Cochran Selected by Fiat to Open New Dealership in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA -- #1 Cochran, the leading automotive retailer in Western Pennsylvania, has been selected as Pittsburgh’s first Fiat dealer and plans to open in October of 2011.  The addition of the new Fiat dealership known as a Fiat Studio, is part of a series of growth-driven changes underway at the company, which employs more than 500 at its sales, service and collision operations throughout Monroeville, Robinson Township and Pittsburgh’s South Hills. The Fiat Studio will be located at 4515 William Penn Highway, across from #1 Cochran’s Monroeville MegaCenter.

The 110-year old, Italian made Fiat gained popularity in the United States during the energy crisis of the 1970s but was pulled out of the U.S. market by its Italian manufacturer in 1983.  The re-launch of Fiat is exclusive to only 130 U.S. Fiat dealers, who were chosen from a pool of 600 applicants.  Each is required to build a separate Fiat Studio for the cars.

Rob Cochran, president and CEO of #1 Cochran, said, “After a 27-year hiatus, we are thrilled to have been selected as one of just 130 dealerships throughout the nation that will have the opportunity to offer the Fiat brand to customers this year.  Fiat offers superior design and amazing fuel economy.  It’s a great time to reintroduce the brand, and #1 Cochran is honored to have been selected.”  The Euro-styled Fiat 500 offers three trim levels, with prices starting at $15,500. Pre-orders are being accepted now.

In addition to the new Fiat Dealership, #1 Cochran announced that the company will build a new Volkswagen showroom in Dormont and open its all new, world-class Buick-GMC showroom at the Robinson Campus in October.  A new MegaCenter Subaru showroom opened in July and the former Subaru showroom will become the new FIAT Studio.

The new-from-the-ground-up Volkswagen facility in Dormont will offer a Bauhaus-inspired showroom along with state-of-the-art service and certified collision repair and will be located at 2723 West Liberty Avenue, one block from the current Volkswagon facility.  It will have modern furnishings as well as technology such as an electronic parts storage and retrieval system, offering an innovative way to deal with space constraints in an urban setting.  With the largest VW market area serving Dormont, Mt. Lebanon, Pleasant Hills, Castle Shannon, Pittsburgh Metro and Shadyside, #1 Cochran’s facility will total nearly 19,000 square feet.  Construction is scheduled to start in October of 2011, with a projected opening in June, 2012.

#1 Cochran also announced that work underway on its Robinson Township campus will be completed in October, resulting in significant improvements in customer convenience, dealership efficiency and overall appearance to the campus, which is located at 5200 Campbells Run Road.  Originally opened for operations in 1990, the campus now includes new-vehicle franchises for Buick, GMC and Kia; a Pre-owned Vehicle Division; and a recently built, eco-friendly Collision Center.

#1 Cochran’s Buick and GMC brands will be showcased in the expansive, new state-of-the-art showroom and service center with an ultra-large customer lounge, complete with Wi-Fi. The service area will allow for multiple vehicles to be logged in simultaneously, making the process quicker and more convenient for customers.  A separate service building and vehicle prep area are receiving upgrades and a new drive-thru car wash is being built near #1 Cochran’s Kia showroom on the lower end of the campus.  Other improvements are being made to grading, landscaping, lighting, parking and signage. 

“We are so pleased with the renovations in Robinson and look forward to giving our loyal customers a sales and service destination unlike anything they’ve seen before,” said Cochran. 

In July, #1 Cochran opened a new Subaru showroom with expansive new sales and service facilities in the company’s Monroeville MegaCenter.    The spacious, new #1 Cochran Subaru showroom features a contemporary design with an abundance of customer-centric amenities. Subaru Service is now housed in an 8,800 square-foot, stand-alone building boasting technologically advanced equipment and a comfortable, tech-savvy customer waiting area.

“During its five years of operation, #1 Cochran Subaru has grown to be the number one volume Subaru dealership in Pennsylvania and one of the top 20 sales leaders in the nation,” said Cochran.  “Our new MegaCenter Subaru was an opportunity for us to bring greater convenience and leading edge service to our loyal customers.”

About #1 Cochran
#1 Cochran is the leading automotive retailer in Western Pennsylvania and one of the top private dealer groups in the nation. Founded in 1965 as a single-point Pontiac dealership, the company today operates fourteen new-vehicle franchises at twelve showrooms throughout Monroeville, South Hills and Robinson Township. Through its various sales, service and collision repair operations, #1 Cochran employs more than 500 team members.  The first automotive company to win the Pittsburgh Business Ethics award, #1 Cochran is deeply committed to the communities it serves, providing support for a broad base of organizations and youth programs.  The company is committed to using innovative technologies that protect the environment.  More information is available at www.cochran.com.

08/16/11