Penske MINI Dealer Opens in Tempe

The fourth MINI dealership operated by Penske in the US opened this week in Tempe, Arizona, in a 19,300 square foot, state-of-the-art location. According to Penske, the new dealership is expected to generate $20 million in annualized revenue in its first year of operation.

The new dealership is built with floor to ceiling windows, colors associated with the image of the MINI brand, product displays and 15 service bays.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to expand our presence with MINI in the Phoenix market. The location of the new dealership and added service capacity will allow us to bring a greater level of customer satisfaction to our MINI customers in this key market,” George Brochick, Executive Vice President for Penske Automotive Group’s Western Region said in a release.

As an irony, Penske is also the main US collaborator for Mercedes' smart brand. Taking advantage of the negotiations it had with GM over the takeover of Saturn, Penske managed, after the deal failed, to secure Jill Lajdziak, the former CEO of GM's Saturn, as President of smart USA.

The somewhat conflicting representation of two brands is a result of the fact that Penske is one of the biggest automotive retailers in the US. It operates 316 retail automotive franchises, representing 40 different brands.

In addition to the opening to the new MINI dealership, Penske also acquired earlier this year the Commonwealth Audi and Commonwealth Volkswagen, co-located in the Santa Ana Auto Mall.