Whichever way you look at it, these twin towers of cars are quite amazing. The two 200 foot-high silos each containing four hundred brand new cars are an engineering spectacle. Whether or not they were first conceived by the screenwriters of Thunderbirds fifty years ago, seeing them in their metallic glory today is quite breath-taking.
These twenty-storey buildings are one of the key features of Volkswagen’s theme park, Autostadt, or Car City, in Germany. Inspirational itself, it provided the model for a huge garage in Ghost Protocol, the latest Mission Impossible film. They are more than just a car park however. All the new cars inside come from VW’s neighbouring Wolfsburg production plant. They have been transported by conveyor belt to the underground levels of these structures. During their transport on an internal track, they are fitted with number plates. On arrival, a rotating robotic arm that runs along a central beam picks up the cars and lifts them at a speed of two metres per second into their storage position. There they await collection, to be delivered to their proud new owners waiting at the Autostadt Cutomer Centre. The owners thus take delivery of their brand-new vehicles with zero kilometres on the clock.
The cars do not have to wait very long either. This, the world’s largest car delivery centre, sees around six hundred cars each day be driven away by their new owners. Last year, 175,893 cars moved through this architecture.
Apart from this facility which contains millions of pounds’ worth of new vehicles, the theme park incorporates a three Michelin star restaurant, the world’s largest glass doors, as well as the world’s longest printed line, of four miles.
VW are understandably proud of this record-breaking visitor centre. Their spokesperson said that ‘taking possession of a new car is a special event and each customer is made to feel like a king. Each handover includes professional advice from a personal consultant. It is no surprise the Customer Center is one of the main attractions for people visiting the Autostadt. This automotive theme park attracts people who have a passion for cars as well as those who enjoy culture and unique kinds (of) events. Instead of focusing on vehicle production, the presentations highlight the many different aspects of human mobility.’
Although we do not have a car storage facility like this at the Signature Experience Centre, do know our showroom is just as spectacular in its own way. We welcome all our clients to come and see our Experience Centre and our superb fleet of prestige and performance supercars.