Lamborghini expects to sell more than 8,000 cars in 2019, CEO Stefano Domenicali said. But the maker of supercars might have reached a self-imposed ceiling.
“We must not go on growing forever. We now have to consolidate these results and preserve exclusivity,” Domenicali said at an event on Tuesday for the inauguration of the new paint shop inside its Sant’Agata Bolognese plant in Italy.
The 2019 sales level is “the right dimension of our company with our current product portfolio,” Domenicali said.
That does not exclude growth from opening new markets. A possible increase of Lamborghini sales to 10,000 units a year could happen only with the addition of a fourth model, Domenicali said. That would have to be discussed with shareholders, he said.
Thanks to the significant increase in sales, Lamborghini forecasts an increase of 2019 revenue to 1.7 billion euros ($1.92 billion) from 1.42 billion ($1.6 billion) in 2018, CFO Paolo Poma said. That, in turn, will help profit margins, with return on sales forecast to jump this year to around 12 percent — comparable to Lamborghini’s best competitors, Poma said.
Lamborghini’s whole range will be hybridized by 2025 as the brand seeks to lower CO2 emissions to meet market trends and tougher regulations.
The Urus SUV will not add the V-10 and V-12 engines to its current V-8 turbocharged engine. As for possible less powerful engines, the future Huracan successor could possibly use a turbocharged engine, said Domenicali, but not the Aventador.
Formula One involvement is not in the plans because the investment would be too high. But Lamborghini is evaluating other racing platforms such as hypercar.First-half growth
Lamborghini increased deliveries 96 percent in the first half to 4,553.
The biggest contribution to the growth came from the Urus, with 2,693 units. Urus production, which started one year ago, has reached 5,000 units, said Ranieri Niccoli, Lamborghini’s chief manufacturing officer.
The Huracan coupe, powered by a V-10 engine, accounted for 1,211 units; while the Aventador, a V-12 coupe, added 649 units.
The largest market for Lamborghini the U.S., followed by China, the UK, Japan and Germany. However India and Russia were also among the growth drivers.
Lamborghini’s new paint shop in the Sant’Agata Bolognese plant is based on a flexible-paths concept. It will work as a pilot project for the rest of the Volkswagen Group.
The shop paints all Urus models and could be extended to the Huracan and Aventador sports cars with further investments. Manufacturing exec Niccolisaid a decision will hinge on the future volumes and the amount of personalized paints required by customers.
