Columbus' luxury car market is growing, along with the region at large, but new customers will have to wait to get their hands on one of the vehicles.
Andrea Baldi, CEO of Lamborghini America, spoke on the central Ohio luxury car market as he hosted a ribbon cutting event this month showcasing the company's newly renovated showroom in Dublin.
Despite no vehicle selling for less than $200,000, sales in Ohio are growing, with not enough supply to keep up with demand. Lamborghini has a wait time of at least two years for customers, which is consistent throughout every location, Baldi said.
Most of their clients are entrepreneurs or company CEOs, and the demographic of their customers is getting younger. Baldi said that their women clientele has grown significantly over the past few years as well.
"We are different from other brands, and we are really happy of this because it means that we have a customer base that will continue to be with us for a long period of time, rather (than) becoming a customer only in older age," Baldi said.
Columbus is not Lamborghini's best market, with a majority of their U.S. sales coming out of California and Florida. The Tri-state area and Texas are the next regions that offer a big market to Lamborghini, with North America as a whole being important to the business's success, Baldi said.
"For obvious reasons you can imagine the concentration of wealth is driving goals," Baldi said.
The pandemic actually was beneficial for Lamborghini Ohio, as the company saw steady business that has continued throughout the past three years, said Giovanni Tosti, President of Midwestern Auto Group.
Paying over list for pre-owned exotic cars
For most of the exotic-car industry, the pre-owned market is strong because Lamborghinis are produced in limited number. Even Lamborghini Ohio pays over the list price for pre-owned Lamborghinis to resell, Tosti said.
"They're sold out for forever and the only way to really get your hands on to one is to pay over the list, which sometimes we do," Tosti, said.
The Columbus market is good and has a lot of young people who make a good living which is why they placed an importance on rebuilding and expanding Lamborghini Ohio while "cultivating the Columbus Market," Tosti said.
Lamborghini Ohio, located at Midwestern Auto Group in Dublin, was renovated to more accurately represent the aesthetic of the brand while allowing them to install a room dedicated to customizing and configuring the client's car, Baldi said.