Yes, People Buy Ferraris In A Recession
对那些大富一族来说，眼下可谓是艰难时世。股市走势蹒跚。信贷市场就像一杯冻结的台克利鸡尾酒。对华尔街奖金的怒火最近成了华盛顿政坛的热门议题，要求对美国收入金字塔尖上那1%的人加税的建议也不绝于缕。Ferrari法拉利的限量版Scuderia Spider 16M已经售罄就在这一片惨淡愁云之下，生产超级豪华车（售价超过10万美元）的厂商们仍然在做着美国梦。是的，他们已经放低了姿态，减少了产量；部分厂商减少了一些营销活动，例如不再参加大型汽车展。不过，他们并没有放弃美国市场。实际上，一些人还看到了乐观的理由，认为需求的复苏时间会比许多人预计的更早。玛莎拉蒂(Maserati SpA)北美销售部门的总裁厄尔博格(Marti Eulberg)说，即使在过去几周，我们也看到了春天般的乐观迹象。我们正开始在陈列室中看到这一点。玛莎拉蒂将不会在下周开幕的纽约汽车展上展示产品。但该公司会邀请潜在顾客来公司在公园大道的陈列室看最新车型Quattroporte GranTurismo S。大众汽车(Volkswagen AG)旗下的超豪华车品牌宾利(Bentley)计划今年年底前推出四款新车型：GTC SpeedAzure T弹性燃料车Continental SuperSports以及大型轿车Arnage的终 版。SuperSports可以使用汽油或者生物燃料，将在纽约汽车展上展示。FerrariScuderia Spider 16M的车内布局推出这款弹性燃料的宾利跑车是为了迎合未来可能出现的一种局面，即有能力购买超级豪华车的一部分重要客户会希望他们购买的是绿色汽车。Tesla Motors Ltd.上周推出了一款售价5万美元以上电动轿车的样车，该公司正销售着一款售价10万美元的电动跑车。Fisker Automotive正在努力打破该领域的既有模式：即超级价格的汽车就应该配备超大马力。该公司生产的插电式混合动力跑车KARMA正在接受定金。宾利刚刚在得克萨斯州奥斯汀开了一家新经销店。宾利北美首席营运长乔治(Christophe George)上周去加州Napa Valley发布了一款配备600马力12缸发动机的敞篷车GTC Speed。乔治并非对当前市场一无所知。去年宾利全球销量下滑了24%，美国市场销量下降了32%。他说，现在预测今年情况还为时过早。但长期来看，还是有销量潜力的。乔治说，全球资产净值超过3,000万美元的富翁有上千万。现在市场并不是缺少买得起Bentley Continental GT的顾客，我们现在缺乏的只是对市场的信心。法拉利(Ferrari SpA)北美主管帕拉托(Maurizio Parlato)表示，公司对本财年持“保守态度”，他强调了法拉利作为投资产品的价值。他说，我们的车可以保值。你把钱砸进市场，倒是会赔钱。法拉利将在6月份推出一款新车California。帕拉托说，限量版的Scuderia Spider 16M已经售完。法拉利计划只生产499辆这款510马力的Scuderia敞篷车。如果你在谷歌(Google)上搜索这辆车，你会看到它的搜索量超过1百万次。Ferrari从侧后角度看限量版Scuderia Spider 16M当然，超级豪华车市场的运行规律和大众市场有所不同。玛莎拉蒂法拉利兰博基尼(Lamborghini)和宾利(Bentley)这些品牌一年的总销量可能只是福特汽车(Ford Motor Co.)或丰田汽车(Toyota Motor Corp.)经销商一到两个业绩不佳日子的销量。大众市场品牌谈的是要和消费者建立联系。而超级豪华车的高管们却知道很多顾客的名字。厄尔博格会看玛莎拉蒂车的销售文件，以便详细了解顾客的身份以及付款方式。以玛莎拉蒂的销量来说，她的确能做到这点。不管是否出于对未来的担忧，超级豪华车厂商正开始更多关注基础性问题，例如销售二手车等等。宾利的乔治说，公司已经开始提供认证和其他服务，帮助经销商销售二手宾利车。他说，二手车对我们来说是个很新的市场。Continental GT推出于2004年，因此市场上二手车还不多。这款车将宾利的美国销量从2003年的412辆一直推到了2007年3,990辆的最高纪录。对法拉利来说，经济下滑的一个好处是缩小了帕拉托和他同事一度必须插手管理的顾客等待名单。他说，现在我们的顾客是真正想拥有法拉利的，而不是只想抢购一辆法拉利，然后倒手转卖给排在等待名单后面的顾客从中谋利。帕拉托说，他对华尔街奖金风波和金融行业危机并不是太担心。他说，我们的顾客群并不以这些人为主。这一人群都讲究效率，他们会选择不需要等待的其他品牌。帕拉托说，法拉利的顾客不缺钱。Joseph B. White 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年04月07日13:40', 'TESLA.XX'));Tesla Motors Inc.总部地点：美国document.write (truthmeter('2009年04月07日13:40', 'F.MI'));菲亚特公司英文名称：Fiat S.p.A.总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：米兰股票代码：FIAdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年04月07日13:40', 'FIATY'));Fiat S.p.a. (ads)总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：FIATYdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年04月07日13:40', 'VLKAY'));Volkswagen AG (ADS)总部地点：德国上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：VLKAYdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年04月07日13:40', 'FIAYY'));Fiat S.p.a.总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：FIAYYdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年04月07日13:40', 'FIAZY'));Fiat S.p.a.总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：FIAZYdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年04月07日13:40', 'VOW.XE'));大众汽车英文名称：Volkswagen AG总部地点：德国上市地点：德国证券电子交易平台股票代码：VOWG
This is a tough time for the very wealthy. Stocks are seesawing. The credit markets are as liquid as a frozen daiquiri. Rage against big Wall Street bonuses has lately taken up much space on Washington's political menu, right alongside proposals to collect more taxes on the top 1% of the American income pyramid.Despite all this, the makers of ultra-luxury cars -- vehicles priced above $100,000 -- still believe in the American dream. Sure, they have hunkered down and cut production, and some have scaled back certain marketing activities, such as displaying cars at big auto shows. But they aren't giving up on the U.S. market, and, indeed, some see reasons to be optimistic that a recovery in demand could come sooner than some expect.'Even within the last few weeks, we have seen the optimism of spring,' says Marti Eulberg, president of Maserati SpA's North American sales arm. 