Annlyn Motors still Volvo’s top dealer

NEW South Wales dealership Annlyn Motors, based in Penrith, has taken out Volvo Car Australia’s Dealer of the Year award for an unprecedented fifth time.

At a ceremony conducted on the sidelines of this month’s Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar endurance race in Adelaide, Annlyn Motors dealer principal John Dunn described the 2013 DOTY award as “an outstanding achievement and a great reward for the whole team at Annlyn”.

“To achieve this reward requires a lot of hard work and commitment from the whole team,” he said.

“We get this from having a real belief in the brand, and delivering of that brand promise to our customers through an outstanding level of service.

“I am just thrilled for everyone involved.”

The family-owned dealership first won the Volvo DOTY title in 2004, backing up in 2008 and now stringing together three straight titles since 2011.

Volvo Car Australia managing director Matt Braid said: “It is unprecedented to win Volvo Car Australia Dealer of the Year five times, but this is a thoroughly deserved reward for John Dunn and all the team at Annlyn Motors who have consistently been the highest-performing dealer over recent years.”

Annlyn Motors also took out two other categories in Volvo’s 2013 dealer incentive program – Aftersales DOTY and ‘Highest Customer Experience Monitor’ – while Melbourne City Volvo was recognised for ‘Highest New Vehicle Sales Volume’ and Allan McKay Autos in Moss Vale, NSW, won the award for ‘Highest PMA New Vehicle Market Share’.

As with most other annual automotive retail awards, Volvo determines its best-performing dealers across key criteria such as customer service and sales and aftersales volume and market share.

Volvo says only 15 points separated the top two dealers, with 20 points separating second and third.

Dignitaries at this year’s event included Volvo Car Group vice-president (international) Thomas Andersson and Volvo ambassador Matt White.

Volvo ended 2013 down 3.7 per cent in terms of new-vehicle registrations, recording 5174 sales across its 33-dealer network.

Mr Braid told GoAuto in October last year that the sales downturn was largely due to the brand’s ageing model line-up, with the Swedish car-maker now in a “product-renewal phase”.

Its sales picked up with the launch of the upgraded S60, V60 and XC60 late last year, although it has fluctuated this year – registrations were down 8.2 per cent in January but improved last month with a 5.7 per cent increase over February 2013, leaving the brand 1.7 per cent in arrears year-to-date.

“As long as we can see steady, profitable growth for the company and getting our cars competitive in their respective segments, we will be happy with that,” Mr Braid said last October.

“We want to keep moving forward but we are not going to make ridiculous (annual sales) predictions. We know what we have to do.”