The dream machine is now within geographical reach of the well-heeled. Two years after it shut down Indian operations, Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari has resumed sales and service with the appointment of Navnit Motors in Mumbai as its dealer for the country.
On Tuesday, the car maker unveiled its Mumbai showroom at Bandra Kurla Complex, the first and only one in the city that will cater to the western and southern regions.
It exited the country two years ago following strained relations with its dealer, the Shreyans Group.
“Despite being so far away, India has a strong connect with Ferrari. It is one of the few countries which has a large number of Ferrari fans,” said Enrico Galliera, Senior Vice President, Commercial & Marketing, Ferrari SpA.
Many people in India drive the Ferrari, while others have directly imported their cars, he said, adding the dealership will help these customers avail of servicing. There are an estimated 50 to 60 Ferraris in the country, and the buyers include industrialists Ratan Tata and Gautam Singhania.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar sold his car to a Surat-based businessman in 2011.
“We took time as we wanted to make sure we were coming back with the right partner with the right offerings. We are not going to sell thousands of cars; we will sell just a few, but we want to create a satisfying customer experience,” he said. The showroom will offer world-class after sales, added Sharad Kachalia, Dealer Principal, Navnit Motors.
Since the launch of Ferrari California T in August this year, Ferrari has received orders for over eight cars from India. It will sell five of its models in India and is offering an upgrade, besides exchange programmes for existing customers.
On Tuesday, Ferrari delivered a California T to Xavier Furtado. The on-road price of the California T is Rs 3.5 crore, while the F12 Berlinetta costs around Rs 5 crore. Ferrari plans to sell up to 12 cars a year in India.
The good news for existing customers is that they can avail of the Ferrari Exchange Programme, wherein they can own the latest version of the car.Ferrari had entered India in 2011 with showrooms in Mumbai and Delhi.
Design your Ferrari
If you want to a closer look at a Ferrari supercar to whet your curiosity or your interest in sports cars, you need to simply drive down to BKC and walk into the spanking new Navnit Motors showroom. You can simply gawk at the cars on display; no questions asked.
As part of its strategy to connect with fans and create more awareness of its brands, Ferrari has made sure everyone is welcome at the showroom -- they are all offered a cup of coffee. You can sit on a couch dedicated to you and discuss the car at great length with the staff. You can even design your Ferrari here. The 4,000 sq ft showroom, with space for three cars, has a personalised area where the staff will help you select merchandise like seat material and wheel covers. You can even configure your dream Ferrari, right here in Mumbai
