According to Ferrari ’s Austrian general manager, the automaker will not be resigning contracts for a large number of dealerships located throughout Europe. Sources familiar with the situation say that Ferrari is intending to drop some of the lower-performing and smaller dealers to focus on bigger city dealers more aligned with Ferrari’s expectations.
Automotive News Europe reports that, according to some sources familiar with the deal, Ferrari will drop all European contracts by June 30, 2010. At that point, the Maranello, Italy-based manufacturer will resign some – but not nearly all – dealer contracts. It’s estimated that one third of the European dealer network will disappear as Ferrari concentrates on higher-volume dealers promising a higher-quality customer experience. Currently, Ferrari has 19 dealers operating 21 separate outlets with three additional authorized service centers.
It is possible that the dealer network will begin to look more like the North American dealer network, which has been realigned in recent years to appeal to a more upscale audience that, according to Ferrari , demands a superior pre- and post-sale experience.
