Automotive News South Africa

Volkswagen celebrates top dealers at annual Grand Prix Awards

Volkswagen recently honoured its top-performing dealers at its annual Grand Prix Awards ceremony. The event, held at The Galleria in Sandton, recognised 83 dealers across 18 categories. The honours encompassed a wide range of dealership performance aspects, including the sought-after Micro and Macro Group of the Year awards.

"The Volkswagen Grand Prix Awards serve as a testament to the hard work, devotion and exceptional service delivered by our dealer network. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and express our gratitude for their invaluable contributions to the success of the Volkswagen brand," said Steffen Knapp, head of the Volkswagen Passenger Car brand.
Source: Supplied
Source: Supplied

The Grand Prix Awards recognised the outstanding performance of Volkswagen's dealerships throughout 2022.

The coveted Top Dealer of the Year award, which recognises outstanding overall performance across the business, was presented to Gavin Le Roux of Hatfield VW Braamfontein.

Lemmy Dolezal of the Lowveld Group emerged as this year's Micro Dealer Group of the Year. The award, requiring a minimum of two dealerships contributing at least 2% towards the overall Volkswagen Dealer sales result, reflects Dolezal's leadership and commitment.

In a remarkable achievement, the Macro Dealer Group of the Year award was won by Michael Kaftel of the Hatfield Group for the sixth consecutive year. The Hatfield Group, by contributing a minimum of 8% towards the overall Volkswagen Dealer Sales result, demonstrated true dedication to excellence.

The awards ceremony also acknowledged other notable achievements within the Volkswagen Dealer Network. Neville Rejendra of West Cape Volkswagen was honoured with the Service Manager of the Year award, while Andrew Angles of VW Barons N1 City was named as the New Vehicle Sales Manager of the Year.

Long Service Awards (35 years+) were bestowed upon Alan Davison of Philwest Volkswagen and Juraj Dolezal of Alan Hudson Motors, highlighting their continued allegiance to the brand.

Lifetime Achievement Awards were also handed out to Mike McNaughton from the Kelston Group, Emma Demmer from McCarthy Volkswagen Umhlanga and Nic Malec from Hatfield VW Pretoria. A posthumous Lifetime Achievement award was also awarded to Heinrich Preusse from Autohaus Centurion.

The Lifetime Achievement Awards honour individuals who have dedicated their lives to making significant contributions and have left a lasting legacy in the Volkswagen Brand, their community and the automotive industry.

"As we reflect on the exceptional achievements of our dealerships at the Grand Prix Awards, we are inspired by their collaborative spirit and unwavering dedication. This event showcases their remarkable contributions and commitment to delivering excellence in every aspect of our business," concluded Knapp.

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