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Lamborghini posts record sales and profit as industry struggles

Lamborghini posts record sales and profit as industry struggles

Kenneth Hall January 13th, 2009 Kenneth Hall By Kenneth Hall Author January 13th, 2009
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January 13th, 2009 The world may be feeling the pinch of a weak U.S. economy, the automobile industry perhaps keenest of all, but Lamborghini has found a niche that appears to be almost impervious to the pain. The Italian supercar company has returned record results for both sales and profits for the past 12 months. Lamborghini sales in the United States fell during 2008, but the brand still had a record year worldwide thanks to growing demand in the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia. Lamborghini sold 741 cars in the U.S. last year, down 20.3% compared with 2007. Over the same period the company sold a total of 2,430, compared with 2,406 in 2007. Even as a low volume luxury car manufacturer, Lamborghini is not unaffected by the present downturn in economic activities in the wake of the global financial crisis. However, the company is in a favourable strategic position due to its identity as a luxury brand of longstanding tradition. One of its core brand values is exclusivity, which is maintained through tight management of volumes and a strict policy of maintaining a strong forward order bank. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann was reserved despite the strong performance, saying "there is no brand that is immune to financial crisis, but we always produce less than demand. We are conservative in our forecast." Winkelmann declined to predict sales for 2009, but told Automotive News that Lamborghini will face sales reductions all over the world. The company will also stick to its strategy of coming out with at least one new product a year and is planning no lay-offs, he said.
Buyers once had to wait up to a year to receive their new cars – now it’s closer to six months

Buyers once had to wait up to a year to receive their new cars – now it’s closer to six months

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The world may be feeling the pinch of a weak U.S. economy, the automobile industry perhaps keenest of all, but Lamborghini has found a niche that appears to be almost impervious to the pain. The Italian supercar company has returned record results for both sales and profits for the past 12 months.

Lamborghini sales in the United States fell during 2008, but the brand still had a record year worldwide thanks to growing demand in the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia. Lamborghini sold 741 cars in the U.S. last year, down 20.3% compared with 2007. Over the same period the company sold a total of 2,430, compared with 2,406 in 2007.

Even as a low volume luxury car manufacturer, Lamborghini is not unaffected by the present downturn in economic activities in the wake of the global financial crisis. However, the company is in a favourable strategic position due to its identity as a luxury brand of longstanding tradition. One of its core brand values is exclusivity, which is maintained through tight management of volumes and a strict policy of maintaining a strong forward order bank.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann was reserved despite the strong performance, saying "there is no brand that is immune to financial crisis, but we always produce less than demand. We are conservative in our forecast." Winkelmann declined to predict sales for 2009, but told Automotive News that Lamborghini will face sales reductions all over the world. The company will also stick to its strategy of coming out with at least one new product a year and is planning no lay-offs, he said.
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Tags: Industry, Supercars

Posted in: Lamborghini, News

 

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Comments (7 total)

  1. By bambam #1, Posted: 7/26/2008

    Wow, Its just simply low volume or perfect volume.
    Or is it pay first then I'll make it for you.
    Wow, only if we all could do this in a large scale
    instead of making cars first then sell them.

  2. By SuperSkyline89 #2, Posted: 7/27/2008

    I'd say it's just the fact that Lamborghini's customers are immune to the rumblings of the economy.

  3. ma_justinhk2000 avatar by justinhk2000 #3, Posted: 12/22/2008

    When the poor get poorer, the rich get richer.

  4. ma_Jezza P avatar by Jezza P #4, Posted: 12/23/2008

    justinhk, I don't think it's a case of that. This is just Lamborghini doing what every car company should have - reducing its production to what it can sell. Obviously that's a hell of a lot more difficult when you are making 5m+ cars a year but they got the basics right.

  5. ma_Baggy Spandex avatar by Baggy Spandex #5, Posted: 12/23/2008

    Strange to see such a report. We should be selling cars on a made-to-order basis. It would greatly improve personalization, dealer inventories and customer satisfaction. The only drawback would be wait times and delivery costs. Hmm...

  6. ma_Chris avatar by Chris #6, Posted: 1/13/2009

    spandex got it right on there. if everyone except chrysler went to an on demand system where you had to go to the dealer 2 months in advance to order your car and they only had 2 or 3 examples of any model on the lot, then chrysler would make a killing by over producing, saturating, and trusting that when some one wants a new car, they WANT one. now.

    most people arent jonesing for a camry.. not enough to put in an oder and wait several months for delivery.

    ford's been moving in the right direction though.. by limiting the number of variations within a model. everyone remember the article posted not too long ago that said there were 50,000 variations on the 2008 F150 and on the 2009 there are 150? packaging options into groups and trim packages means that many large dealers can have the exact vehicle you want.. in stock.. or can do a dealer trade with a nearby dealer.

  7. ma_gus avatar by Gus Chyba #7, Posted: 1/14/2009

    Get rid of the stupid dealers. Order the car online.
    Have the manufacturers have a few "test centers" where you can see and drive the cars, that's it.
    Dealers are crooks, for the most part...

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