Ultra-luxury demand not expected to grow in 2013, says Lamborghini CEO

November 14, 2012

During a recent televised interview with Bloomberg, Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini, said that he does not expect demand for ultra-luxury vehicles to increase next year. “We are very cautious,” he said. “The Europe crisis is not over.”

Although Winkelmann acknowledged that demand for Lamborghinis in Hong Kong, Singapore and other Southeast Asian markets continues to grow, the brand’s sales in China are “a bit below last year.” In the U.S. there are signs that things are getting better, demand for the new Aventador has resulted in waiting lists that are now pushing 18 months. The brand is also seeing expansion in India, having opened a second retail store in the country, which is expected to see the number of resident millionaires to more than double within the next three years.

As for pushing higher volume, there are rumours circulating that Lamborghini could get an SUV, a strategy that has been adopted for Bentley, another ultra-luxury brand that forms part of Volkswagen AG’s prestige portfolio. Pursuing such a concept has worked well for Porsche AG, which, since the introduction of its Cayenne SUV a decade ago, has emerged as one of the most profitable automotive brands in the world.

However, in Lamborghini’s case a final decision on whether to add an SUV model has still to be made. “This is a broader decision of the [VW] group,” Winkelmann said. “To engage in such a project, it’s adding a third model, and for us, this will be a huge step and a huge investment.”

Related Articles
Share via
Copy link