Neverland a reality for AHG

The nation's largest vehicle retailer, Automotive Holdings Group, has launched its new Melbourne City Holden and HSV dealership, under the leadership of the group's first female dealer principal.

Sue Alford, who has been in the car business for 25 years, said there had been an explosion of interest since the business opened on the former site of the Neverland nightclub, South Melbourne. "We can't believe how it's taken off," Ms Alford said. "There is a genuine desire from customers for a dealership here."

The Johnson St site underwent a $6 million transformation into the dealership, which opened four weeks ago. The development was part of a $12 million investment in the site, which will house a Hyundai dealership as soon as March.

Automotive Holdings said the investment reflected the fact Victoria had become a major plank in the group's national automotive retail operations. The company yesterday announced a three-year sponsorship deal with Melbourne Football Club in a move to bolster its presence in the market.

The new South Melbourne dealership is the group's 17th in Victoria and one of 86 around Australia and New Zealand. Ms Alford said she was excited to be responsible for a major dealership for Automotive Holdings and was pleased women were making more impact in the sector. "At least half our customers are women, so it's absolutely good to have more women working in the industry," she said.

Ms Alford said the service centre on the site had been open for six months. Daily numbers have trebled since the Holden dealership opened. She said site traffic was expected to spike once the Hyundai dealership launched.