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RECORD BREAKING CENTENARY YEAR FOR MASERATI IN AUSTRALIA
- Total sales up 199.3 per cent.
- More Maseratis sold in Australia during 2014 than in the three previous years combined.
Maserati’s centenary year has seen record sales in Australia for the legendary luxury and performance car maker with sales up 199.3 per cent in 2014 compared to 2013, official figures issued today (10.00 am 6 January 2015) by VFACTS have revealed.
The total sales figure of 401 for 2014 is more than Maserati’s entireannual sales in 2011, 2012 and 2013 added together.
Maserati started 2014 in Australia with the launch of the all-new Maserati Quattroporte with for the first time a choice of three different engines in its luxury performance sedan. This enabled Maserati to take the sixth generation Quattroporte to a wider range of clients compared to previous generations of the Maserati model that is the benchmark car in the category it created.
In the middle of 2014 the Maserati Ghibli arrived in Australia, building on the impetus provided by the new Quattroporte, with an all-new aggressive sports sedan that launched Maserati into market sectors in which it had not previously competed. The Ghibli joined with the expanded Quattroporte range to bring new clients to Maserati. In addition to all-new twin turbo V8 and V6 engines, both the Quattroporte and Ghibli also debuted Turbo Diesel engines in the Maserati line-up, another first for the marque.
“Although it was enormously exciting to launch so many new cars in one year and to see their arrival measured in a major sales increase, they tell only part of the story of what has been a unique year for Maserati in Australia,” says Glen Sealey, General Manager of Maserati in Australia and New Zealand. “We ensured that all the additional clients we have welcomed to Maserati ownership in 2014 have not just enjoyed the same high levels of customer service as existing Maserati drivers, we have further improved the ease and pleasure of Maserati ownership with new dealerships, facilities and services across the country.”
In addition to an unprecedented increase in sales in 2014, Maserati has also seen in its 100th year an unparalleled investment in dealer facilities with a multi-million dollar expenditure on both new and existing dealerships, the appointment of new staff at both dealer and distributor level and a substantial investment in training for staff in all areas.
Australia’s first pure Maserati specialist dealership arrived in January with the opening of Solitaire Maserati in Adelaide. In early 2015 this dealership will move into all-new purpose built facilities for Maserati in South Australia. In November the growing strength of Maserati was reflected with both Sydney and Melbourne gaining second Maserati dealerships with the opening of Maserati Melbourne in the Victorian capital’s business district complementing Zagame Maserati in Richmond. In Sydney the all-new McCarrolls Maserati dealership brought the marque to Sydney’s North Shore, complementing Ferrari Maserati Sydney on the other side of Sydney Harbour. The existing dealers also hired additional staff and expanded their display areas for the new, larger Maserati range, with Euromarque Brisbane commencing a major refurbishment of its dealership that will double showroom and workshop space in 2015.
At the national distributor level, Maserati has appointed additional staff, organized more customer events and taken Maserati into new marketing areas for the first time, including television. There have been on-going training programmes for dealership staff held in the distributor’s dedicated training facility in Sydney for all areas of business.
“This considerable increase in facilities, people and training has meant that all the new clients we have welcomed to Maserati in 2014 have not just enjoyed the same level of personal, dedicated and exclusive customer service their predecessors have relished, in many cases they have able to appreciate a better, more convenient level of customer service,” says Mr Sealey. “We will build on this in 2015 with the new dealerships expanding their client bases and awareness along with another new dealership opening in Queensland towards the end of the year.”
(ends)
Editor’s notes:
Maserati annual sales in Australia:
- 2011: 140 vehicles
- 2012: 124 vehicles
- 2013: 134 vehicles
- Combined figure for 2011, 2012 and 2013: 398 vehicles
- 2014: 401 vehicles
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About Maserati SpA
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer which was established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna (Italy) by its founder Alfieri Maserati and his brothers. Their passion and talent contributed to the company DNA: innovation, excellence, and challenge, which are reflected in the brand’s claim “The absolute opposite of ordinary”. Today, the company's headquarters and main production location are in Modena (Italy). A second state-of-the-art production location, based on the highest quality standards of the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) concept, was inaugurated in Grugliasco, near Turin (Italy), in 2013. Maserati has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993.
