„This is one of our basic models for the future,” Lamborghini President Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview today at the Geneva motor show. „The customers expected this model from our side.” The Italian super-luxury sports-car unit of Volkswagen AG said last week that 2006 pretax profit more than quadrupled to a record €18.1 million ($24 million) as new models attracted customers. Unit sales rose 30% last year to 2,087 cars. Winkelmann has pushed to increase sales, boosting production to 13 cars daily last year from one a day in 2000, and turn around the unit’s finances. The Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy-based carmaker returned to profit in 2004. The Superleggera is 100 kilograms (220 pounds) lighter than previous Gallardo models and can go from 0 to 100 kilometers an hour (62 miles per hour) in 3.8 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than previously. Lamborghini has begun taking orders for the model and plans to make 350 to 400 Superleggeras in the next year, Winkelmann said. The division last year introduced two models, the Gallardo Spyder and Murcielago Coupe LP 640. The carmaker sold 817 Spyders in 2006 and 318 Murcielago Coupes.
Winkelmann reiterated today that 2007 sales will rise at least 5%, helped by the new Murcielago LP640 Roadster. Lamborghini will bring the Murcielago Roadster, which has a US sticker price of $350,000, to market in the H1 of this year. The Murcielago Roadster is already sold out for 2007 and partially for 2008, Winkelmann said in January. The luxury carmaker is also focusing this year on adding 10 to 12 dealers to its current network of 100. Lamborghini will open about half of those dealerships in the US, where the carmaker has more than 40% of sales. The carmaker sells more than 300 cars in California alone, making it Lamborghini’s single-largest market. (Bloomberg)
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
