- European supercar makers Lamborghini and Aston Martin are ramping up their dealer networks and expanding their product ranges in China.
- Both brands are experiencing heady growth in the Chinese market.
- Lamborghini already is taking orders in China for the new Aventador LP700-4.
SHANGHAI, China — European supercar makers Lamborghini and Aston Martin are ramping up their dealer networks and expanding their product ranges in China, where both brands are experiencing heady growth.
Lamborghini said it has begun taking orders for the new Aventador LP700-4, which goes on sale later this year in China. The Italian exotic-car builder, a member of the Volkswagen Group, also has expanded its China sales network to 15 dealers, recently adding an outlet in Macau.
Lamborghini sales in China last year jumped 150 percent, to 206 cars. In the first six months of 2011, sales climbed another 60 percent, to 138 units.
Aston Martin has just begun selling the Virage and Vantage S in China, where it has four dealers and plans to add another four outlets over the next 12 months. The British sports-car builder also is setting up a regional office in Shanghai. The four-door Rapide goes on sale in China later this year.
Aston Martin said China is the brand’s fastest growing Asia market, with sales in 2010 up 25 percent from the previous year. Aston was a relative latecomer to China, entering that market in 2008.
Aston Martin Chief Executive Ulrich Bez said: “Now is the right time for us to accelerate our growth in China. We have taken our time to gradually establish the building blocks to ensure long-term stability for the Aston Martin brand in the region . . . Clearly, China offers the largest emerging luxury market in the world and offers substantial growth potential for us.”
Inside Line says: Both companies expect China will soon become their largest global market.
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