FERRARI TARGETS ASIA-PACIFIC

Ferrari has underlined the importance of the Asia-Pacific region to its future with the announcement at last week's Tokyo Motor Show that it has created a sales unit specifically to target its fastest growing region.

Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari's Vice General Manager and Ferrari GT General Manager, explained that Ferrari sales in the region are expected to dramatically increase in the next decade.

In 2004 Ferrari sold 660 cars in the region which includes Australia and NZ. This equates to 13 per cent of the Italian marque's global sales. In the same period last year Ferrari sold 42 cars in China -- this has nearly been tripled already this year!

In addition to Australia, New Zealand and China, the new Ferrari sales unit will include in its area of responsibility Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Taiwan and Brunei. In the first two weeks of October Ferrari opened new dealerships in Sydney, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, as well as in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xiamen and Beijing.

The new Ferrari Sales Unit will be managed by Mario Micheli who, as Ferrari Sales and Marketing Director, led Ferrari into China.

The new business unit should help the region gain quicker access to new models. Evidence the fact the new Ferrari Superamerica is already officially on sale in Australia.

With a recommended retail price of $648,000, the V12 Superamerica will, however, be in (very) short supply. Just six from the total global production of 500 will come to Australia.

Better get in quick!