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Ferrari has relaunched its sports cars in
Thailand during a glamorous reception that took
place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok
where there was much interest from the many
guests of the Italian brand’s new importer and,
fittingly, the California took centre stage as
it made its Thai debut. The setting was perfect
and the new importer and distributor for
Thailand, Cavallino Motors Co Ltd., which only
took signed contracts with Maranello in May had
left no stone unturned in making this an
occasion befitting of the Prancing Horse brand
and the large number of guests that were
littered with this vibrant city's leading
celebrities, TV personalities and business
figures, who gathered in the majestic waterfront
setting to see Ferrari roll back into a key
Asian market where its prestigious cars are held
in high respect.
The omens for the return of Ferrari
to Thailand are very good, with the new importer's key management team being
made up of important business figures with a track record of success, while
Ferrari will be tapping straight into a market where there is strong demand for
the most exclusive of designer names and where the Prancing Horse name is held
in high regard. Cavallino Motors Co Ltd. is a newly established private company.
The
company is jointly owned by Mr. Vudha Bhirombhakdi, (Vice-Chairman of Boonrawd
Brewery) and Mr. Chalerm Yoovidhya (Chairman and chief executive of Siam Winery
and Red Bull UK). Mr. Voravud Bhirombhakdi and Mr. Varit Yoovidhya are to act Vice-Presidents and
Executive Directors while Mrs. Nanhamalee
Bhirombhakdi is the Managing Director.
"We're so proud that Ferrari contracted us to be a sole
authorized dealer in Thailand and to service Ferrari’s cars," said Mr
Yoovidhya. "I really appreciate that
they rely on and have confidence in us which makes us more challenging. My team
and I have good intention and great passion for Ferrari," he
added.
"I'm glad that
we’re chosen to be the sole authorised dealer of Ferrari in
Thailand as the brand is off from Thai market for a while.
It was confused whether who's the new importer after the
contract is terminated with the previous importer. When
Cavallino Motors is signed, it's such a good opportunity for
those who desire to drive and own Ferrari cars established
for more than seventy years.” comments Mrs. Bhirombhakdi.
"Our strategy is to build strong relationships with
customers and to impress them with Ferrari cars including
after sale services. We provide professional teamwork i.e.
the expat service manager with extensive experiences for
more than ten years will be
engaged to take a good care of our customers. Technicians were sent to train at
Ferrari factory."
Large import
duties here put cars in Ferrari’s bracket beyond the reach
of all but Thailand’s very rich; however the fruits of
Maranello’s labours are the ultimate symbol of prestige in a
city where there is much affluence, a deep rooted bond with
the world of fashion, and panache for the finer things in
life. The city's often roughly surfaced streets - which
would make many a western owner keep his car firmly locked
in the climate controlled garage - are alive with the latest
offerings from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche,
Aston Martin and other exclusive automotive brands, and Thai
owners - again unlike many of their Western counterparts -
believe that a supercar is born to be driven and enjoyed at
every opportunity. Many of Ferrari's most iconic models are
represented in Bangkok, including the F40, F50, Enzo and
more recent cars such as the 430 Scuderia and 599 GTB
Fiorano, which have arrived via private imports during the
three years that Maranello has been absent from Thailand,
such is the demand to own its products.
The opulent
Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the banks of the Chao Phraya has
provided one of Asia’s most sumptuous locations for more
than a century and is always a top choice venue for high
profile events. Sak Nana, the famous drifting ‘king’ and
face of Red Bull, known across Thailand simply as “Gigi”,
was amongst the many high-profile guests at the reception as
was leading model and actress Chollada Mekratree.
In the hotel’s
decorated corridors the attention to detail paid to the
re-launch of Ferrari was everywhere, with evocative images
from Maranello's rich history hanging from the
richly-papered walls while an imperious red cabinet
displayed a set of Michael Schumacher's F1 overalls,
dominating one of the lavishly decorated rooms.
The setting was
perfect as the historic hotel's gardens, filled with
luscious vegetation, rolls to the riverbank, while on its
clipped lawn a stage had been set up where a California was
sitting snugly under a bright red cover. The management team
put together by the new importer was introduced on the stage
and following a show by a dance troupe the covers were
whisked back to reveal a gleaming red California while
rounds of applause came from Bangkok's high society. Being
Bangkok no one would be content with the usual unveiling
style demonstration of the innovative folding hardtop roof
(the first Ferrari to be fitted with such a device) and so
the 460 CV 4.3-litre V8 engine was given a healthy dose of
revs, the tranquillity of the genteel gardens shattered by
the spine-tingling sounds that make a Ferrari stand apart
from its rivals. As the sound of the ‘horses’ faded away a
band quickly picked up popular music, immaculate waiters
distributed drinks, and for this time of year in Asia, the
rain pleasingly staying away.
According to
representatives of Cavallino Motors Co Ltd. there has been
strong interest in the California up to its launch here and
orders have been placed. This latest model from Maranello,
with a chassis and body wrought out of aluminium and with an
engine mid-front mounted for the first time in Ferrari
history, slots straight into a new market segment and hunts
new customers. Though firmly a traditional “Gran Tourer” it
is the first of what Ferrari dubs a "lifestyle car" and with
its raw performance coupled to the day-to-day practicality,
such as swallowing golf clubs into its ample boot, it is
well positioned to succeed here on a market where a sports
car owner will aim to use his car at every opportunity.
"We've had good
interest here already," Ferrari's Marketing Director for the
Asia-Pacific Region, Pietro Innocenti told Italiaspeed
on the sidelines of the launch, reiterating that Ferrari
continues to "keep availability less than demand." He
foresees two key car segments for this market: 'lifestyle'
and 'extreme' and expects the California to be in demand
here, as well as the 430 Scuderia which firmly falls into
the latter category. All the Ferrari range is destined for
the Thai market, including the Maranello’s fastest-ever
convertible, the limited-edition Scuderia Spider 16M (just
499 are being built) and which, according to Innocenti, will
arrive in Thailand in "very, very small numbers” to fulfil
orders that have already been placed.
While the meltdown of the financial
markets across the world over the last year has hit most prestige carmakers
hard, this region is a real bright spot for Ferrari, and Innocenti confirms that
"Asia Pacific is a strategic region for growth [as] the economic slowdown has
not affected us at all." He adds that the Italian sports car brand is
"projecting the same volumes as last year for Asia," with the strongest demand
coming from Japan and China, while Ferrari is getting a "good response in Hong
Kong, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand." Ferrari never project targets or
reveal sales but the new team in Thailand is upbeat, admitting that orders are
firming up and they are confident that Thais will be receptive to Maranello
return here. With a new
showroom and service centre now being constructed on New Petchburi Road
in Bangkok, all the ingredients seem to be in place at Cavallino Motors Ltd. for
a successful new chapter for Ferrari to open up in Thailand.
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