Lamborghini will not follow the fate of Porsche, another subsidiary of the German giant Volkswagen, for the moment. “We don’t have any IPO plans as they stand,” says Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of the premium car brand with blue eyes, gray hair parted left. However, he told Bloomberg a few months ago: “An IPO is exactly what you need to do to show the public how solid you are and how strong you believe in the future. A change of gear perhaps due to a difficult environment and less favorable market conditions. The Italian group could weigh around 15 billion euros on the stock market.
Lamborghini today builds its success on its three models: the Urus, a “super SUV”, which is the group’s best-selling model (more than 5,000 units in 2022), the Huracán (more than 3,000 sales) as well than the supercar Aventador, equipped with a V12 (753 units) and whose production was stopped last September. With less than 10,000 sales, the bull brand’s profitability is closer to the world of luxury than to the automotive industry. Its operating margin reaches 26% in 2022, for a turnover that exceeds 2 billion euros for the first time in its history. “These good figures allow us to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the group and to begin the second phase of our Direzione Cor program through unprecedented investments to increase our growth and improve our financial performance”, continues the leader returned to the head of the business in 2020, after a first stint between 2005 and 2016.
The manufacturer must adapt to a new electrical environment due to the ban, in 2035, on the sale of internal combustion engines by the European Commission. “We accept the new rules of the game and will lead a transition towards electric and emotional performance”, says Stephan Winkelmann. The Volkswagen subsidiary will invest 2.5 billion euros over four years. The first 100% electric Lamborghini should be available in 2028.
For fans of the iconic V12 that powers the Aventador, the engine sound will be redesigned. “We have to opt for a very electric or artificial sound that reproduces the current sound”, agrees the manager of the company from Sant’Agata Bolognese. The hybrid Aventador with its new V12 is expected by the end of the year, as well as Urus and Huracán available in hybrid versions by the end of 2024. A GT, fourth model 100% electric, will follow in 2028. The boss of the brand, who refuses to reveal sales targets, ensures that he will carefully scrutinize inflation, interest rates and growth in China this year. “So far, the US and European markets remain stable and show no signs of weakness,” he added.
There is no question of Lamborghini becoming a high-volume manufacturer. It is rather a question of remaining in the cream of the crop of the automobile, alongside a mark like Maserati, of the Stellantis group. “We don’t want to exceed 10,000 sales per year. We prefer to stay exclusive with a good balance between orders and production times”, explains Stephan Winkelmann.
