The upscale automobile market in the Greater Toronto Area continues to explode.
Led initially by BMW, which opened a new downtown Toronto dealership and showroom near the Don Valley Parkway at Eastern Ave., followed shortly thereafter by Mercedes-Benz at the DVP south of Gerrard, the latest and by far the most luxurious grouping had its opening this week.
Grand Touring Automobiles, Canada’s premier purveyor of the world’s finest automobiles, unveiled its dazzling new location at 777 Dundas St. East, overlooking the DVP.
According to a release, the steady growth of the super luxury segment of the automobile market, in part driven by a new breed of ultra-luxurious SUVs, is the foundation for the ambitious growth plans of Grand Touring Automobiles.
The new facility was constructed in anticipation of double the annual sales volume by 2019, company principal Paul Cummings told guests at the grand opening celebration.
“The impressive flow of new products and the continued market strength across all of the brands we represent is the clearest evidence yet that the luxury and super luxury segments are established, durable pillars of the auto market,” said Cummings.
The 13,099-square-metre (141,000-square-foot) five-floor dealership is the new home to luxury segment stalwarts Jaguar and Land Rover, and super luxury brands Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Nationally, the luxury segment of the auto market has grown more than 7 per cent in the past three years, Cummings said. In the same period, Grand Touring Automobiles sales of super luxury models increased 48 per cent. By the end of 2019, sales are expected to have nearly doubled from 2015.
A great deal of the market growth is attributable to a new breed of ultra-luxury SUVs from manufacturers like Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, brands best known for their stately sedans or stunning sports cars, Cummings said.
“In a very short time, the Bentley Bentayga has come to represent 50 per cent of all of our Bentley sales,” he continued. “Within the next year, we’ll add the dramatic new Lamborghini Urus and spectacular Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Both of those vehicles will mean double-digit growth for their brands here in Canada.”
Aston Martin is expected to introduce an SUV in 2020.
Cummings described the spectacular new facility as “a flexible platform that will evolve with the fast-changing technologies of these fine cars and the expectations of their owners. Architecturally distinct spaces have been provided for each brand that reflect the character of those brands and the high standards of their manufacturers.”
“The design encompasses spacious, state-of-the-art service facilities for each brand, our parts facility, a pre-owned department, administration centre, and elegant lounges and customer facilities that our owners have come to expect from Canada’s premier retailer of fine automobiles.
“Nearly every brand under the GTA roof has revealed their future product plans to us and the array of new products coming in the next two years is extremely bright. This building is an investment in the future of our business.”
Grand Touring Automobiles is Canada’s premier retailer of luxury automobiles. The luxury and exotic brands represented by the company include Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Each of these luxury models is currently available from the Grand Touring Automobiles location at 777 Dundas St. East in Toronto, and the showroom in Maple, Ont., which opened in 2012 and moved into a new and larger facility in 2017 to better serve Aston Martin, Karma and Lamborghini clients in Northwest Toronto.
For more information about Grand Touring Automobiles, please visit: www.grandtouringautos.com
Meanwhile, construction continues on several other new auto presentation centres on the Queensway in west Toronto. A new Audi dealership is being built as is the Marino Auto Mall, which will house Honda, Subaru, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo dealerships.
A Mercedes-Benz dealership is also being planned in the same Queensway-East Mall area.
nmcdonald@thestar.ca
