web_111335Penske
AS ONE OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE AUTO DEALERSHIPS IN THE REGION, AND NEW JERSEY’S ONLY SELLER OF FERRARIS, THIS EDISON FRANCHISE CONTINUES TO NAVIGATE THE TURNS OF AN EVER-CHANGING MARKETPLACE

BY MATT SCANLON • PHOTOS BY DOUG POLLE

When Michael Dowd became the general manager of the then and now only Ferrari dealership in the state in 2013, it was, as the career auto salesman described, nothing short of the opportunity of a lifetime. The fact that an associated dealership also sold Maseratis was, he’s quick to add, an additional enticement—the sales franchises, on Route 1 in Edison, are among the most upper-register in the region.

“People work their entire careers in this business and never get an opportunity to represent these brands,” Dowd said. “More than occasionally, it seems as if I’ve awakened from a dream when walking the sales floor. These cars are simply works of art.”

Shortly after assuming the position, the franchises were further boosted in exclusivity by taking on a Bentley showroom. While discussing the addition of the legendary ultra-luxury marque, and detailing a recent driving experience in a Bentley Continental GT Speed (626 hp and well over $200,000), Dowd took stock of an extended arc that ended in this decidedly unexpected place.

“There I was, driving a vehicle that seemed an almost impossible combination of speed and luxury—one of the most extraordinary cars on the planet—and I recalled starting with the company at 16 as a detailer. I would clean cars…move them around the lot, etc., then went into service doing oil changes and tasks like that, and ultimately into sales,” he recalled with a smile. “It was a great company to mature in, but I never expected my career to take this sort of turn, as it were. I think that ongoing thrill helps my job performance, though. There’s not the slightest sense of being blasé about anything here, and I think customers and other employees pick up on that.”

One of franchise owner Penske Automotive Group’s most deliberate tasks, and one that Dowd seemed uniquely qualified for, was taking as much intimidation factor out of the buying process as possible. If anything, all three dealerships strike an initial visitor as places of uncommon easygoingness–where a hedge fund tycoon is approached in the same manner as someone in his or her early 20s surveying a dream.

Choosing these three brands to represent was, of course, no mere coincidence. They were designed as complementary visions—and together, as the general manager described, will fulfill just about every high-end automotive wish imaginable.

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“If someone has a taste for the best, that passion is probably not going to end when he or she climbs into their first Ferrari,” Dowd explained. “If they have a family, and are thinking about a gorgeous sedan, then all they need do is pop in to the Maserati dealership and have a look at some of the most extraordinary four-door sports cars in the world. If they have a taste for something larger, then the Bentley line takes over… and I probably don’t need to tell you what kind of taste that carmaker represents. All three locations come with their own parts and service departments, too—so the entirety becomes a very easy place to get around in and get your tasks accomplished in.”

Among the models Bentley Edison sells is the regular Continental GT (as opposed to GT Speed), the Mulsanne, and the Flying Spur, the last Car and Driver recently awarded a full five out of five stars. Among Maseratis, Dowd points to the four-door Ghibli and its sister sedan the Quattroporte as two of the most recent examples of a line busily retooling itself from ultra-sports car maker to one that encompasses all-around, family-friendly, sport sedans and coupes.

“It’s been fascinating to watch a brand like that evolve; the intent for them is ultimately to sell something like 20,000 cars a year, which is actually quite a progression for such a high-end maker,” Dowd explained.

The general manager speaks with a particular awe, however, when discussing Ferraris.

“In terms of brand management—in terms of how carefully it manages sales outlets, staff, its reputation—I would say that Ferrari is the most amazing automotive brand in the world,” he said. “This is a company that produces about 7,000 cars a year, but has a place in the minds of everyone—from men or women in the street all the way to racing enthusiasts—that is just stupendous.”

Dowd added that there will be a bit of a surprise in the 2016 line from the Maranello, Italy-based maker: the 488. Unveiled in February, shortly before its official premiere at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show, the mid-engine supercar was designed as a replacement for the venerable 458 model. Instead of being a tweaked and refined version of its predecessor, however, the only thing the 488 shares with the 458 is a roof panel. Powered by a 3.9-liter V-8 producing 661 hp—and with an automatic, dual-clutch seven-speed F1 gearbox controlling all those ponies—the car vaults from 0-to- 60 in under three seconds.

Dowd also let us in on a much less publicized release, Bentley’s first foray into the SUV marketplace. The V-8 powered Bentayga will have the cargo- and passenger-carrying capacity of a midsized family truckster, but with a substantially more mischievous heart—specifically a choice of either V-8, plug-in hybrid, or V-12 motors, the last rumored to be capable of launching the Bentayga pass the 200 mph mark.

What the general manager pointed to beyond these new designs is an environment at the automotive group that goes to substantial lengths not only to care for customers properly, to be sure, but also its staff.

“[Penske Automotive Group President] Roger Penske is quite simply one of my idols,” Dowd said. “And part of the reason for that is that he recognizes that properly appreciated employees will pay back that investment tenfold. We have one of the highest employee satisfaction indexes in an industry.”

The Edison staff is boosted by a variety of novel sales and community outreach techniques, including prominent display at higher-end real estate open houses and home demonstrations of car models (“We know buyers in this price range often don’t have a lot of time to spend on sales floors, so we try to make it easy for them,” Dowd explained), as well as participation in a range of nonprofit and charitable events, including one recently on behalf of the Michael Fuchs Charitable Foundation (co-hosted by Industry). Events like these are not just an opportunity to support a good cause, he explained, but also to network with other businesspeople and car enthusiasts.

A number of customers we spoke to made reference to the locations’ surprisingly approachable vibe—one that struck more than a few as precisely the opposite of stuffy sales atmospheres too often encountered in high-end showrooms.

“I stop by just because I like the environment here,” one Red Bank resident offered between sips of coffee. “For the most part, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get my business done, but visiting here’s a chance to actually take a breath and take in some real pieces of automotive artwork. The staff is happy to tell you what the most amazing new thing is… and there’s no hard sell going on. It’s refreshing.”

A particularly strategic location is also part of the franchises’ success—situated as it is in central New Jersey, with roughly equidistant connecting lines to New York City, Philadelphia, and other high population centers.

“We have proximity to the Rumson area, Red Bank, Bergen County, Staten Island and the rest of New York City…and all the way west to Philly,” Dowd said. “It’s hard to imagine a better location, really. That helps, but the choice of models here is something that would be a draw in any place, and being the only Ferrari dealership in the state—well, that distinction is hard to overstate.”

Bentley Edison
808 U.S. 1 North, Edison / 732.395.2900 / edisonbentley.com
Ferrari of Central New Jersey
816 U.S. 1, Edison / 732.248.9100 / ferrariofcentralnj.com /
Maserati of Central New Jersey
816 U.S. 1, Edison / 732.593.2600 / maseratiofcentralnj.com