'We are starting to see that in the showrooms.' Maserati won't have a display at the New York Auto Show next week. But it will invite potential buyers to see its newest model, the Quattroporte GranTurismo S, at its Park Avenue showroom.Bentley, one of the super-luxury brands owned by Volkswagen AG, plans to roll out four new models by the end of this year: A GTC Speed, the Azure T, a flex-fuel model called the Continental SuperSports and a 'Final Series' version of its big, top-of-the-line sedan, the Arnage. The SuperSports, designed to run on either gasoline or biofuels, will be on view at the New York Auto Show.The flex-fuel Bentley is a nod to the possibility that in the future, an important slice of individuals with the means to buy super-luxury cars will want those cars to be green. Tesla Motors Ltd., which sells a $100,000 electric roadster and last week unveiled a prototype for a $50,000-plus electric sedan, and Fisker Automotive, which is soliciting deposits for its hybrid-electric Karma sports car, are pushing hard to break the segment's old formula: that super-sized prices needed to be justified by super-sized horsepower.Bentley just opened a new dealership in Austin, Texas, and Christophe George, Bentley's chief operating officer in North America, was out in Napa Valley last week launching the GTC Speed, a 600-horsepower, 12-cylinder convertible.Mr. George isn't giddy about the current market. Bentley sales last year were down 24% world-wide, and off 32% in the U.S. He says it's too early to make a forecast for this year. But long term, he says, 'the potential for sales is there.''Millions of people have more than $30 million in net worth' world-wide, Mr. George says. What's lacking now isn't the means to buy a Bentley Continental GT, which goes for about $200,000 new, he says. 'What we are currently lacking is confidence in the marketplace.'At Ferrari SpA, North American chief Maurizio Parlato says the company is taking a 'conservative approach' to the current year, and emphasizing Ferrari's value as an investment-grade product. 'Our cars keep their value,' he says. 'You put money in the market, and you have no money.'Ferrari is launching a new model, the California, in June. A limited-edition model called the Scuderia Spider 16M is already sold out, Mr. Parlato says. Ferrari plans to build only 499 of the 510hp Scuderia convertibles. If you Google the car, you'll see it has attracted more than one million searches. Mr. Parlato says Ferrari is flying some of the cars to eager buyers.The super-luxury car market doesn't operate by the same rules as the mass market, of course. All together, brands such as Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley sell in a year what Ford Motor Co. or Toyota Motor Corp. dealers sell during one or two bad days. Mass-market brands talk about building relationships with customers. The senior executives of ultra-luxury brands know the names of many customers.Ms. Eulberg looks at the paperwork for Maserati deals so she can get a detailed understanding of who her customers are and how they are paying for their cars. At Maserati's sales volumes, she can do that.Worried or not, makers of ultra-expensive cars are starting to pay more attention to bread-and-butter issues, such as marketing pre-owned vehicles that need to be resold.At Bentley, Mr. George says his organization has begun offering warranties and other programs to help its dealers sell second-hand Bentleys. 'This pre-owned market is quite new to us,' he says. The Continental GT -- which drove Bentley's U.S. sales from a mere 412 in 2003 to a peak of 3,990 in 2007 -- was launched in 2004, so there are still relatively few second-hand ones hitting the market.For Ferrari, one benefit of the downturn has been to shrink the waiting lists that Mr. Parlato and his staff once had to manage. 'Now we have people who want to own a Ferrari,' he says, not people who want to snag one and flip it for profit to someone behind them on the list.Mr. Parlato says he's not too worried about the attacks on Wall Street bonuses and the troubles in the financial industry. 'Our customer base is not mainly those people,' he says. 'Those people are quick buyers' who favor other brands that don't require a waiting list.'Our people,' Mr. Parlato says, 'have serious money.'Joseph B. White
This is a tough time for the very wealthy. Stocks are seesawing. The credit markets are as liquid as a frozen daiquiri. Rage against big Wall Street bonuses has lately taken up much space on Washington's political menu, right alongside proposals to collect more taxes on the top 1% of the American income pyramid.Despite all this, the makers of ultra-luxury cars -- vehicles priced above $100,000 -- still believe in the American dream. Sure, they have hunkered down and cut production, and some have scaled back certain marketing activities, such as displaying cars at big auto shows. But they aren't giving up on the U.S. market, and, indeed, some see reasons to be optimistic that a recovery in demand could come sooner than some expect.'Even within the last few weeks, we have seen the optimism of spring,' says Marti Eulberg, president of Maserati SpA's North American sales arm. 