Nissan & Infiniti Open New Dealerships In Downtown San Francisco

Unique Dealerships Owned and Operated by Penske Automotive Group

SAN FRANCISCO--May 1, 2012: Expanding into a key sales market that is known for a strong interest in leading-edge technology and environmentally smart products, Nissan and Infiniti have appointed a new Nissan dealer and a new Infiniti dealer in the heart of downtown San Francisco.

The new dealerships are located on Van Ness Ave., one of the Bay Area's most famous and well-traveled automotive retail corridors. Both dealerships are owned and operated by one of the largest automotive retailers in the world -- Penske Automotive Group .

"Infiniti and Nissan products and brands directly align with San Francisco's unique customer profile, making this effort a strategic element of our plan to grow sales volume in the U.S.," said Brian Carolin, senior vice present of Sales and Marketing for Nissan North America, Inc. "The 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF has already surpassed 11,000 sales in the U.S. alone.  Along with the forthcoming Infiniti LE all-electric luxury sedan, we will make a defining statement in a region known for innovation and technology leadership.  We are excited to be represented in such a dramatic way by a leading retailer like Penske Automotive Group in this pivotal market."

The opening of the new dealerships will help contribute further to Nissan and Infiniti's sales and market share gains in the U.S. market. In 2011, the Nissan Division posted its best-ever U.S. sales year -- up 17.3 percent over the previous year -- and Infiniti continues to gain ground. Nissan North America, Inc reported its March 2012 sales of 136,317 units versus 121,141 units a year earlier, an increase of 12.5 percent, and a record for any month in the company's history.

"I'm very pleased to offer the Nissan and Infiniti brands in world-class, state-of-the-art dealerships in San Francisco," said Penske Automotive Group Chairman Roger Penske. "Our new facilities are unrivaled within the city offering an array of automotive services, including sales, service, parts, vehicle preparation and delivery areas all under one roof."

Nissan of San Francisco and Infiniti of San Francisco are located in the Ellis Brooks Building -- which opened for vehicle sales in 1935. The 8-story, 200,000-square-foot complex is unparalleled by any other dealership in the San Francisco marketplace and is one of the largest automobile retailing locations in the United States. The building was completely renovated to provide distinct representation for each brand, and features multiple levels of indoor new and pre-owned vehicle display, service, maintenance and retail parts area, separately branded showrooms, front entrances and signage.

Additional features of the new dealerships include:

• An efficiently engineered, multi-level building layout, thoughtfully conceived to provide customer convenience, including over 400 vehicle display and parking spaces
• Convenient and free "off street" customer parking in the building's covered mezzanine level, including five vehicle delivery bays.
• 22 service bays, and six vehicle detailing bays.
• Nine electric vehicle charging stations.
• Separate full floors of new and pre-owned vehicles for each brand
• Individual, brand-specific customer lounge areas, a central cafe bar, interior new-car delivery areas, and free wireless Internet access throughout the building
• State-of-the-art graphics highlighting Nissan and Infiniti products
• Open and inviting sales consultant offices and staff that will ultimately be equipped with e-tablets to provide quick and accurate information to customers shopping in each dealership
• Dedicated service drives and service write-up areas for each brand