Posted Feb 28th 2007

Lamborghini has been on something of a roll lately. It had a record year last year with 2,087 units sold. It introduced special editions of the Murcielago and Gallardo, as well as upgraded the "regular" Murci to LP640 status. A roadster version of the LP640 was a no-brainer and showed up soon after. They also let slip that a super lightweight version of the bread-and-butter Gallardo would be debuting in Geneva. So there are lots of reasons to smile if you're with Lamborghini or an enthusiast who follows the way of the bull. One particular highlight must have been seeing a Murci Roadster pop up in Batman Begins. As playboy Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight escorts a pair of lovelies to dinner and makes a most dramatic exit after an impromptu dip in the fountain. Uma Thurman will also be piloting a Lambo on the small screen in Pirelli's mini feature "Mission Zero", though this time a Gallardo Spyder. Well, it looks like we might be seeing even more of Lamborghini on the big screen in the near future.

Despite the good press for Lamborghini, there have been rumblings that VW might want to shed its supercar brand. And even with more than 2,000 sales last year, that was less than half of archrival Ferrari's U.S. total. Even though Volkswagen has said it is committed to keeping Lambo, and Bugatti for that matter, a sales boost sure would help. Lamborghini's highest profile vehicle, the Murcielago Roadster LP640 was a star of the recent North American International Auto Show last month in Detroit, but getting it into the next Batman movie should get it even more international attention, and that appears to be the plan. Brandweek recently sat down with Automobili Lamborghini CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, to discuss the company's U.S. strategies. Follow the read link for the whole interview.

Q+A: Lamborghini Signals Batman To Sell $350K Cars


February 28, 2007

DETROIT -- Can Batman help move Lamborghini cars? The luxury auto company thinks so. Despite the fact that Lamborghini had its best year in 2006 with 2,087 sales worldwide, the company is still the Avis among Italian carmakers in America. So it is trying harder to ramp up marketing and win over high-end consumers, though without a lead domestic ad agency and amidst reports that parent company Volkswagen has considered selling it off. Lamborghini's U.S. sales last year (876) left it trailing fellow Italian luxury automakers Ferrari (5,658, U.S.) and Maserati (2,565, N.A.), per the companies. The Murcielago Roadster LP640 drew a lot of attention from observers at the North American International Auto Show last month in Detroit, but placement in the next Batman movie should get the 640, with a $350,000 price range, national attention. Stephan Winkelmann, CEO at Automobili Lamborghini, spoke with Brandweek senior reporter Steve Miller about the automaker's U.S. strategies.

Brandweek: What are your plans to increase awareness in the U.S.?

Stephan Winkelmann: More Lamborghini dealerships in the U.S. and even some strategic alliances that most would not have thought of. There is also some placement . . . the [640] will be in the next Batman movie [working title, The Dark Knight, scheduled for 2008 release], although we are not paying anything. [We want to] boost sales by up to 10% in the U.S. this year, thanks to a little more ambition in the marketing department.



BW: Why the alliance with Batman?

SW: We do not pay for product placement. And we do not allow our cars to be placed just anywhere. It has to be perfect. Something like the next Batman film is suitable for our image. We will not be in films that we don't like. We also have partnerships, most recently with Nokia for a limited-edition phone. We really cannot have strategic alliances like in the normal car business where they sell 100,000 cars. We are working right now on some alliances that can give our car some visibility in other places, even in luxury department stores. We would like to see the brand in places outside the motor business.



BW: How important is the U.S. to Lamborghini's overall marketing plan?

SW: In 2006, 40% of our sales were in the U.S. Our biggest market within the U.S. is the West Coast, where there are more people with money who like to spend their money on cars. We are now seeking, though, to broaden that base to more of the "smile states," from California to Texas to Florida, where you can drive our car year-round. Our dealerships will increase from 100 to 120 in the next two or three years. This year, we will open five, [one each in] in St. Louis; Chicago; Calabasas, Calif.; Greenwich, Conn.; and [West] Palm Beach, Fla. Demand is driving that growth. But we still have to produce fewer cars than we can sell. We have a fixed limit for production every year, and I'm willing to grow between 5-10% this year and then see what we want to do.



BW: Lamborghini has a reputation for performance, but does no corporate advertising. What's the current marketing strategy?

SW: One of our biggest goals is to get interested people into the car—then it sells itself. Motor shows are the best way to get pr. We also have customers hit racetracks with our dealers, who live the life of our customers in that they are wealthy people and have access to the circles of our customers. The driving experience of the Lamborghini is one of the biggest drivers to buy a car like this.



BW: Will there be a change in Lamborghini car prices?

SW: Price is an important part of our brand but it is not crucial. We start at $160,000 and go up to $500,000 for a limited edition. If we changed the price downward, we would have to build more in terms of volume. Even in the luxury business, there is a price comparison. But you will never see a $100,000 Lamborghini. That just doesn't make sense.