Flooding swamps dealerships
A number of dealerships have been left with damaged vehicles and soggy showrooms after being hit by flooding in the wake of the deluges that have devastated Auckland and other parts of the country.
Archibald and Shorter North Shore, Tristram MG and Continental Cars BMW – all in the Wairau Valley – are among some of the businesses affected after the supercity copped record levels of rainfall on January 27 and with the risk of more rain on the way.
Staff at Archibald and Shorter North Shore, which specialises in Range Rovers, Jaguars and Volvo cars, scrambled to move vehicles from the rising waters as the rains fell. It says some second-hand vehicles parked in the deepest water have been damaged but it was yet to fully assess the situation and be able to put a value on the impact.
However, it adds that as 10am on January 30, it appeared no new vehicles at the business on Wairau Road had suffered any damage as a result of the extreme weather event that led to a state of emergency being declared in Auckland.
A statement to Autofile Online says the company, part of the Giltrap Group, has not yet written off any cars because of the flooding and praises its team for a “remarkable job to minimise weather damage”.
An overflowing storm drain in front of the Archibald and Shorter North Shore showroom and service workshop, plus a rising creek nearby, led to concern among staff at about 6pm on January 27.
About half an hour later, a portable building outside started moving because of the flooding and then 30 minutes after that water started to enter the dealership. A decision was then made by staff to move some vehicles to higher ground.
Shawn Rushby. general manager, says: “Our dealership was severely impacted by the flooding, as were many businesses and homes in Auckland.
“We were heartened by the generosity and team spirit shown by our staff from both Archibald and Shorter and other Giltrap Group dealerships, who left their homes to assist with the clean-up.
“Right now our main focus is on the families of our teams, and the wider community who have been hit so hard by this weather event.”
Other dealerships nearby were also affected by the downpours, with Tristram MG awaiting insurance assessors to visit the business after a number of vehicles became caught up in the floods.
Continental Cars BMW also had water enter its showroom at the peak of the storms, with one staff member later posting a video to TikTok suggesting no cars were damaged but “the showroom is done for”.
