Ferrari facing sales crisis?

[SVT666]

Ferrari facing sales crisis?

Despite endless denials from Maranello, Ferrari ? the world?s preeminent sports car maker ? could be facing a sales crisis. The Italian automaker is planning to cut up to 10 percent of its workforce by the end of the week, largely thanks to dwindling global sales.

According to Autocar, Ferrari could eliminate 300 positions by this Friday. ?What?s being talked about [with the unions] is not renewing the people on one-year contracts, which would be about 300 people, and closely examining the consultancies and advisors and that kind of spending,? a Ferrari spokesman said.

In addition to the job cuts, Ferrari will also idle production for 20 days beginning later this month.
Ferrari denies that the job and production cuts are due to falling sales, but the writing could be on the wall for the Italian automaker. Although Ferrari still has waiting lists in some parts of the world, monthly sales have plummeted from about 600 cars a month to just 92 in November. Moreover, insiders say the V12-powered Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Ferrari 599 Fiorano have seen a tremendous drop-off, with both models being moved to the company?s customization program to mask the slump.

The smaller F-430 isn?t fairing well, either, with sales stalling shortly after the unveiling of the new California.

Ferrari is sticking to its plan of selling 10,000 vehicles annually by 2010, but that goal looks rather lofty considering the current state of the global economy.

[r0tor]

odd... i seem to recall the last production numbers showing ferrari being the only maker to sell more cars this year then last year

[the Teuton]

Let's face it, we're in a financial crisis, most of the world believes the sky is falling right now so sales will suck, and Ferrari is not making the best looking cars they've ever made.  In fact, the most beautiful Ferrari right now isn't even a Ferrari, it's the Alfa 8C. 

[Tave]

odd... i seem to recall the last production numbers showing ferrari being the only maker to sell more cars this year then last year

I think Maserati and Subaru are the only two makes up on the year.

[Colonel Cadillac]

A lot of people who bought these cars just lost about 30% of their net worth and may not be paid this year, so I imagine they are just sticking with their old Ferrari for another year.

[MrH]

Even if their sales were down, I don't believe this rumor.  There's always been over a year long waiting list for almost all Ferrari's (I think the 612 is the only one without a waiting list for the most part).

[Colonel Cadillac]

Even if their sales were down, I don't believe this rumor.  There's always been over a year long waiting list for almost all Ferrari's (I think the 612 is the only one without a waiting list for the most part).

I'm not so sure that's true. The 599 may right now and the Scuderia probably, but the rest are not in that high demand relative to supply.

[Submariner]

I thought Ferrari was up 8%?

[Tave]

I thought Ferrari was up 8%?

My mistake. I was looking at US sales only.

[Yawn]

"Although Ferrari still has waiting lists in some parts of the world, monthly sales have plummeted from about 600 cars a month to just 92 in November. "

Thats inaccurate.. The other thread showed 138 sales in the US.. I think there is another digit missing...