Its emblem, the trident, was inspired by the fountain on the Piazza del Nettuno in the center of Bologna (Italy). It is a symbol that ties together the brothers, their hometown, and the artistry and craftsmanship for which Bologna and Emilia-Romagna are known.
Through major investments into product development, production facilities as well as its worldwide dealer network, Maserati has hit a turning point. In addition to the successful GranTurismo and GranCabrio ranges, the latest generation of Maserati’s flagship sedan, the Quattroporte, and the new sports executive sedan, the Ghibli, provide the cornerstones to the brand’s strategy of producing some 50,000 units annually and gaining a significantly strengthened presence in the global luxury car market.
For 2013, Maserati posted a 148% increase in shipments to 15,400 vehicles, driven by the success of the new Quattroporte and Ghibli models. Its major markets include the USA (2013: 6,900, plus 138%), China (2013: 3,800, plus 334%), Europe (2013: 2,500, plus 133%) as well as Asia-Pacific (2013: 1,300, plus 52%) and the Middle East (2013: 750, plus 81%). For 2013, the company posted revenue of €1,659 million (plus 120%) and a trading profit €171 million (plus €114 million).
About European Automotive Imports
European Automotive Imports (EAI), trading as Maserati Australia and New Zealand, was appointed as the distributor of Maserati, its products and services in Australia and New Zealand in 2005, starting operations on 1 October that year, initially from offices in the Sydney suburb of Homebush before moving, in 2010 to its present offices in Waterloo. The company also took over the New South Wales retail Maserati representation from 1 October 2005, initially as Italia Motori until the completion of the new facility in Waterloo as both home to EAI and the new dealership, Ferrari Maserati Sydney, which opened its doors in 2010. From 2013 EAI has also controlled the Maserati retail outlet ‘Maserati Auckland’ in New Zealand. In addition to offices for EAI Maserati dedicated showroom and workshop facilities, the Waterloo facility also provides a state of the art training facility for both technical and sales training. EAI has a fully computerised parts facility in Sydney to ensure fast and efficient distribution of parts and accessories.
EAI is a private company wholly owned by its Executive Chairman, Neville Crichton, and it is not a subsidiary of any of Mr Crichton’s other companies. Maserati Australia and New Zealand is headed by Glen Sealey, who took over as General Manager in 2010, and who has overseen a doubling of team responsible for Maserati in Australia and New Zealand. These include Bilgen Tug, National Marketing and Public Relations Manager; David Weihen, National Aftersales Manager; Alex Ball, National Sales Manager and Angelo Ruberto, General Manager of Ferrari Maserati Sydney.
Following its appointment, EAI set about a major renewal of its dealer group, with all-new dealerships opening in Brisbane (2006), Melbourne (2008), Perth (2008), Sydney (2010), Adelaide (2013) and Auckland (2013) with major refurbishments in Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland prior to new facilities opening. In addition, Christchurch opened initially as a Maserati service centre bringing the marque officially to the South Island of New Zealand in 2008 and this was expanded to a full dealership in 2013. In Maserati’s centenary year these dealerships will be joined by a second dealership each in Sydney and Melbourne to serve the growing customer base and, in 2016, another dealership in Queensland.
EAI has consistently grown Maserati sales in Australia with its annual best in 2008 with a total of 201 units until 2014 when EAI recorded 401 sales in Australia. With arrival of new products, EAI plans to take Maserati to an annual sales figure of 1500 by 2016.
For further information, please contact
Glen Sealey
/ Tel: +61 2 8577 8070General Manager / Fax: +61 2 8577 8079
Maserati Australia and New Zealand / E:
Release Number: Maserati_506
Date of release: 9/17/2018 12:12:19 AM