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The luxury car market has always stood out for the Exclusivity and scarcity marketingso your clients are accustomed to waiting for two years and exorbitant prices in Customization concept.
However, the imposition of tariffs To the Trump automobile sector, draws a new scenario that considerably increases the price of cars that already They are very high. How do the world’s most prestigious brands respond to these challenges?
Tariffs and their impact on the automobile sector
Unlike Generalist automobile sectorin which manufacturers have distributed factories in various parts of the world, manufacturers of supercoches or luxury cars tThey have a much more localized production. Its annual production is not measured in millions of units manufactured as in the generalists, but in hundreds and even in a few tens of cars a year.
This leaves these manufacturers in a very delicate position because they do not have the same capacity to move their production (or part of it) to the US to avoid tariffs. Therefore, luxury brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Porsche and Jaguar already prepare their strategy to face the new tariff policies for their US clients.
Policy change has caught manufacturers at a time of expansion to the US, after Sales fall in China who have experienced brands such as Ferrari or Porsche in 2024.
These brands looked at the US hoping to expand their market share there to compensate for the fall in China. Apply a overruns up to 25% To their products will complicate the expansion in this market, so they have had to rethink their strategies. Each brand has opted for a different solution.
Ferrari: Price increases in direct response
Ferrari has been one of the first luxury brands to adopt a position against tariffs: it will assume part of the tariff cost, and the prices of some of its best -selling models in the US will increase by 10% to compensate for it.
In statements for CNBCBenedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari, said that, although it is true that Ferrari buyers have a High purchasing powerthe company is aware of not moving all the additional cost of the measure. “When we consider the client, we consider that, to buy a Ferrari, these people have to work. We have to respect them. Because for us, the most important thing is the client. Therefore, we must ensure to treat them correctly,” said Vigna.
In a Communicated statement By Ferrari, the manufacturer announced that it maintained the same commercial conditions before April 2 for Ferrari 296, SF90 and Rome, regardless of the import date. For the rest of the models, Ferrari establishes that they will be affected by a 10% increase for all models that have been imported after April 2, including the SUV Purosangue12Cilindri and the Ferrari F80. Therefore, Ferrari’s strategy is to maintain its profit margin without giving up the quality and exclusivity that defines its vehicles.
According to data De Ferrari, of the 13,752 vehicles that left Maranello in 2024, 3,452 did it to the US, which reflects the importance of the North American market for the Italian brand.
Porsche use Volkswagen as lifeguards
Although Porsche has not yet adopted an official position in this regard, Oliver Blume, executive director of Volkswagen, declared In an interview with CNBC that the supercar manufacturer He could benefit from his alliance with Volkswagen to manufacture some of its models in the factories that the German group has in the US.
“We have an industrial cooperation agreement with Volkswagen and, in the end, we are working closely together, so this should play a role,” said Blume. This movement would allow him to avoid the import cost for some of his models, which would reduce the final invoice of the application of tariffs, although the brand has not spoken about a price policy about it.
According to published German half hAndelsblattPorsche is considering taking part of its SUVs segment and electrical models to US territory, taking advantage of the facilities that Volkswagen has in Chattanooga (Tennessee).
Beyond the problems posed by tariffs, Porsche faces a complicated year in terms of sales. According to The published by The Guardianits sales in China and Europe have resent this first quarter and, although it has registered a 37% sales rebound in the US, this may be due to delayed orders from 2024 by the rates to the Chinese components of Europeand the anticipation of purchases due to the entry into force of tariffs.
Lamborghini: Alternative scenarios before the tariffs
Lamborghini’s response has been less direct than Ferrari’s and It still does not have an official position about itbut USA represents a 30% of total sales that the brand did in 2024.
The Italian supercar manufacturer has indicated that he is evaluating different scenarios to manage the Impact of US tariffs. Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini, declared to Bloomberg that “we constantly work to keep up on the situation. We have daily meetings, in which you participate personally, and have personnel who analyze the situation constantly.”
Like Porsche, Lamborghini belongs to the Volkswagen Group, so the option of moving part of the production is a possible output. However, His supercoches They have a great dependence on European components, which complicates their transfer. “If there are problems in the supply chain, we must address them; this is what we did during the Covid,” Winkelmann said.
Rolls-Royce: Tariffs, what tariffs?
In the case of Rolls-Royce, the British brand has decided maintain its production in Europe and will not move to the United Statesdespite tariffs. A brand spokesman said that: “We are currently evaluating the announcement in detail and we ask for its understanding since we cannot make more comments at this time.”
This is due to the profile of their clients, who tend to be extremely rich and less sensitive to price increases.
Rolls-Royce has declared that, although tariffs increase import costs, they trust that their customers in the US are willing to absorb those additional expenses.
This position reinforces the ultraexclusive character of the brand and its focus on a niche market that Prioritize quality and status above the costs. After all, these same clients have become accustomed to increase up to 100% of the original cost from the car applying different customizations in the brand’s workshops.
Jaguar: Stop machines!
Jaguar Land Rover, the prestigious Luxury British brand, has responded to tariffs strongly: temporarily stop your shipments to the United States.
According to published Reutersthis decision seeks to evaluate the financial impact of taxes and analyze new business models to continue selling in the US market without compromising profitability.
“While we work to address the new commercial terms with our business partners, we are taking some short -term measures, including a pause in shipments in April, while we develop our medium and long term plans,” says the manufacturer through a statement sent by email.
This movement has important implications, since Jaguar Land Rover is one of the European brands with the greatest presence in the US. The British government He has started A commercial negotiation with its American counterparts, so the manufacturer has decided to stop its operations in that country until you see the fruits of that negotiation.
In Xataka | A Ferrari F40 of $ 700,000
Image | Unspash (Thomas AllSop, Lance asper, Nick Fewings, Jordy Muñoz, Flavien, Robin Mee him)
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