Maserati reducing Ghibli & Quattroporte production due to demand slump

A whopping 136 percent sales growth compared to 2013 and sixfold the sales figure for 2012, these were the spectacular result figures Maserati had announced in January this year. But a new report on web claims, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer is now finding that demand cooling off; hence the current production rate needs to be curtailed.

According to the report, the number of shifts at the company’s Grugliasco manufacturing facility near Turin, where the Ghibli and Quattroporte are built, has been trimmed to 10 per week from a present level of 12. Additionally, workers will only be working three weeks out of every four until July at least.

Clearing the air on this issue, CGIL union leader Federico Bellono said, “Fiat has told us that workers at the Grugliasco plant will be working for three weeks out of four up until July. The company is predicting production of about 30,000 to 35,000 cars at Grugliasco this year. I think it will be closer to 30,000.”

Last year the company had retailed close to 36,500 cars, up 136 percent as against 15,400 cars sold in 2013. The major contributor in this growth remained the Ghibli executive saloon, with 23,500 units, which was followed by the brand’s another luxury flagship saloon, the Quattroporte, with 9,700 units, whereas the total was completed by 3,500 units of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio models.

Apparently Maserati was also very much aware of the potential sales drop. In fact, FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne mentioned the same point at the Geneva Motor Show 2015, stating, “We knew we could not keep on growing sales of the Ghibli and Quattroporte. They have to slow down and settle and that is what is happening.”

Source: AN

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