Ferrari California

Ferrari importer Ital Auto has collected more than 40 orders in over a month and a half and expects to deliver its very first car, the California, in January.

Ital Auto was officially appointed the Singapore distributor for the Prancing Horse on September 26th. Since then, the company has been accepting a steady stream of bookings for the new California hardtop convertible and the 458 Italia coupe.

“The first contract was written on October 1st for a California, and the order bank is split about 70:30 for the 458 and California respectively,” said Nick Syn, Ital Auto’s marketing manager.

While the California is listed at S$798,000, there is still no confirmed price yet for the 458 Italia although indications are that it will cost around S$1 million.

As all orders require a down payment, the latter has a booking fee of S$100,000- in line with the 10 percent deposit for all Ferraris.

According to Ferrari, the front-engined California is designed for everyday driving. On the other hand, the Italian super sports car maker said that the 458 Italia mid-engined sports car will appeal to hardcore enthusiasts.

On the after-sales front, Ital Auto said that it has attended to and serviced nearly 50 cars to date.

“We’re also proud to say that we’ve sorted out a number of cars with long-standing problems that weren’t able to be fixed previously,” said Mr. Syn.

Ital Auto took over from long-time Ferrari importer Hong Seh Motors after an intense courtship of the Prancing Horse earlier this year involving about half a dozen suitors. Hong Seh had previously been associated with the scarlet cars since 1982.

Ital Auto is a subsidiary of Komoco Motors, which distributes Harley Davidson, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Hyundai.

When news broke that it would be handling the Ferrari dealership, there had been rumblings in some quarters regarding the company’s ability to service the supercars.

But Mr. Syn said that Ital Auto is “scaling up the after-sales team as more and more owners seek us out.”

“This is one area we’re very keen to emphasize as we feel that this is one of the best ways to retain customers-to demostrate that we’re 110 percent committed to giving their cars the best care and attention possible,” he explained.

Overall, the Ital Auto team is also being “beefed up progressively.” The latest addition is a “very experienced general manager from the UK, Andrew Howes.”

“He’s been working with Ferrari, as well as virtually all the high-end brands you can name, for nearly two decades so he’s got a wealth of knowledge about this type of business,” said Mr. Syn, referring to Mr. Howes.

Currently, the Ital Auto’s Ferrari team formally consists of one sales manager, one marketing manager, one after-sales manager, one after-sales advisor and four service technicians.

Mr. Syn added: “We’re been pulling expertise from the rest of the Komoco Group as needed.”

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Source: motoring.asiaone.com

Customer viewing an Internet-based configurator

For the first time in Singapore and Asean, a Ferrari showroom is following the prancing horse’s corporate identity standards.

Furniture for the 7,000 square foot showroom at 30 Leng Kee Road were specially ordered from an authorized supplier in Shanghai, where the Ferrari Asia Pacific (FAP) office is based.

Everything from the leather-covered reception counter to the signature scarlet armchairs stick to the Italian super sports car’s corporate identity.

A full-length glass wall separates the showroom from the 6,000 square foot workshop so that customers can view the high-tech work bay also. Altogether, the new premises cost the distributor Ital Auto more than $1 million to renovate and furnish.

Consultants recommended by FAP were also in Singapore to oversee the renovation work, which took just three weeks to complete before October 3rd official opening.

An Ital Auto executive says the showroom has been designed to meet the special needs of a Ferrari customer.

There is an Internet-based configurator table for a person to check out all the various permutations of color and options. But if these virtual configurations need to be viewed in less public surroundings, there are two so-called closing rooms.

Here, the necessary customization that comes with buying a Ferrari can take place in complete privacy.

‘Buying a Ferrari is not like going to a normal showroom where you pick out the color from a chart or choose from what the distributor has in stock,’ says the executive.

Instead, there are a multitude of shades of paintwork and leather to consider, types of seats to pick and even the color of the stitching.

‘It’s a total experience,’ the executive adds. ‘You tell us what you want.’

Even though the expense, the new showroom and workshop are only temporary before Ital Auto settles on a permanent site for a more exclusive standalone facility in a prime district. A couple of locations are said to have been identified but no decision has been reached so far.

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Source: motoring.asiaone.com

Work to complete a showroom to house some of the world’s fastest cars was slowed to a crawl.

Ital Auto-owned by hotelier Ong Beng Seng’s Hyundai agent, Komoco-put the pedal to the metal as soon as it was named the new Ferrari agent early July.

It cleared out its Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Harley-Davidson showrooms at Leng Kee Road and began renovating the premises to house models from the Italian supercar marque.

But progress was stalled, with little or no construction activity going on in weeks.

A senior executive, who didn’t want to be named, said this was because of the ‘August holidays in Europe.’

This, he said, was holding up approval of a design drawing from Ferrari. Like several other car companies, Ferrari usually lays down the specifications for its showrooms around the world.

‘The showroom can be ready in three weeks once the drawing is ready,’ added the executive.

Business in Europe slows down considerably as the summer season winds down there, with many companies taking breaks to let employees enjoy a last bit of sunshine and warm weather before it starts getting cold in the autumn.

Most car plants are back in full swing by early September.

Meanwhile, Ital Auto has placed newspaper ads in search of new showroom and workshop space as a permanent home of its Ferrari sales and service division.

The ads specify that the showroom should be 5,000 sq. ft. in size and the workshop 15,000 sq. ft., with space to park at least 20 cars.

The facility at Leng Kee Road which is now being renovated is expected to be a temporary measure before the new premises are found.

The new Ferrari agent, Auto Ital took over from long-time representative Hong Seh Motors.

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Source: motoring.asiaone.com

According to published report by The Straits Times, Hong Seh Motors, owned by businessman Alfred Tan and son Edward, has been representing Ferrari in Singapore for the past 25 years, have lost its dealership battle and will give up the dealership by the middle of this month.

Matteo Bonciani, a spokesperson from Ferrari Asia-Pacific mentioned that the dealership battle was between Komoco and Premium Automobiles who would then launch the Ferrari California for the Singaporean market. Komoco is run by Ong Beng Seng, the man behind the Singaporean Formula 1 Grand Prix and who currently sells Hyundai and Chrysler cars. Premium is owned by Indonesian businessman Hadi Tanaga, who also holds Audi’s dealership in Singapore.

Komoco was later told last Monday afternoon that it has clinched the Ferrari franchise, ending months of speculation about who will represent the Prancing Horse in Singapore.

Hong Seh has thus far received over 120 bookings for the Ferrari California although the official pricing of the California hasn’t been released yet and has revealed that it is returning the S$50,000 deposit for the convertible to each owner.

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Source: icars.sg and straitstimes.com

There have been rumors circulating that Ferrari may choose a new dealer in Singapore and that an announcement may be made in about a week. It appears, according to The Straits Times daily, Mr. Ong Beng Seng may be the person who will fill the spot, through his automotive arm, Komoro which is also the dealer for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Hyundai as well as Harley-Davidson. Beng Seng was also responsible for bringing Formula One back to Singapore.

So far, Ferrari Asia Pacific as well as the current Ferrari dealer, Hong Seh Motors denies such a rumor. You will be updated about the latest outcome. Last year, Ferrari, via Hong Seh Motors sold 45 Ferraris and 87 Maseratis, which is part of the Maranello-based auto maker. It is almost for sure if Ferrari switches its local dealer, the sister brand Maserati will follow suit.

In Malaysia, Naza Group was recently appointed as the official dealer for Ferrari and Maserati.

Source: icars.sg