The Hindu : Business : Lamborghini rolls out super luxury cars

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Saturday, Jul 15, 2006

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Lamborghini rolls out super luxury cars

The price tag ranges from Rs. 1.65 crore to Rs. 3 crore

— Photo: S. Subramanium

INDIAN DEBUT: Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO, Automobili Lamborghini, launching the new car Gallardo Spyder in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Italian sports car maker Lamborghini on Friday rolled out its super luxury hot wheels — Gallardo and Murcielago.

Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann told PTI that the company had already sold six cars in India and hoped to finish the year with ten.

"We come to India not by chance but with a plan. The Indian economy is growing and so is the list billionaires and millionaires, which makes it an attractive and important market for us,'' he said.Mr. Winkelmann said as the Indian economy grew and so did the capacity of people to buy luxury cars, the company hoped to sell as many as 50-60 cars annaully in the country.

The Indian market has seen a flurry of cars priced over Rs. 1 crore hitting the roads with the entry of cars like the Maybach, Bentley Arnage and Rolls Royce Phantom, to name a few.

With its debut in India, Lamborghini will make available three of its latest international models — the compact two-seater sports-cum-luxury Gallardo, the convertible `Gallardo Spyder' and the Murcielago, which is a two-seater, two-door coupe (with gull-wing doors).

While the Gallardo will sport a price tag of Rs. 1.65 crore, the Gallardo Spyder will cost Rs. 1.85 crore. However, the Murcielago will be the hottest wheel, carrying a hefty Rs. 3-crore tag.

The company President and CEO said Lambhorgini did not believe in big volumes but preferred exclusivity.

However, sales numbers had been on the increase of late with the company targeting newer markets and augmenting model line-up.

"We are a 43-year-old company and are selling just 250 cars annually for as many as 40 years. However, this has changed in the last three years where we crossed the 1,000-mark. We finished 2005 with sales of 1,600 units and hope to touch 1,900 this year,'' he said.

Instead of setting up a direct representative office in a country (except for Japan), the company prefers to penetrate a market through its dealerships, which also act as its front faces. In India, it has a tie-up with Satya Bagla's Exclusive Motors, which, apart from Delhi, is likely to start a new dealership in Mumbai by this year-end.

Mr. Winkelmann said that apart from India, China and Russia were other growing markets where the company was focussing. — PTI

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