More than 50 business leaders from across Hampshire had a unique opportunity to view the new Mondeo Vignale at Hendy Ford’s flagship FordStore in Eastleigh.
Hendy, a valued Lee Peck Media client, teamed up with the Hampshire Chamber of Trade to showcase the new model in “The Vignale Experience,” which is setting new standards in premium motoring.
Vignale arrives at a time when Ford is asking people to unlearn what they know about the brand in a national advertising campaign supported by TV, outdoor and digital.
Lee Peck, who was hosting the Leigh Road event, introduced Paul Hendy, group managing director. Paul said he was proud to report that the Hendy FordStore in Eastleigh would be the largest in Europe. “It’s good for our business, it’s good for jobs and good for the local economy,” he said.
The showroom has a bespoke breakout space – the Vignale Lounge – as showcased at the Paris Motor Show – where customers could relax amid the furnishings and features of the Ford Vignale collection.
The lounge design was created by the very team responsible for the look of the vehicle. Fitted with plush leather, rich fabrics and fine detailing, the Vignale Lounge features an interactive coffee table, where prospective customers can explore Ford’s latest launch – immersing themselves in the luxurious and comfortable ambience offered by the car itself.
The audience heard from Victoria Allen, the bespoke Vignale brand manager from Ford UK, that Vignale was an Italian automobile coachbuilder company established by Alfredo Vignale in 1948 at Via Cigliano, Turin. The Ford Vignale Mondeo is the first in the new collection, hand-finished by a dedicated team at Ford’s new Vignale Centre in Valencia, Spain.
“It is packed with exciting features which make it stand out from the crowd,” explained Victoria. “From noise cancelling technology in the cab to the comfort of front and back suspension and sophisticated new features like Active Park Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition and Active City Stop.”
But more than that the Vignale experience was all about recognising that customers were time poor. A dedicated relationship manager would, among other things, arrange servicing which included a pick up and drop off service together with car cleaning.
Picking up the theme of time management, Hendy group chairman Simon Gulliford said that customers today were typically time poor and driven by value. “The Vignale Experience recognises that – and people buying into the brand will indeed enjoy a whole host of benefits which will make their busy lives simpler and more enjoyable not least the driving pleasure of a superbly equipped, stylish premium car.”
To close the evening guests were regaled with an entertaining question and answer session with Hendy Ambassadors former England and Hampshire cricketer Shaun Udal and Olympic bronze rowing medalist James Foad.
The Ford Vignale Mondeo is available to order at FordStores now, priced from £29,045.