After posting record sales of 36,500 units in 2014 thanks mostly to the new Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans, Maserati is finding that demand is now cooling off and that production needs to be curtailed. That’s the word of a union official who spoke recently to Automotive News (subscription required).
According to the union official, the number of shifts at the Grugliasco plant near Turin, where the Ghibli and Quattroporte are built, has been reduced to 10 per week from a present level of 12. The official said that most workers will be on for three out of every four weeks until July.
The union official also said that combined production of the Ghibli and Quattroporte will be close to 30,000 units in 2015. Last year, well-heeled buyers across the globe snapped up 33,000 units (23,500 Ghiblis and 9,500 Quattroportes).
Maserati’s sales were up a staggering 136 percent in 2014 so it’s understandable that demand may cool off a little this year. In fact, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] CEO Sergio Marchionne said at the recent Geneva Motor Show that he expected a reduction in Maserati's sale volume now that the sedans are established on the market.
The automaker still aims to sell around 50,000 cars per annum in the coming years, which should be possible once the Levante is made available. The new SUV, which is due out early next year, is expected to be the brand’s most popular model.
Maserati’s new sports car based on the Alfieri concept should also provide a boost for the brand. Likely to revive the GranSport name, it will arrive before an all-new GranTurismo is launched around 2018.
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