These pictures show how work is taking shape on the UK’s biggest new and used Mini showroom at a car dealership in Wolverhampton.

Benham BMW is spending £7 million on a new dealership building being created next to its existing base in Raby Street, All Saints.

Bosses said today that work was due to be completed in February.

It had been hoped that builders would be leaving the site by December but then old cellars from the former houses on the site were discovered.

The 50 builders need to put foundations eight metres below the new showroom and had to remove the cellars before they could continue.

Marketing manager Will Peel said the company had not been put off by the credit crunch and said they were optimistic about being able to benefit from the building when the recession ends.

He said: “When Nigel Payne and Steve Mills bought Benham in 2005, this was something they wanted to do. We hope to be in by March and it is going really well. It’s something we have never done before.

“As well as the largest Mini showroom we will have the largest city centre BMW showroom in the country. This work will put us in the right position to benefit from the economic upturn when that happens.”

The site will feature a cafe and meet-and-greet area, and create 30 jobs.

Roles will be across the board from technicians and sales executives. There will also be a new 24-bay service department and the BMW showroom will house 20 cars instead of the current eight.

Customers will also be able to build a virtual model of their car with all its extras on a plasma screen and the used car display is increasing from 35 cars to 80.

The current BMW showroom will reopen as Benham Mini in March 2009 following a full refurbishment.

Benham has been in the city for 15 years and employs around 90 members of staff.

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