Automobili Lamborghini is forecasting sales of just under 400 of its iconic supercars in the Middle East and Africa region for 2020, a drop of around nine percent year-on-year, largely as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Paolo Sartori, who joined as regional head for the Middle East and Africa, in September, told Arabian Business that post-shutdown, when the company’s factories were forced to close as per Covid-19 restrictions, business both regionally and internationally has been strong.
The company revealed 2,083 Lamborghinis were sold in the third quarter of the year globally, and 85 in the MEA region – in September, in particular, there were 41 of the supercars sold in the region, up from 39 in 2019.
He said: “Even during the pandemic, worldwide, yes there was this shutdown for a few weeks at the factories, for the safety of the employees, about seven weeks I believe. The production was on hold for a while, but then it started after the summer, quite strongly, not only in the Middle East, but worldwide.
“Overall we can say that this full year you will probably see a lower total figure compared with 2019, but still we are in good shape the company in terms of profitability, financials.”
And he is confident that the recovery process will continue into next year. “We see quite a strong 2021 in our forecast,” he added. “I would expect for sure more than 10 percent compared to 2020, but we’re still working on our internal budgets and forecasts.”
Sartori revealed that the UAE is the biggest market for the car manufacturer in the region, but there is “incredibly strong growth” in the Saudi market, where the company has three dealers, in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar.
He said: “We can see very big potential in Saudi.”
Sartori was speaking at a media event to promote the Lamborghini Urus, which was launched over two years ago but is experiencing a resurgence in popularity across the region, with 20 new colours available, new technology and an increased personalisation proposition.
He said: “Urus is a car that when you see from outside you maybe have a different feeling. Some people think, it’s a big car, maybe it’s heavy, is it really a supercar? But when you drive it, 100 percent and it’s not just because we have our script to say such things. You will definitely have the same feeling in a very transparent way when you drive the Urus, especially if you drive on a race track. It’s incredible – the car is a supercar.”
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