Leggat Auto Group, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, developed an interesting concept to highlight its milestone and showcase some of its current and future inventory with a virtual auto show, something it had never done before.
The show ran on its website from March 15-17 with a different theme each day. The first day featured the newest arrivals from the eight brands it retails at its 12 stores in southern Ontario.
The second day focused on cars that will be coming in the next 12 months, while the third day highlighted electric vehicle updates from manufacturers that are represented by Leggat. Juliana Chiovitti, an automotive and motorsport influencer known as the Automotive Woman, hosted each of the shows.
Leggat President Omar Khan, who joined the company a year ago after working almost 25 years with the Dilawri Group, said the virtual show was held because COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2022 Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) in February. It was the second consecutive year the biggest consumer show in Canada and the premier auto show in the country was canceled because of the pandemic.
Khan is a member of the board of the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA), which annually runs the CIAS and provides consumers with a glimpse of current and concept cars.
“We just thought it would be a good forum for customers that aren’t able to go to an auto show to see this streamed live on our website,” said Khan. “This way if customers had an interest in any vehicle or had questions or required any further information they could follow up with us. This will tie into a whole strategy of ours for the 100th anniversary, giving the customers the information, trying to serve it up in one place, and also giving the options of a virtual show.”
Each of the shows began with a look at some exotic cars, which is a huge feature every year at the CIAS.
Khan said, going forward, when the company does product launches it will include a live show and a virtual show. He said there will be rollouts for each of the dealerships accenting the company’s commitment to community and non-profit organizations with donations, combined with ways to communicate with customers with digital communication to help purchase and service vehicles.
Leggat began in 1922 by Roy Leggat, starting with a dealership in Hamilton and began selling Chryslers 10 years later.
