Despite selling the most cars in the brand's history last year, the drop in sales is still in line with a global fall in demand for luxury cars in 2009. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann stated that Lamborghini's main focus this year will now be to stay "in the black", rather than attempt to break any sales records. The drop in sales came suddenly, and Winkelmann mentioned that customers were even foregoing their down payments on the cars that had already been ordered for them.
Some warning of an impending crisis at Lamborghini was available - despite last year's record sales, its U.S. sales fell by around 20% in the same period. Nevertheless, the difference was made up in emerging markets such as the Middle East and South East Asia. But now with the world economy in tatters it means that "there is no immunity for luxury brands", according to Winkelmann.
Lamborghini claims that the sudden drop in orders can be attributed to two major causes; the fact that many Lamborghini customers worked in finance and were no longer able to afford their cars, or that it would be a little insensitive for customers to show up in a brand new Lamborghini while their friends and family struggled with finances.
Despite all the doom and gloom in the world luxury car market, there is a silver lining to this cloud at least: the waiting time for a new Lamborghini has dropped from 1 year to just six months.
