AutoBinck - History

1907-1917: The original Auto-Palace building in The Hague.

1907-1917: The original Auto-Palace building in The Hague.

1907-1917: Initially Mercedes was the most important brand for Auto-Palace, soon followed by Hansa, Saurer, Itala, Unic and Buick.

1907-1917: The main office at the Houtweg, The Hague.

1907-1917: The main office at the Houtweg, The Hague.

1920-1929: Pieter Cornelis Lauret in his open-topped Mercedes (circa 1920) suitably equipped with leather cap and goggles.

1920-1929: Pieter Cornelis Lauret in his open-topped Mercedes (circa 1920) suitably equipped with leather cap and goggles.

1920-1929: An Amsterdam fire brigade truck supplied by Auto-Palace (photo: Stadsarchief Amsterdam).

1920-1929: An Amsterdam fire brigade truck supplied by Auto-Palace (photo: Stadsarchief Amsterdam).

1920-1929: The upgraded showroom in The Hague ready for Willys Knight.

1920-1929: The upgraded showroom in The Hague ready for Willys Knight.

1930-1939: Pieter Cornelis Lauret standing behind Prince Bernhard at the 1939 Zandvoort Grand Prix where he is updated by Hans Stück who raced for Auto Union.

1930-1939: Pieter Cornelis Lauret standing behind Prince Bernhard at the 1939 Zandvoort Grand Prix where he is updated by Hans Stück who raced for Auto Union.

1930-1939: Auto-Palace’s sales increased considerably by adding the Czech Škoda brand, in 1938 selling 220 vehicles! At the time the competitively priced ‘Škoda Popular’ came with a four-stroke engine.

1940-1949: The workshop in the Hague was expanded to cater for explosive sales of the Škoda 1101, which for 4,580 Dutch Guilders offered outstanding value for money.

1940-1949: The workshop in the Hague was expanded to cater for explosive sales of the Škoda 1101, which for 4,580 Dutch Guilders offered outstanding value for money.

1940-1949: Pieter Cornelis Lauret oversees delivery of the first Holland-Saurer bus to the directorate of the transport authority of The Hague.

1940-1949: Pieter Cornelis Lauret oversees delivery of the first Holland-Saurer bus to the directorate of the transport authority of The Hague.

1950-1959: Pieter Cornelis Lauret (on the right) beams with pride as the first brick is laid at the new building on the Binckhorstlaan in The Hague. On the left hand are his three sons - Rolf, Otto and Frans.

1950-1959: Pieter Cornelis Lauret (on the right) beams with pride as the first brick is laid at the new building on the Binckhorstlaan in The Hague. On the left hand are his three sons - Rolf, Otto and Frans.

1950-1959: From 1952 to date the Auto-Palace facade on the corner of Binckhorstlaan has been a prominent landmark in The Hague. AutoBinck is still headquartered in the building today.

1950-1959: From 1952 to date the Auto-Palace facade on the corner of Binckhorstlaan has been a prominent landmark in The Hague. AutoBinck is still headquartered in the building today.

1960-1969: The accounting department hard at work in the new building on the Binckhorstlaan, The Hague.

1960-1969: The accounting department hard at work in the new building on the Binckhorstlaan, The Hague.

1960-1969: Rolf Lauret brought Mazda to The Netherlands in the late Sixties when it was quite a journey for the dealer network to go to Hiroshima!

1960-1969: Rolf Lauret brought Mazda to The Netherlands in the late Sixties when it was quite a journey for the dealer network to go to Hiroshima!

1970-1979: By 1979 the reward for all their hard work came to fruition when Auto-Palace sold 23,000 Mazdas in that year in The Netherlands.

1970-1979: By 1979 the reward for all their hard work came to fruition when Auto-Palace sold 23,000 Mazdas in that year in The Netherlands.

1970-1979: A well presented Mazda display at the Dutch AutoRAI motor show in the late seventies.

1970-1979: A well presented Mazda display at the Dutch AutoRAI motor show in the late seventies.

1980-1989: Rolf Lauret marking the construction start of the enormous extension of AutoBinck premises, flanked by a new generation of Laurets - Paul and Ellen.

1980-1989: Rolf Lauret marking the start of construction of the enormous extension of AutoBinck premises, flanked by a new generation of Laurets - Paul and Ellen.

1980-1989: This aerial photograph shows the size of AutoBinck's new complex on the Binckhorstlaan - much of the harbour was filled in to allow the expansion.

1980-1989: This aerial photograph shows the size of AutoBinck's new complex on the Binckhorstlaan - much of the harbour was filled in to allow the expansion.

1990-1999: Business Lease goes international - here Rolf Lauret at the opening of Business Lease Poland in 2001.

1990-1999: Business Lease goes international - here Rolf Lauret opens Business Lease Poland in 2001.

1990-1999: From left to right: Auto-Palace Butovice in Prague, Brezan in Ede and Business Lease in Prague.

1990-1999: From left to right: Auto-Palace Butovice in Prague, Brezan in Ede and Business Lease in Prague.

2000-2010: Auto-Palace Panonská in Bratislava, Slovakia.

2000-2010: Auto-Palace Panonská in Bratislava, Slovakia.

2000-2010: AutoBinck expand with Infiniti in The Netherlands and Czech Republic - here the Infiniti Centre Prague opened in 2010.

2000-2010: AutoBinck expands with Infiniti in The Czech Republic - here the Infiniti Centre Prague opens in 2010.

2000-2010: AutoBinck has won distribution rights for the British luxury brands Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover in Hungary, from 1st October 2011.

2011: AutoBinck won distribution rights for the British luxury brands Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover in Hungary from 1st October 2011.