WELCOMING the Ferrari brand to the Philippines are: (from left) Autostrada Motore Inc. executive director Marc Soong, Ferrari Asia Pacific head of region Simon Inglefield, president and CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific Herbert Appleroth, Autostrada Motore Inc. chair and president Wellington Soong, Maserati sales manager in Asia Pacific Gaetano Marino and Autostrada Motore Inc. executive director Jason Soong.
It took 11 long years of passionate courtship, but finally last week entrepreneur par excellence Wellington C. Soong won the privilege of bringing the Ferrari and Maserati super-sports car brands here.
At the showroom opening last Thursday in Bonifacio Global City of Autostrada Motore Inc., the official dealer of Ferrari and Maserati cars in the Philippines, Herbert Appleroth, president and CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific, said, referring to Soong’s unwavering 11-year effort: “Ferrari is like a beautiful woman. You have to court her persistently to capture her.”
He added that the Philippines has always had a love affair with the Ferrari. The first Ferrari came to the Philippines in 1952 and there are now over 60 well-maintained Ferraris here. Good news for Ferrari and Maserati owners: together with the Autostrada showroom launch, a factory-certified service center for the two legendary brands was inaugurated.
The passion
From the start of the media interview, the Tokyo-based Appleroth, Shanghai-based head of region Ferrari Asia Pacific Other Countries Simon Inglefield and Maserati Southeast Asia and Pacific regional sales director Gaetano Marino focused on the passion of the Ferrari Maserati experience rather than on the number of cars sold and delivered in each country.
“We want the passion for Ferrari to reach a bigger section of the motoring public,” they said. “You don’t have to own one to enjoy or appreciate it. Formula One, where Ferrari has raced for over 60 years, and a lot of Ferrari and Maserati merchandise bring the passion closer to people.”
Willy Soong, chairman and president of Autostrada Motore, declared that it is “aligned with the new corporate identity, which reflects passion, technical excellence and unique style of the brands.” Ferrari-Maserati is now in 58 markets, with the Philippines as the 58th. In the Asia-Pacific region aside from the Philippines, Ferrari-Maserati has official dealerships in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
POSING beside the Ferrari 458 Italia are (from left) Willie Soong, Marc Soong, Herbert Appleroth and Simon Inglefield.
Figures
Pressed for sales figures, Appleroth revealed that in 2011, Ferrari delivered 7,000 cars worldwide with 18 percent of these in the Asia-Pacific. Marino said that 6,116 Maseratis were sold globally in 2011, with the United States, as the biggest market, getting 2,441 cars and China, the second-biggest, getting 850 cars.
The regional executives said that they look to Asia, especially China, for growth while the European and North American markets remain as constant pillars in terms of value. “The whole of Asia is growing in prosperity. Look around and you can see the vitality,” Appleroth said, gesturing at the rarified environs of Bonifacio Global City.
They chose Willie Soong to import, distribute and service Ferrari-Maserati in the Philippines because “he is a man of integrity,” Appleroth said. “This is important because our customers must feel safe. Every market is different and we take into consideration integrity, reputation and success.” Aside from several business enterprises in other fields, Soong’s Formula Sports Inc. began distributing Jaguar cars in 1997 and the Land Rover brand in 2004.
Different
WILLY Soon, Jason Soong and Gaetano Marino
Every Asian country is different, too, Appleroth noted. “What is similar is the date of delivery. It has to be done on an auspicious date, a date of good fortune. Even the choice of color and venue of delivery are influenced by feng shui. In a certain year, no white color, for example. We have become aware of Asian customs and superstitions.
“What unites everyone is the passion for the brand, the soul and spirit of Ferrari. The passion is shared in every market. You belong to a family within the country. Once you see a Ferrari, you share a common bond, no matter what language you speak. For us, it’s the brand and the passion for it is growing. The brand is more than just the car, it’s the association with the brand through its merchandise and through watching Formula One. It’s the expression of what Ferrari can achieve.”
Little boys
“There is something about a Ferrari that makes grown men behave like boys,” the December 2011 issue of Forbes Life India has been quoted as saying. “When we take the cover off a Ferrari, the look in the eyes of all the people is like a little boy’s.” Appleroth corroborated. Indeed, when the beautiful red Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 458 Italia was unveiled, there was a moment of awe and stunned silence in the Autostrada showroom—a silence that was broken by the concussive, earth-shaking roar of the 562-hp V8 engine when Mark Soong revved it.
THE MASERATI Granturismo MC Stradale, the first street-legal Maserati car. PHOTOS BY EUGENE ARANETA
Across the showroom lurked a Maserati Granturismo MC Stradale, the first street-legal Maserati car, the first to top 300 km per hour, the first road-going Maserati to have a dedicated Race mode, and the most powerful model in the Granturismo range.
HELE system
All this power doesn’t mean that Ferrari Maserati overlooks the importance of the environment. At the 2011 Geneva Auto Show, the 458 Italia featured Ferrari’s HELE [High Emotion, Low Emission] system, which cuts emissions by as much as 23 percent and improves fuel economy without sacrificing performance. Also in Geneva, Ferrari launched the FF grand touring M Coupe powered by a direct injection 6.3 liter V12 engine with 661 hp and the automaker’s first AWD system.
Inglefield said that the FF fits four occupants as the back seat can accommodate two 6 footers. Despite an opening in the market for a four-door AWD sports car that wasn’t there 10 years ago, he said there is no need to ruin the design of a car to fit four people. (Was he referring to the Porsche Panamera?)
Still on energy efficiency, Appleroth said that the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy, is one of the most important elements of the small carbon footprint of the brand. It is 10 years ahead of EU regulations and is completely self-sufficient in energy.
Cost
Now for the big question: how much would a Ferrari cost? “It depends on the model and level of customization,” Soong replied. “The price ranges from P18 million to P30 million.” (The 458 Italia on display, another journalist told me, was already sold for P27 million.)
As for the average waiting time for a Ferrari, Soong said that if the car is within Autostrada Motore’s allocation, delivery can be made in six to nine months. Once the allocation is finished, it would take one year. Naturally, he keeps asking for a bigger allocation, Appleroth remarked, laughing.
Meanwhile, Ferrari achieved its goal to deliver 7,000 cars worldwide by the close of 2011 after delivering 6,753 in 2010. It was Ferrari’s best year ever. “But immediately the next day, the question was: What can we do better? “ Appleroth asserted. “Like F1, you can’t stop, you have to keep going because the competitors won’t stop.”