Adelaide loses Ferrari, Maserati showroom

SOUTH Australian Ferrari and Maserati customers will have to shop interstate for their next new supercar after the Italian brands’ Australian distributor, European Automotive Imports (EAI), downgraded the Adelaide dealership to a parts and service outlet this month.

The move reduces the joint Ferrari/Maserati dealership sales network in Australia to four – one each in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth – as well as a single showroom in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Adelaide outlet, Prestige Formula in suburban Frewville, retains the official factory service and parts business for Ferrari and Maserati, along with the sales franchises for Alfa Romeo, Citroen and Fiat cars, which are controlled by EAI sister company Ateco Automotive.

The move, effective from November 1, was made because the South Australian sales volume for Ferrari and Maserati was unable to sustain business investment at a level demanded globally.

Ferrari and Maserati retailers in other states have spent millions of dollars upgrading their facilities to meet the standards expected of the Italian companies for their well-heeled clientele, but the return for such an investment in SA, which accounted for only six out of the 109 Ferraris sold in Australia this year, did not add up, according to Ateco spokesman Edward Rowe.

The Sydney and Melbourne dealerships account for about 80 per cent of all Australian Ferrari sales – about 40 per cent each – with Brisbane getting about 10 per cent and Perth a few per cent.

Mr Rowe said Adelaide Ferrari and Maserati customers could still have their cars delivered in South Australia, and would still retain the convenience of local service and parts at Prestige Formula on Glen Osmond Rd.

“The overwhelming response from our customers in South Australia has been positive to the fact that we are maintaining a full parts and service business in South Australia, unlike some of our rivals who have withdrawn their business totally or are running a partial business on the side of other businesses,” he said.

While Porsche maintains a full dealership, Porsche Centre Adelaide, up the road from Prestige Formula, Lamborghini customers are directed to the company’s Melbourne dealership.

Aston Martin retains a toehold in Adelaide through Solitaire Automotive Group, which also sells Bentley, Jaguar, Audi and Volvo, among others.