Ferrari grows in China. By next year the prancing horse will open five new dealerships in the Asian country, bringing its stores to 20. The CEO of the Maranello company, Amedeo Felisa, told the Dow Jones Newswires on the sidelines of the Beijing Auto Show.
“We are expanding the network because China is a huge country – explained Felisa -, whose evolution we have to follow”. The CEO explained that Ferrari will increasingly look towards inland regions, but did not specify where the new sales points will be built.
The Chinese market is fundamental for the Maranello house, which last year saw its sales on this square increase by 70% (to 500 vehicles). If Hong Kong and Taiwan are also included, around 800 cars were placed, a figure that makes this the second largest market after the United States for Ferrari.
Despite everything, Felisa foresees a slowdown of the Emilian company in China during 2012. Last year the growth rate "was very strange for us", underlined the CEO.
Lamborghini on the other hand, which is part of the Volkwswagen group and is one of Ferrari's main competitors, expects an improvement in its sales in China of 5/10% in 2012, after having recorded a growth of 66% last year.
In general, the Chinese car market, according to official data, grew by 2,5% in 2011 (18,51 million vehicles sold). As for so-called “premium” carsinstead, according to research firm IHS Global Insight sales increased by 32%.
