I’m going to shuffle out on limb here, and take a moment to ask when exactly we decided everything – from a reception lobby to an exhibition to any old corner of a field at an outdoor event – needed to be an ‘immersive experience’? Now, don’t get me wrong. I love to see (and […]
It seems that last year may have been the year when the automotive industry turned a corner, leaving behind a century of steady development, and entered a brave new world where its decades-old business model becomes increasingly irrelevant, thanks in no small part to the involvement of (or interference by, depending on your view) the technology sector.
Motor shows continue to be snubbed by big automotive brands, who are increasingly attending events such as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This year’s CES saw myriad automotive-related products and services launched, including important announcements from Faraday Future, Harman, TomTom and Delphi, while the keynote address was delivered by Carlos Ghosn (Chairman and CEO of Renault and Nissan, and Chairman of Mitsubishi Motors).
So, perhaps not exactly hot off the press, but having dropped by the Hyundai store at Stratford’s Westfield complex (worth a visit in it’s own right), here’s the thing. It really isn’t any surprise that the place is doing as well as reported, given the simplicity of what it delivers – a straightforward and strikingly […]
This is a simple re-post from the Bank of England Bank Underground blog, but well worth a read, especially given the recent reports about the UK economic prognosis for the next year. Question is, is a predominantly finance-driven new car sales culture going to sustain the dealership business model? If not, what are the alternatives? […]
It’s been a couple of weeks since a retrospective celebrating the work of Ove Arup opened at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. ‘Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design’ runs until November and looks at the work of a man whose work crossed disciplines and included the iconic Sydney Opera House. […]
…thanks Yogi Berra for the gift of a headline for this post. The featured image, captured from Street View, shows one of the UK’s dwindling number of original car dealership operating models – where purchase, service and everyday running are all available under one canopy. Here’s another, and they usually sport a small market town […]
The featured picture, and starting point for this piece, is from a series taken at Masdar City in the UAE by photographer Etienne Malapert. The city was “scheduled to be completed this year but many developers and planners have given up on the original goal of building the world’s first zero-carbon city due to seemingly […]
News from designboom of buratti architetti’s work for Alfa Romeo in Milan, leading on the connection between a new car showroom and the museum collection (via an arresting-looking red lift shaft) of the dealership’s owners, Cozzi While there’s a interesting interior design story here, what’s perhaps more intriguing is the exterior. Considering the usual approach […]
In the mid-90’s, the established travel operator business was in turmoil, faced with increasingly challenging market conditions. While there was still much to be said for the comfort in leaving all the arrangements to the operator – and paying accordingly, either at a premium or at discount, depending on your taste for the familiar or […]
Another ‘man bites dog’ example of when the world of online retailing ‘discovers’ that we like to try things out before we buy them (you know, like in shops?) got me thinking about what car showrooms – who’s pivotal role for their customers of having the product to try, is a pretty unbeatable advantage – still […]
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