It's exactly 60 years since the first ever Volkswagens were proudly collected by their new owners from Isaac Agnew in Northern Ireland. Who then would have guessed the impact this would eventually have on the local car market?
Although Isaac Agnew's business had in fact been up and running since 1931, the appointment as Northern Ireland's first Volkswagen distributor was the real foundation for future success. The Isaac Agnew Group now represents no less than 11 automotive franchises. The story of Volkswagen and Isaac Agnew traces a path of growth from the original site on Chichester Street, relocating to North Howard Street (1964), then the Lisburn Road (1972), and finally to the current dealership location on Boucher Road (1988). Throughout this time, a second Agnew Volkswagen dealership was opened in Mallusk in 1975. This success is rooted firmly in a philosophy whereby customer service matches and complements the Volkswagen standard of car production. No detail is too small to matter. Every day is an opportunity for all Isaac Agnew employees to demonstrate that a personal and friendly manner is as much a part of the service as technical expertise. It's an attitude that not only fosters better customer relations; it also helps to focus team spirit within the organisation. It's certainly one of the reasons why staff loyalty is amongst the highest in the UK.
The search begins...
Isaac Agnew wanted to do something a little different to celebrate their 60th. The association of quality and reliability with Volkswagen makes the challenge ahead really special. They've embarked on a search to find the oldest running Volkswagen in Northern Ireland and they'd like to hear your stories about the Volkswagens you have owned and loved, going through the decades from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Get in touch about the journeys you've enjoyed in your Volkswagen, the memories your old car evokes and indeed, how many miles you clocked up. Whoever owns the oldest Volkswagen still running in Northern Ireland will receive the prize of a luxury weekend for two at Lough Erne Resort and Spa in Co Fermanagh. For two runners-up, there's a second prize of £100 to spend on Volkswagen accessories including items from the Heritage collection. There could well be spot prizes for the best stories received too. Just to set the benchmark for the competition, Isaac Agnew recently part-exchanged a 1966 Beetle that has been in regular use (pictured above.) The customer proudly traded it for a replacement 2013 model. During the 47 year history of this car it has covered a staggering 208,000 miles. The 1966 car is now on display in the Isaac Agnew showroom. To accompany the car, pictures and stories received as part of the competition will be displayed to all visitors. To enter, please send your stories and photographs via email to 60years@agnews. co.uk, post on the Facebook page www.fb.com/isaacagnewvolkswagen or Tweet to @IsaacAgnewGroup. Alternatively, send in your entries by mail to Tracey McClelland at Isaac
Agnew, 1 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6HR. For every entry and story received, Isaac Agnew will make a contribution to Marie Curie Cancer. The search for the oldest running Volkswagen closes on Wednesday October 9. The winners and runners up will be announced on Friday October 11. Regular updates can be found on the Isaac Agnew web, Facebook and Twitter sites. The winning cars will be offered prime position at the Boucher showroom for a week following the competition result at the owner's discretion. So get in touch and join the celebrations of this very special 60th anniversary in the search for Northern Ireland's oldest model of Volkswagen that is.