When it comes to handling its business affairs and client relations, Ferrari always enjoyed a supreme level of autonomy from its corporate parent Fiat. But now that the famous Maranello outfit is a publicly-traded company, it must answer to its shareholders if it wants to extend the wave of success it’s enjoyed the last few years. To most automakers, this would be a call to double-down and meet customer demand, but to Ferrari, it actually means the opposite.
During The Drive‘s recent visit to Universo Ferrari for the unveiling of the F8 Tributo Spider and 812 GTS, Ferrari Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Enrico Galliera voiced the automaker’s strategy for increasing shareholder value without watering down the brand.
“Ferrari focuses on exclusivity, and sometimes this means making customers wait for their car—to dream about their car,” said Galliera. “They will enjoy it more [when they receive it].”
“Q4 [2018] was one of the healthiest periods of the company, with a healthy waiting list—perhaps almost too healthy,” he added.
While explaining Ferrari’s strategy of being unpredictable and exclusive, Galliera quoted company founder Enzo Ferrari, who oftentimes boasted that “Ferrari will always deliver one car less than the market demand.”
Galliera expressed that the original 812 Superfast, which debuted two years ago, currently has a two- or three-year waiting list. And its new variant, the retractable-hardtop 812 GTS, will be delivered to only the “connoisseur” customer/collectors known to Maranello. Despite his comment, he did not reveal production figures for the new roofless beauty.
“The Ferrari strategy to please shareholders is to create a new segment and a new product for the segment, rather than increase volume [of existing models],” added Galliera.
We can only assume the new product being referred to is the Purosangue SUV, which is now the fifth and last remaining vehicle to be unveiled by the Prancing Horse. Previously, Ferrari had promised to deliver five new models before 2020, and this week’s F8 Spider and 812 GTS marked the third and fourth, meaning we should see the new high-riding Ferrari before the year is over.