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DETROIT - Italian car maker Lamborghini sees a 5 per cent increase in global sales this year following record sales in 2007, said Chief Executive Stephan Winkelmann.
Lamborghini, a unit of Volkswagen AG's Audi AG, sold a record 2,406 of its hand-made vehicles in 2007, up 15 per cent from 2006, the company said.
Lamborghini's CEO offered the sales projection at an interview on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show, where it showed off examples of its new personalisation program, called Ad Personam, that allows customers to design their own variations of its cars.
Winkelmann said that he also expects the automaker to have higher profits in 2008 compared to last year.
Lamborghini has yet to release its full-year 2007 financial results but Winkelmann said the company was profitable last year.
Winkelmann said he has seen no sign that the slump in the US economy was hurting demand for Lamborghini, which competes with the likes of Ferrari in speed and exclusivity.
"For the time being we see no decline," Winkelmann said. "We are watching the development very carefully."
Even if an economic recession in the US market began to hurt demand for luxury goods, Lamborghini would be shielded by its 12-month backlog of customer orders, Winkelmann said.
The United States accounts for about 40 per cent of the brand's sales. California represents over a quarter of those sales.
Winkelmann, who has spearheaded an increase in Lamborghini's dealer network since becoming CEO in 2004, said he expects Lamborghini to end the year with about 130 dealers, up from 65 in 2005.
Lamborghini is also in discussions with Italian fashion house Versace for a co-branding deal.
"We are on a good track," Winkelmann said, adding that he expects a deal sometime this year.
Winkelmann also said the automaker will look for revenue growth in areas outside auto sales, including licensing and arranging tours and driving academies for groups of its loyal owners, Winkelmann said.
- REUTERS
