DUBBO dealer Golden West Honda has completed a $1 million showroom development and celebrated the opening with a fund-raising event for a local breast cancer charity.

The dealership, part of Golden West Automotive that also has the Holden and Renault franchises, refurbished its showroom to add space for an extra five vehicles.

It also created a spacious customer lounge and added an area for Honda merchandise and accessories.

Its opening celebration cocktail party raised $26,050 on the night for Dubbo-based charity organisation Pink Angels which supports the region’s breast cancer patients and families of patients.

Honda has been servicing and supporting customers in the Dubbo community for 18 years and through the help of The Honda Foundation, has donated $77,000 to local organisations.

Golden West Honda dealer principal Danny Russell, said: “The upgrade project to our showroom has been a considerable undertaking and we look forward to welcoming the Dubbo community into our new facility.”

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said the refurbished showroom at Golden West Honda was one of many dealership upgrades planned across the country.

“It has been designed with the customer in mind, to make purchasing and servicing Honda vehicles an easy and enjoyable experience.”

Mr Russell said the dealership’s parent, Golden West Automotive, had the Honda franchise for three years.

The building upgrade was designed to make it easier to service customers on a single location that now includes Renault, Holden and, since August, HSV.

“The original site wasn’t ours and had one showroom,” he said.

“We brought it (Honda) back to our land and so it’s on the same property as Holden. The Honda and Renault dealerships are in the same building but separated by a wall.

“Servicing is done at the Holden dealership but we will upgrade that as sales of Honda increase.”

Golden West Honda started three years ago selling three or four Hondas a month and is now up to between eight and 10, Mr Russell said.

It is also found a solid market with Renault vehicles, particularly the light-commercial range. He said the addition of HSV will also introduce the Silverado into the town which is expected to appeal to the regional buyer.

By Neil Dowling