Lamborghini’s CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, stated that potential U.S. tariffs on European-made products could negatively affect the company’s revenue. He made this statement despite the sports carmaker posting strong results for last year, even with a contraction in the luxury market.
Lamborghini, part of the Volkswagen group, announced a 16% revenue increase to 3.09 billion euros ($3.31 billion). Operating profit rose 15.5% to 835 million euros, surpassing 800 million euros for the first time.
Winkelmann said the company’s order book covers 18 months. He added their aim is to preserve it in the coming years to achieve “controlled growth,” as potential U.S. tariffs could add further uncertainty to the already contracting luxury market.
Lamborghini sold a record 10,687 vehicles last year. Around 3,000 units were sold in the United States, its single largest market.
When asked about the automaker’s ability to pass on potential U.S. tariffs to car buyers to preserve margins in the country, Winkelmann stated that there was a “sweet point”.
He added, “If you go beyond that you lose volumes, that is a fact.” He continued, “We need to assess what our competitors do and how American clients react, but there is a risk on volumes for sure.”
Winkelmann noted the wider luxury car market experienced a 10% contraction last year versus 2023.
“Our feeling is that a post-COVID bubble is over,” he said.
He also stated, “While such sudden growth in our market was unexpected, we knew it could not last forever. In particular there has been a contraction in the Chinese (luxury) market. Our market is now stabilising”.
Lamborghini’s growth has included 1,000 new hires in the past two years. This represents a 30% increase in the company’s direct workforce.
British luxury automaker Bentley, also owned by Volkswagen, reported its lowest annual revenue since the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Lamborghini plans to launch its first fully-electric model in 2029. The current line-up is entirely hybrid, including the Urus SE SUV, the Revuelto sports car, and the new Temerario sports car, with first deliveries expected between the end of this year and early 2026.
Selling prices for Lamborghini cars start from over 260,000 euros.
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