Haha I was thinking the same thing too..like Eurosports, buy Alfa or plastic toy cars can get to rub shoulders with Lambos..so cool
Agree mate, very dead site. They need some serious exposure or something. Either way, thought I would give them a shot. Between Rennlist, Renntech and 6speedonline I am already pretty full but would really like a Singapore forum....
Yeah I think this is one of the reasons why Premium Automobiles lost. With the R8 V10 coming, it would definitely cannibalize F430 sales.
Can't comment about the bit in bold, but i've to agree with bits that aren't. With the California they had way too many "firsts". Ferrari is gravitating away from what it used to be at its peak, which was at the 60s to early 70s with the 275, 246 (Arguably not entire a "Ferrari") and the 365. The styling, the way it broke down twice every hour... Ferrari right now just can't recreate the charm that it used to have.
Now that the new agent has been announced I want to air one of my concerns. I sincerely hope that I am wrong (and probably am given the small size of Singapore's exotic market), but I am worried that we will experience a repeat of the purchasing ordeal that Ferrari customers endure in the U.S. By that I mean, when Ferrari Spa took over the distributors role in North America and placed its dealers on fixed margins (as is now the case in Singapore), buying a new Ferrari took on a whole new perspective. Firstly, you can't just walk into your local dealer and place an order. First you have to build a relationship. To do that you buy a used car off the dealer, and then, maybe, they will let you order a new Ferrari off them, in 1 or 2 years time. The reason for this is the fixed margin Ferrari imposed on its dealers. Instead of the dealer's main income coming from selling new Ferrari's, their main income is derived from selling secondhand Ferrari's. Then, even if they do let you order a new Ferrari, you may have to pay over the recommended sticker price (MSRP), and sign a contract stating that you can only sell the car back to the same dealer within a 2 year period, thus guarantying them "stock" to sell on in the future. I guess it's an ok arrangement for the current & regular clientele, but not such a good deal for new Ferrari customers, and used car dealers. Its been widely reported that the new agreement Ferrari wants its new agent here to sign reduces the margin per unit by about two thirds, thus is it fair to assume that this shortfall must be madeup elsewhere? Can parallel importers keep them honest, assuming they can source allocation from Ferrari Spa or elsewhere? It's amazing what drinking a bottle of wine on your own can do to your imagination.
What's up with all the Lambos spontaneously combusting? *shudder* Wasn't there something about the roof mechanisms of the Spyders being situated too close to the engine bay and igniting?
Derek, U are absolutely correct. Margins are now dictated by Ferrari Asia. For a F430 coupe the margin will be approx 9% of the selling price which is about 70k. But in terms of buying a used Ferrari, they will then have to stock up and g'tee some sort of buy back scheme for existing owners. So if I wanted to buy the new model I have to trade in my Scud? There are x number of used Ferraris out there for sale so I am wondering how the program will work. The good news is that HSM will continue to bring in used and PI new Ferrari from the UK. So naturally the competition from HSM will keep Ital Auto honest to a certain extent. The main issues will be in the area of warranty and servicing. However, having said that, HSM does have the experience and knowledge to sort things out. But, I would not be surprised to see some poaching of staff by the new dealership. It would be interesting to see if the new dealership will get more allocation of cars than what HSM got per year. I am excited about this whole saga.. it will be good for buyers... I think. You have mail..
