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The Stamford dealership is excited about the opportunity, said William “Woody” Woodward, Prestige’s general manager.
“We’re very excited. We’re ecstatic and we’re geared up,” Woodward said.
The dealership is owned by Joseph Dockery, a Greenwich resident, who also owns New Jersey-based Prestige Motors. Prestige Motors bought the former Riverbank Volkswagen about a year ago, according to Woodward.
New Country’s decision leaves three Volkswagen dealerships in Fairfield County, with the other two based in Stratford and Danbury. The closest in New York is in White Plains.
Dockery bought the dealership in Stamford about a year ago, and it’s the first foray into Connecticut by the New Jersey-based Prestige Motors, Woodward said.
The dealership had been working to expand its presence even before New Country’s decision, Woodward said.
“We were gearing up before it happened,” he said pointing to the investment made by the company in improving its repair capacity on the site and in hiring additional sales and service people.
“We were looking to grow the Volkswagen market. We wanted to be the No. 1 dealer in the market area anyway for sales, service and customer satisfaction,” Woodward said.
A spokesman for New Country could not be reached for comment.
Jetta is the biggest seller for the company and for the dealership, Woodward said, although the larger Passat sedan is not far behind.
He believes the local area will be a good fit for Volkswagen and Prestige Motors.
“I think Volkswagen has a great growth potential,” he said. “I think one of the reasons why Prestige decided to own it wasn’t just that they wanted to grow into this market. They looked at this product and this market and said, ‘we can grow.’ “
The population and demographics are a good fit for Volkswagen, he said, and Stamford is an attractive place to do business.
“Stamford, let’s face it, is one of the hottest markets in the Northeast,” he said.
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