'We are starting to see that in the showrooms.' Maserati won't have a display at the New York Auto Show next week. But it will invite potential buyers to see its newest model, the Quattroporte GranTurismo S, at its Park Avenue showroom.Bentley, one of the super-luxury brands owned by Volkswagen AG, plans to roll out four new models by the end of this year: A GTC Speed, the Azure T, a flex-fuel model called the Continental SuperSports and a 'Final Series' version of its big, top-of-the-line sedan, the Arnage. The SuperSports, designed to run on either gasoline or biofuels, will be on view at the New York Auto Show.The flex-fuel Bentley is a nod to the possibility that in the future, an important slice of individuals with the means to buy super-luxury cars will want those cars to be green. Tesla Motors Ltd., which sells a $100,000 electric roadster and last week unveiled a prototype for a $50,000-plus electric sedan, and Fisker Automotive, which is soliciting deposits for its hybrid-electric Karma sports car, are pushing hard to break the segment's old formula: that super-sized prices needed to be justified by super-sized horsepower.Bentley just opened a new dealership in Austin, Texas, and Christophe George, Bentley's chief operating officer in North America, was out in Napa Valley last week launching the GTC Speed, a 600-horsepower, 12-cylinder convertible.Mr. George isn't giddy about the current market. Bentley sales last year were down 24% world-wide, and off 32% in the U.S. He says it's too early to make a forecast for this year. But long term, he says, 'the potential for sales is there.''Millions of people have more than $30 million in net worth' world-wide, Mr. George says. What's lacking now isn't the means to buy a Bentley Continental GT, which goes for about $200,000 new, he says. 'What we are currently lacking is confidence in the marketplace.'At Ferrari SpA, North American chief Maurizio Parlato says the company is taking a 'conservative approach' to the current year, and emphasizing Ferrari's value as an investment-grade product. 'Our cars keep their value,' he says. 'You put money in the market, and you have no money.'Ferrari is launching a new model, the California, in June. A limited-edition model called the Scuderia Spider 16M is already sold out, Mr. Parlato says. Ferrari plans to build only 499 of the 510hp Scuderia convertibles. If you Google the car, you'll see it has attracted more than one million searches. Mr. Parlato says Ferrari is flying some of the cars to eager buyers.The super-luxury car market doesn't operate by the same rules as the mass market, of course. All together, brands such as Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley sell in a year what Ford Motor Co. or Toyota Motor Corp. dealers sell during one or two bad days. Mass-market brands talk about building relationships with customers. The senior executives of ultra-luxury brands know the names of many customers.Ms. Eulberg looks at the paperwork for Maserati deals so she can get a detailed understanding of who her customers are and how they are paying for their cars. At Maserati's sales volumes, she can do that.Worried or not, makers of ultra-expensive cars are starting to pay more attention to bread-and-butter issues, such as marketing pre-owned vehicles that need to be resold.At Bentley, Mr. George says his organization has begun offering warranties and other programs to help its dealers sell second-hand Bentleys. 'This pre-owned market is quite new to us,' he says. The Continental GT -- which drove Bentley's U.S. sales from a mere 412 in 2003 to a peak of 3,990 in 2007 -- was launched in 2004, so there are still relatively few second-hand ones hitting the market.For Ferrari, one benefit of the downturn has been to shrink the waiting lists that Mr. Parlato and his staff once had to manage. 'Now we have people who want to own a Ferrari,' he says, not people who want to snag one and flip it for profit to someone behind them on the list.Mr. Parlato says he's not too worried about the attacks on Wall Street bonuses and the troubles in the financial industry. 'Our customer base is not mainly those people,' he says. 'Those people are quick buyers' who favor other brands that don't require a waiting list.'Our people,' Mr. Parlato says, 'have serious money.'Joseph B. White