vending vehicles
If you saw a picture of it, might have thought it was a nicely displayed model car collection — dozens of expensive and rare cars arrayed in columns of display cases. But in real life, it stands 15 stories high, and each of the 60 cars on display are very much full-sized and in pristine working condition.
Furthermore, it is not just a static exhibit — at the touch of a button, a system of mobile platforms and lifts will send the car to a viewing room, where customers can examine it at their leisure. If this ‘car vending machine’ seems a bit unnecessary, consider that this showroom of dealer Autobahn Motors is located in land-starved Singapore, where building up is often cheaper than building wide.
This high-tech, S$3 million (RM9 million) solution also has the benefit of showing off the cars more effectively — akin to a beauty pageant, according to general manager Gary Hong. The origin of the idea is perhaps unsurprising, Hong was by a display for Matchbox cars that he saw
while taking his son out shopping.
As for the cars themselves, Autobahn Motors specializes in preowned but premium vehicles. At this showroom on Jalan Kilang, Bukit Merah, you could find fairly recent BMW or Toyota SUVs, as well as rare vintages in flavours such as Ferrari and Bentley.
