Audi 2008 Annual Report Download - page 87

84
Vorsprung Ingenuity
to drive an Audi. Whether electric cur-
tains for the rear windshield, initials
in the inlays or a built-in refrigerator
in the back – with a workforce of
around 800, the quattro team can
make anything happen as long as it is
technically feasible. The only taboos
are using leathers from endangered
species, tropical woods and anything
that might create an onboard hazard.
The trend towards customization is
particularly pronounced in the Arab
world, where the order placed by a
businessman for an A8 in pink with
green leather throughout the interior
is not considered unusual. “A TT with
diamonds in the dashboard, an A8
with two-tone body paint or a trunk
converted into a refrigerator – the ex-
traordinary is all part of our daily rou-
tine,” says Armin Weber, Marketing
Manager of quattro GmbH in Dubai. Of
course, notes Degenhard, it is important
to remember that customers from Abu
Dhabi aren’t the same as customers
from Dortmund. With globalization
comes the need to understand and re-
spect each customer’s cultural envi-
ronment. Of course, clientele looking
for extravagant special appointments
ranging from a bar to leather that
matches their tie tend to be concen-
trated in the high-end sector as far as
price and models go, with the Audi R8,
A8 and RS 6 models in the lead.
But since there are important differ-
ences between individual markets,
the watchword is “Think globally and
act locally.” That’s why quattro GmbH
maintains designated sales customer
representatives with showrooms in
important cities like Moscow, Beijing,
Riyadh, Stockholm and New York. On
request, these specialists will also
take their laptops and samples cases
with them directly to the customer.
quattro GmbH prides itself on its
customer proximity.
Customers in Moscow also have differ-
ent preferences from those in Berlin,
London or Paris. “A Russian customer
is particularly interested in getting a
spectacular paint job, maybe even
gold side mirrors, and of course strik-
ing rims,” relates Degenhard from
years of experience. Germans, as well
as Swiss and Austrian customers, on
the other hand, are more interested in
having a customized interior. As for
the English, they’re bolder in their
choice of colors than other Europeans.
Back downstairs, a couple is just pick-
ing up their new A8. In a custom col-
or, of course. The car is parked right in
the center of the showroom; so finely
polished, that the pair can see their
reflections. A little later, as the A8
slowly drives out of the showroom,
Thomas Degenhard looks pleased as
he watches them drive off.
Robert Kittel, columnist for Wiener, also
writes for GQ, brand eins and Stern.
“Diamonds in the dashboard, an A8 in pink – the extraordinary
is all part of our daily routine.”
Armin Weber, Marketing Manager of quattro GmbH in Dubai
Photos: Jan van Endert/AUDI AG, Gaukler Studios/M. Miklas/AUDI AG
Second home: Top-
quality leather trim
and office package
in the Audi A8.
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