Ferrari and Maserati 2012 Sales Halved in Italy

Recent data shows that sales of Ferraris and Maseratis in Italy have more than halved in 2012.

Ferrari saw its sales fall 56% to 248 units, Maserati saw a drop of 72% to 115 units and Lamborghini’s sales fell 16.6% to 60 vehicles last year in Italy. All in all the country’s auto sales hit the lowest level since 1979, down 22.5% last month and 19.9% for the full year to 1.4 million units.

“The car market is suffering from an overdose of taxes aimed at hitting, if not criminalizing, the acquisition, ownership and use of autos,” said Filippo Pavan Bernacchi, the president of Italy’s car dealers’ trade group Federauto.

But the European crisis is not affecting only Italy, but also France and Spain. France saw its sales drop 15% last month and 14% for the entire year to 1.90 million vehicles, the lowest level since 1997. Spain’s sales in December fell 23% and 13% for the year to 699,589 vehicles, the lowest level since 1989. Germany fell only 2% to 3.1 million vehicles sold in 2012, a decrease from 3.2 million sold in 2011.

“Once again the exception is Italy where we have witnessed a drop partly due to the economic crisis, but also to a hostile environment for luxury goods which have long been, and continue to be, an important resource for the country,” said Ferrari’s president, Luca di Montezemolo.