
Wood inlay leads to a room where clients customize their selection and watch it come to life via computer modeling.
These features aren’t specific to the Naples location. Each manufacturer dictates the interior design and furnishings, from the travertine floors of the Aston Martin space to the Bentley symbol embroidered in the tan leather office chairs.
But the shine can only go so far — customer service does the rest, Harris said.
He sees the new showroom as a symbol of the ever-increasing standard of service in Naples.
And that philosophy won the patronage of Kathryn Vahldieck of Bonita Springs.
She used to lease a “Bing Cherry” red Bentley from a location in Clearwater. But Harris convinced her to slip into a Rolls of her own — a sandy-colored, four-door model onto which she plans to add a pink pinstripe.
“I used to get a lot of high-fives with (the Bentley), and now what I get is a very majestic nod,” the self-proclaimed car show-off said.
She saw the new building a couple of days ago — she stopped in and the dealership washed her car.
“The new facility is very sleek-looking and classy,” she said by phone. “They make you feel like you are part of their family. I can’t really praise them enough.”
The showroom opened at the end of August, but there still are some finishing touches to add.
Graphics and art will be installed and construction on the driveway between the new showroom and the Porsche building will be finalized in the next few months, Harris said.
















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"“The new facility is very sleek-looking and classy,” she said by phone. “They make you feel like you are part of their family. I can’t really praise them enough.”"
Family values, plutocrat style.
#1 Posted by elnuestros on September 6, 2008 at 12:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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