THE north's biggest car dealership has invested £1 million - to help it sell more Ferraris and Maseratis.
Charles Hurst Group has opened a new state-of-the-art car showroom designed and constructed specifically for the super-luxury Italian brands.
And it has become the only facility in Ireland to properly showcase these exclusive world class marques, built to exacting Italian standards and featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, light-diffusing materials and an eco-friendly, carboncutting heating system.
It also features a dedicated 'Atelier' an intimate environment where customers are invited to use their creativity and imagination with a decor designed to reflect the quality of Ferrari and Maserati.
New car registrations in Northern Ireland have been increasing over the last six months, although sales of luxury brands have suffered during the downturn.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), in the period from 2007-2011 Porsche sales in the north fell from 316 to 86 (down 73 per cent), while Ferraris were down from 17 to eight and Maserati sales fell from 15 to just five.
But Colin McNab, operations director at Charles Hurst, believes the new showroom will transform people's perceptions about the process involved in buying a luxury car.
"Belfast is now officially home to the ultimate in super-luxury motoring, and we are proud to be the first dealer-ship in Ireland to unveil what is without doubt the best facility from which to showcase the best car brands in the world."
Richard Stinson, franchise director of Ferrari and Maserati, added: "Ferrari and Maserati are premium, high-performance brands and its customers expect the best, and this facility delivers the best on all fronts."
Charles Hurst Group, a division of Lookers plc, was founded in 1911 and has more than 700 employees
? STYLISH: From left, Matteo Torre, regional manager, Ferrari, Colin McNab, operations director at Charles Hurst, Richard Stinson, franchise director of specialist cars at Charles Hurst, and Peter Denton, regional manager, Maserati
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Kelvin Boyes/Presseye