The beginnings
In 1946, after working for Ford before the war, Albert Close opened his own garage in Bomal, a small village in the municipality of Durbuy, 45 km south of Liège. He soon forged ties with the D'Ieteren group, a key player in car distribution in Belgium.
Albert started out selling Studebaker vehicles: sturdy trucks that immediately won over local craftsmen, market gardeners and tradespeople. His reputation rested on one simple thing: people weren't just buying a car, they were buying a car from him.
Pierre D'Ieteren comes to offer Volkswagens
A key moment would shape the garage's history. Pierre D'Ieteren travelled to Bomal himself to meet Albert Close and offer him the Volkswagen dealership. The argument was simple but compelling: German cars had a flat underbody, so they could go anywhere.
It was no small decision. In the post-war years, German cars were still hard to sell. Yet Albert Close decided to trust his instinct. His customers already trusted him, and it was this relationship that gradually opened the door to these new models.
The first Beetles
The first Volkswagen Beetles arrived at the garage. Albert Close sold his first two on 16 and 26 October 1948, and Pascal Close still keeps copies of those invoices today. A historic contract with D'Ieteren had been signed on 17 March of the same year.
Over time, their qualities spoke for themselves: simplicity, sturdiness, reliability. The Beetle gradually became the flagship model, driving the garage's growth and leaving a lasting mark on its identity in the region.
A passion that never fades
Albert Close trusted the vehicles he sold, and he didn't hesitate to take them on holiday, including a trip to Spain in a Beetle. He travelled in VW buses and Beetles.
Bus, Type 3
The dealership gathered momentum. Albert sold many T1 buses to delivery drivers, market gardeners and small businesses. VW 1500 Type 3s followed, appealing to a wider clientele. Some 50 to 60 cars a year were sold here.
New cars had to be collected in Brussels. Albert's grandmother would take the train to Forest and drive the car back. If there were two to collect, she went with a friend.
Passion, all the way to racing
In 1969, Albert Close tried his hand at hill climbing. He drove a Beetle Kit 111, a special edition launched in Belgium in 1968. The name came from its performance: 0 to 100 km/h in 11 seconds, as quick as a Porsche 912.
The Kit 111 was a conversion of the Beetle 1200 featuring two reworked cylinder heads, two carburettors, two Porsche-style dry air filters and a lightened flywheel. Power rose from 34 to 50 hp, with a top speed of 135 km/h.
Passing the torch
The second generation takes over, and sells the last Beetle. When Albert Close died in 1978, his son took over the garage, set up a company and began selling Audi. That was also the year the last Beetles were sold. The very last one was a white Mexico special edition.
The importer came to take it back as it could no longer be sold: the 1303 S cost more than the brand-new, thoroughly modern Golf 1100. Pascal soon joined the team and would never leave the Volkswagen family.
The VAG network
Garage Close in the Audi era. Garage Close became a full member of the VAG network. The posters in the workshop show the Audi 90 (1984–1991), a symbol of the move upmarket. We always had good relations with all our district managers, and with Roland D'Ieteren too.
There wasn't a single convention where we weren't seated at the chairman's table, says Pascal Close. A mutual loyalty spanning more than seven decades. The front of the building now proudly bears the name “A. Close”, a dealer from the very beginning.
And now?
Pascal & Ludo Close
Pascal Close carries on the family tradition. In recent years, the garage has built up a speciality: the Golf GTI. Many owners come to Bomal for servicing, repairs and refreshes of this iconic model.
More than half of our parts customers are in France. The garage can supply parts for all classic VWs, over the counter or by post. The days of small dealerships are over, but as a dealer from the very beginning, we enjoy a certain freedom.
