Automotive News - October 16, 2017 - Supplement - S28

28 | OCTOBER 16, 2017
PA R K P L A C E P R E M I E R C O L L E C T I O N , D A L L A S

Elite brands give group a halo
Stunning cars featured
at numerous events
Printed in Automotive News May 8, 2017

Laurence Iliff
liliff@crain.com

ALLAS - One of the bigger draws
at this year's Dallas-Forth Worth
auto show wasn't a German sportscar manufacturer or an American
muscle-car maker but a local dealership that
broke out the eye candy.
For the March show, the Park Place Premier
Collection featured a convertible Rolls-Royce
Dawn, Bentley's new Bentayga SUV, a McLaren 570S and three Maseratis, including the
Ghibli sedan.
The Premier Collection has become something of a subbrand that projects a halo across
the Park Place group's other luxury marques,
while also offering the logical next step for
Heath Strayhan, general manager of Park Place Premier Collection, displays a Rolls-Royce Ghost
customers who can afford it.
in the showroom. Below, a Bentley gleams in the brand's "pod" at the dealership.
"There are great synergies between these
luxury brands that we represent in Dallas/
Schnitzer to do this because it might not have
Fort Worth and the Park Place brand itself,"
made sense from a business-case standpoint
"Park Place is very eventsaid Heath Strayhan, general manager at Preat the time," said Strayhan, noting that the suoriented and very
mier Collection, a five-brand dealerperluxury brands have only expanded in
community-oriented."
ship that came together in Dallas
volume in recent years.
starting in 2005.
Th
e
Premier
Collection
is
not
just
a
Heath Strayhan, general manager,
Dealership
The collection also includes
jewel box anymore, but a carefully
Park Place Premier Collection
uses auto shows,
Bugatti, the supercar brand
managed business with its own
charity events and a
whose Chiron starts at around
challenges and best practices, givsupercar showcase
$3 million and takes nearly a
en its products and clientele.
customers who don't want to buy from stock.
to feature its
year for delivery.
"It's
been
a
really
interesting
jourBugatti has a virtual showroom because there is
vehicles.
The local auto show is just one
ney," Strayhan said. "I never thought
no stock.
of many opportunities to show off
we would have been selling this many
Sales associates must have knowledge of
the Premier Collection's "jewel box" of
cars that are really $150,000-plus." He devehicle customization, the technical aspects
autos, Strayhan said. There are year-round
clined to give sales numbers, but did say the
of each model and the history of the storied
charity events and a supercar showcase in the
Premier Collection was the McLaren global volbrands.
fall.
ume dealer in 2015.
"The No. 1 best practice at Premier is the
ability to consult with our clients on the design and commissioning of a unique automoCachet in every brand
Cede to the customer
bile," Strayhan said. "They want the car to re"Park Place is very event-oriented and very
The store essentially has a large "pod" for each
flect who they are."
community-oriented, and one of the best
brand with a hallway separating them, and a
Other top practices are absolute discretion
things that these brands have to offer is
customiza- because most buyers are not the flashy
there's cachet involved in every brand,
tion area
type even if their vehicles are - and knowing
there's a little bit of glamour involved,"
for
when to cede to a customer's tastes.
he said, which understandably draws
"We had an all-yellow Dawn just arrive; our
a crowd.
client was very strong willed," Strayhan
Park Place, founded by CEO Ken
said.
Schnitzer from a single Mercedes"And he says, 'Guys, I really appreBenz dealership in 1987, now also
ciate your consultancy here, but
sells Porsche, Lotus, Lexus, Jaguar,
this is what I want.' The car came in
Volvo and Infiniti vehicles.
and it was beautiful." a
"It really was visionary of Mr.

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