1:15 pm, March 22, 2023
Picking up any new car will always be an exciting day for any customer, but one lucky UK buyer of a new Volkswagen got to experience something slightly different to the usual handover – by collecting the keys at the legendary Brands Hatch circuit.
Despite ordering the car in the traditional way with Marshall Volkswagen Gatwick, Trevor Godfrey’s Tiguan R ended up being the 10,000th VW Tiguan R performance SUV to roll off the production line.
As a result, the German firm was keen to celebrate the delivery of the milestone model in a memorable fashion.
Chosen due to his proximity to Brands Hatch, near Longfield in Kent, Volkswagen went to the effort and expense of hiring out the race circuit for the full day to facilitate the surprise delivery.
Retired Godfrey (pictured), from Crawley, said he had no idea what to expect, other than being told he would be picked up to collect the car.
Speaking to Car Dealer shortly after a special ‘reveal’ in the paddocks of the circuit, Godfrey said: ‘It’s a very different and very entertaining way to collect a car. It’s a one-off, isn’t it! Not many people will be able to get this kind of experience.
‘It’s a great feeling getting to pick up a new car anyway from the dealership, and the dealership would have made it special, but this has gone beyond my wildest imagination. It’s been great.’
Currently an owner of VW’s Touareg SUV – also bought from Marshall Volkswagen – Godfrey said he was looking to downsize after he and wife Maxine move away from their previous diesel after stopping caravanning.
Despite many of VW’s models facing lengthy waiting times, Godfrey said his Tiguan R was a model ordered by the dealership already and only took a couple of months to arrive as a result.
The UK is one of Volkswagen’s largest markets for its performance ‘R’ division, with the legendary Golf R being joined by hotter versions of the firm’s T-Roc, Tiguan and Arteon in recent years.
