Alfa Romeo are examining the Chinese market, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that its import and its distribution could be handled by China Premium Lifestyle Enterprise, a company that is set to hold similar responsibilities in Hong Kong and Macau. A venture into China would expose Alfa Romeo to the world's second biggest car market, helping the sporty Italian brand move towards its recently stated goal of producing 300,000 cars per year by 2010.

China Premium Lifestyle Enterprise's exposure to the Alfa Romeo brand came last year when it bought an initial 49 percent of Technorient, the Hong Kong-based firm which operates in the luxury automobile sector in Hong Kong, China and Macau. Under the terms of the deal China Premium Lifestyle, which is owned by Wong Kee Hong (Holdings) Ltd, will acquire the remaining 51 percent of Technorient during this year.

Technorient, which in its last financial period, 2005, reported sales of US$48.7 million, bought Italian Motors (Sales & Service) Ltd and Auto Italia Ltd in 1983. Technorient thus became the sole distributor for both Ferrari and Maserati in Hong Kong and Macau, and it was also instrumental in introducing the Ferrari brand to China, selling the first car there in 1993. In the last three years Technorient has been developing its own independently run joint Ferrari-Maserati dealer network in China, working closely with Ferrari's own in-house importer and distributor which is based in Shanghai.

The company wishes to tap into the huge growth in demand for luxury branded goods in the Chinese market and is reportedly discussing putting Alfa Romeo alongside its Ferrari and Maserati operations. Since the turn of the century the Chinese car market has become the most important arena for carmakers globally, outside the USA. Technorient has a head start with the Milanese brand as it is already the exclusive distributor of Alfa Romeo in both the Hong Kong and Macau provinces, where it also has exclusive rights to distribute Ferreti yachts.
 

To help give Technorient a more focused image for its future plans to make a strong impact on the rapidly growing luxury brand sector in China, the name of the company was changed in December 2006 to China Premium Lifestyle Enterprise, Inc. Richard Lee, the Chairman of China Premium Lifestyle said during the recent announcement that the firm have bought Technorient: "I am extremely pleased that, through making this important acquisition, we have become a key player in the marketing of premium lifestyle products in the fastest growing consumer market in the world. Having been involved in distributing a range of high-end consumer durables in China over the past 25 years, our group has developed  a strong relationship base with high net-worth customers. We have been able to enhance that base considerably through our long standing association with Ferrari and Maserati in the region and our excellent reputation as a purveyor of the highest levels of service and customer support for the most demanding clients.

"Using our expertise in selling and servicing high-end automobiles in China, we intend to build a first class platform for luxury products for our high net-worth clients, by acquiring additional premium brand products in both the automobile and marine sectors as well as other products that directly impact our wealthiest customers. In this manner, our shareholders will be able to participate in one of the greatest consumption booms the global economy has witnessed. While the already strong image of Ferrari in China was enhanced by the Formula 1 victory at the Shanghai Grand Prix in October, we believe that the excellent positioning of the Maserati Quattroporte with the new automatic gear box will provide a tremendous boost to sales in China in 2007."