For almost as long as cars have existed, they’ve found their place in a random shopping mall. Seeing cars parked inside a mall is almost essential to add a touch of excitement to your retail therapy. At least, the misplaced one luxury cars they’re the perfect recipe for Instagrammable photos on a day of shopping.
Yet seeing one seems to reignite a burning question we all have: “How did he do that? classic car reach the middle of the mall?’. Doing the math, you’ll quickly run into several logistical problems with a car going through human-sized doors and elevators. And the logistical solution isn’t adequate to answer the following question: Why is that 1965 Chevy Impala on the second level of a building destined for walk-up shopping? Car dealerships have their own special reasons and ways of displaying their products in busy indoor shopping areas.
Getting cars onto the center lane of a mall isn’t as mysterious as it might seem. There’s more than one way to do it, like driving through the back entrance of the mall. This isn’t exactly a secret, as you might imagine. Like almost all malls they have a rear entrance where the doors are much wider. The car is easy to maneuver as most rear entries are built with this scenario in mind.
If sneaking in the back sounds dishonorable, another method is to use a designated entrance. This is the most commonly used entry when a new car model is to be introduced to the public (shoppers inside a shopping mall). The entrance is usually located at the front of the mall, so everyone catches a glimpse of it as they enter.
The least tinfoil hat-worthy way to get a car in is to work with the existing human-sized doors. Mall staff sometimes unfasten the entrance doors to make way for the car. But the door does not always have to be completely released; Most mall doors have hinges that allow them to open wide.
However, this is not a common practice as some malls do not have removable or extendable doors. And sometimes, they have alternatives that take much less time. Now that the shiny new Cadillac has passed through the gates, it must drive up to its designated viewing platform. Mall staff usually clear the way to the viewing area to allow for easy driving.
The car would then carefully navigate the bustling corridors at slow speeds until it reaches its destination. An interesting detail is that the driver of the vehicle is usually not an employee of the mall. Rather, the dealership sends its own staff to handle the transportation.
If you’re wondering why you haven’t witnessed any of this, it’s because cars move inside malls only while the doors are closed. It will be disastrous to have cars moving through crowds of busy shoppers on a Sunday afternoon.
How do cars get to the second level inside a mall?
The question is only half-answered, as moving a vehicle weighing several tons up a level presents a whole new problem. But the new Lexus you saw above didn’t go in the elevator.
Shopping centers with more than one floor have large elevators that can fit heavy objects, including cars. These elevators are commonly used when a store is undergoing renovation or when a new store is set up. Often, a new shop on the top floor has to carry large goods that cannot be carried up the stairs. Special lifts are designed for this; to transport oversized and overweight objects to higher levels.
Once the car is inside, it is driven through the corridors and into the elevator, which takes it up to a higher level. The car is then removed from the heavy duty elevator and driven to the designated viewing platform on the second level.
Why are cars brought to shopping malls?
This 9,000-pound Hummer EV isn’t just there to end up on Instagram stories. Car dealers go through the trouble of displaying their cars because it benefits them to do so.
Dealers place new model vehicles in local malls to show off the latest releases to people who aren’t into the hobby of driving around dealerships. Automakers find far better advertising in places where crowds gather than behind the doors of a showroom. But this is not all. Automakers sometimes choose to display concept cars at the mall to gauge public perception and receive valuable feedback.
Malls provide a pressure-free environment for people to check out new cars. Dealership salespeople typically work on commission and can create a high-pressure buying experience that many shy away from. However, this is not the case when you come across a cool looking car in the middle of the mall while shopping with friends.
Sometimes malls can host special car events, either organized by local clubs or by the mall’s own events coordinator. During these events, people can see specific types of cars, such as Jeeps or classic cars. When you’re around one, be sure to whip out your phone and take plenty of photos.
