The average showroom has been desribed as a 'boring box' which encourages the level of footfall for dealers that would fail to sustain outlets in other retail sectors.

Gary Wilburn, creative director of Southampton and Edinburgh-based architects HPW Partnerships, said: “Considering the car is the second most expensive purchase in most people's lives, the fact that families do not casually visit showrooms as they would any other retail environment does the motor industry more harm than good. No other consumer-based industry could survive with such low footfall into retail outlets. The boring boxes must go.”

The company has started a series of presentations to motor retailers to view new concepts for car showrooms. Dealers had so far, Mr Wilburn, proved open-minded to HPW's suggestions of new designs.