A Starry Night: Porsche Centre Richmond Grand Opens with a Big Celebration on Porsche’s 75th Anniversary
The stars came out last week for Porsche Centre Richmond’s grand opening party. It wasn’t just any night – it was also Porsche’s 75 anniversary to the exact day. The Porsche brand was officially born on June 8, 1948, from one humble man’s dream, and we invited guests to dream in technicolour with us through delicious food by one MICHELIN Star restaurants, award-winning sips, creative art, and of course, a vast display of Porsche vehicles.
Porsche Canada President and CEO John Cappella commented, “We are celebrating a milestone for our brand here in Canada: the grand opening of our fourth ‘Destination Porsche’ centre in the country and the first one in Western Canada.
A fundamental idea of the Destination Porsche concept is for the Porsche Centre to be a central gathering place for the Porsche community where one can experience the brand and be inspired while receiving exceptional service. This idea certainly came to life tonight at this exceptional event.”
Ranging from Ruby Star Neo, Lava Orange, to RS Green, Ultraviolet, and Racing Yellow, guests were treated to an eye-popping line-up of candy-coloured, customer-owned Porsche GT3s and GT4s at the entrance.
Inside, a selection of rare and new Porsches were featured around the showroom. Highlights included a 2005 GT Silver Carrera GT, a 1992 Slate Grey 964 Carrera 2, a Guards Red 2021 718 Boxster GTS, a 2015 Black 918 Spyder, a 2004 996 GT3RS, and a 2023 Sport Grey 911 Sport Classic.
Ajay Dilawri, President of Dilawri Group of Companies, said, “As Western Canada’s first ‘Destination Porsche’ centre location, Porsche Centre Richmond expands the iconic heritage brand’s footprint in Canada, while giving customers even more opportunities to experience it for themselves. We look forward to working with OpenRoad Auto Group to create new and exciting memories in the years to come, starting with our grand opening event tonight, which also happens to fall on Porsche’s 75th anniversary.”
To complement the star vehicles, guests were treated to exclusive tastings by one MICHELIN Star restaurants AnnaLena (with executive chef Mike Robbins) and Kissa Tanto (with executive chef Joël Watanabe), while Published on Main’s wine director and MICHELIN Guide Vancouver’s inaugural Sommelier of the Year, Jayton Paul, curated the wine and champagne offerings. On the menu? An East Coast Lobster Tail with Caviar and Butter Poached Sidestripe Prawns with Cacio e Pepe Asparagus and Smoked Squid XO.
On the third level, guests had the chance to sip cocktails by Alex Black of Laowai Cocktail & Dim Sum Parlour, which was named Best New Bar by Canada’s 50 Best Bars in 2022. Throughout the event, delicious bites by Cocktails & Canapés were available, while Top Chef Canada X participant Chef Vish Mayekar served a special Seared Scallop & Tomato Risotto dish, and ARC Iberico Imports sliced up Spanish ham.
When it was time for speeches, souvenir Porsche 75 flags were handed out. Guests waved the celebratory flags as Porsche Canada President and CEO John Cappella, Christian Chia of OpenRoad Auto Group, Ajay Dilawri of Dilawri Group, and the Porsche Centre Richmond team gathered to cut the grand opening ribbon at the main stage.
In his speech, Chia notes, “None of this is possible without the brilliance and an extraordinary brand like Porsche – along with a unique retail partnership between OpenRoad Auto Group and Dilawri Group. Together, we see such an outstanding future for Porsche in Metro Vancouver and for all of British Columbia.”
To cap off a wonderful event, guests were invited to participate in a living digital graffiti art mural with local and award-winning artist Carson Ting of Chairman Ting Art + Design Studio. This mural will be turned into a permanent wall art piece, leaving a lasting memory at Porsche Centre Richmond.
For more information about Porsche Centre Richmond, please visit dealer.porsche.com/ca/richmond/en-CA.
