Lamborghini is forecasting tough times until 2011 with an expected global sales reduction of 35 per cent in 2009.
Lambo CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, confirmed that 2009 had been a horror year for the Italian supercar company.
“It was tough, it’s still tough. Everything you see has been much worse than forecast.
“2011 will be a recovery, but we first have to see if the year 2010 will be another very tough year for the industry,” he said.
Lamborghini sold 2430 cars in 2008 and sales for the first 10 months of this year have dropped by 37 per cent, but Winkelmann still expects to achieve a full-year pre-tax profit.
In Australia, Lambo sales are down 42.5 per cent through the first 11 months of the year, shifting just 23 units compared to last year’s 40.
But China is looming as somewhat of a saviour with 80 sales forecast by the end of 2009 and a predicted expansion in the coming years to become one of Lamborghini’s largest export markets.
Meanwhile, BMW CEO, Norbert Reithofer, says despite a single-figure percentage sales increase in November, he expects year end volume of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce to fall by 10-15 per cent.
Last year the company sold 1.44 million vehicles but will this year finish closer to 1.25 million.
BMW Australia is outperforming international markets, however.
BMW is down just 3.1 per cent (compared to the industry average of 9.3 per cent) year-to-date, led by strong sales of the 1 Series Coupe/Convertible, 3 Series, 7 Series, X6 and Z4.
November sales rose by 28.9 per cent compared to 2008, selling 1717 vehicles in total.
MINI is also performing better than average with Cabrio sales up 6.4 per cent for the year and November sales across the range up almost 40 per cent to 192.
Rolls-Royce has been the hardest hit in Australia, with just nine Phantoms finding homes in 2009 compared to 16 in 2008, and none in November.
Lambo need not worry about sales if the Italian Police keep totalling Gallardos.
Wow, what a clever comment, your a fool.
hahahaha totally agree!
Im very happy for BMW. They give the market what they want (albeit at highly inflated prices)
Too bad 335i pricing here can buy an M3 in America. Nonetheless, fun is priceless.
They should make the new 4WD 5-Series in RHD this time and launch the X1 soon.
As for Lambo, perhaps part of the reason for their struggle is the Audi R8. It performs almost like a Gallardo but at a much cheaper entrance fee.
If they were priced like the USA the brand value would be diminished.
But the government should get rid of the LCT – revenue raising at its finest.
Anybody who buys a Lambo [tractor maker] over a Ferrari needs his head read
Cheers
That’s sad…Lambo cars are great. It’s just that price tag is way too much.
I’m glad though BMW is doing an awesome job with their sales and cars.
Look Lambo. I hate to see you suffer like this. Owing to the kindness of my heart I will offer to take one, or even two, of your vehicles off you at no cost to you whatsoever. That way you can up your projected sales and everyone comes out on top. Call me.