Published in Automotive News Nov. 17, 2014
Many dealers collect historic vehicles, and some even display vintage cars in their showrooms.
But one dealership in Hamilton, Ontario, has found a way to make a World War II-era Willys MB Jeep the centerpiece of its showroom -- without sucking up valuable indoor display space.
Bay King Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram entombed a 1943 Willys MB below the floor of its 29,000-square-foot dealership, which opened in September.
The 71-year-old Jeep, parked below a specially made pane of glass flooring, has become an attraction in its own right.
"We have people coming in who have no interest in buying a vehicle just to see it," said Kevin Sawka, Bay King's marketing manager.
The idea for the subterranean Jeep was nudged along, oddly, by a wine cellar, Sawka explained.