The Bruce Lynton Group 1997 - 2000
In March 1997 Bruce Lynton Land Rover opened a new concept in automotive sales – the Land Rover Adventure Centre. The two million dollar complex located in Minnie Street, Southport features unique architecture, open plan office design, sporting lifestyle memorabilia, many of which hold “Lynton family history”, as well as a 4WD vehicle test track. With the success of the opening of the Land Rover Lifestyle Centre, a continuous increase in sales, and exceptional results in the independently assessed Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) for service and sales, Bruce Lynton Land Rover received the highly coveted 1997 Land Rover Retailer of the Year award. Simultaneously, the Bruce Lynton Land Rover service department was awarded Land Rover Australia’s Service Quality Dealer of the year based on surveys completed by clients following the servicing of their car.
In the same year, Bruce Lynton became Queensland’s only MG dealer, and opened the Bruce Lynton MG Garage adjacent to the Bruce Lynton Land Rover Adventure Centre. Yet another 1997 addition to the group was that of Bruce Lynton Quality Cars. Originally opened in Egerton Street, Quality Cars was designed for the sale of used vehicles traded on new vehicles at Bruce Lynton BMW, Bruce Lynton Land Rover and Bruce Lynton MG Garage. The business was such a success that in 1998 a larger site was purpose built on Ferry Road to enable Quality Cars to continue the same level of service expected from a Bruce Lynton dealership.
In 1998, Bruce Lynton BMW expanded the Nerang Street dealership adding a further 390 square metres. The expansion created a distinct Approved Used BMW area, a bigger new car showroom and a better appointed dealership, increasing the quality of service offered to BMW clients.
1999 represented a landmark year for the Bruce Lynton Group as it celebrated 25 years of successful operation as a premier business in the Southport and Gold Coast region. Expansion continued in this year with the opening of a fifth site on Ferry Road. This site became the home of Bruce Lynton Lifestyle, a quality 4WD trade in centre. In the same year, Bruce Lynton BMW was chosen as a pilot dealer to implement BMW’s Quality Management Autohaus (QMA) program, and in 2000 became Australia’s first privately owned BMW dealership to become QMA accredited, and receive the prestigious QMA trophy.
Early in 2000 Bruce Lynton BMW was awarded the 1999 BMW Dealer Trophy for “excellence in professionalism, presentation and performance”. Bruce Lynton BMW was one of only four BMW dealers to receive the award from over 35 dealers nation-wide.