Lamborghini is setting a limit on car production to keep exclusivity

Lamborghini must have a self-imposed limit on the number of vehicles it sells to preserve exclusivity, chief executive Stefano Domenicali has said.

The Italian firm has seen sales almost double in the first half of 2019 thanks to the Urus, introduced last year, which has proved hugely popular in the lucrative luxury SUV market.

However, Automotive News Europe reports that with Lamborghini expecting overall sales to top 8,000 this year, Domenicali doesn’t want to go much beyond that figure unless a fourth model gets added to the line-up

Speaking at the opening of the firm’s new paint shop at its Sant’Agata Bolognese factory, the 54-year-old said “we must not go on growing forever. We now have to consolidate these results and preserve exclusivity”, adding that 2019’s sales figures were “the right dimension of our company with our current product portfolio”.

The increased sales are having a healthy effect on Lamborghini’s revenue, with a forecast of €1.7 billion (£1.5bn) for 2019, compared with €1.4bn (£1.3bn) in 2018.

Speaking to the Press Association ahead of the Urus’ launch last year, the luxury car manufacturer’s commercial director, Federico Foschini, said that 60 to 70 per cent of its SUV customers had come from other brands.

He said: “They’re coming from other SUV, luxury sedan or 2+2s and they have different expectations, but at the end of the day this is the first Lamborghini in many years that gives you the possibility to drive many people. It’s not something to be underestimated.”