Lamborghini Region Director for Asia Pacific Francesco Scardaoni

Q1, What are your expectations for the auto show?

A1: I have really big expectations for the Beijing Auto Show. The overall automotive industry has seen a reduction, but the super luxury segment has seen an increase. For our two segments specifically, the exclusive super sports cars and the Super SUVs, both are growing.

Q2, With the pandemic slowing down, China’s automotive market has started to recover in the second quarter. What do you predict for China's auto market in the near future? The current recovery trend shows a “V” shape in sales, what do you think would be in the next stage? A “√” shape, a “W” shape, an “M” shape, or a “√¯” shape?

A2: I think that it will grow in the coming years. I think it will have two different paths. The first will be rapid growth just in the next one to two years maximum. Then stabilization, in which it will slightly grow. With new models and new players in the market offering a greater variety of products, the chance will exist for people to renew their cars, to think about something different in terms of powertrain and so on. That will create more steep growth. Finally, in a couple of years, we will see the trend of a more stable market.

Q3, Can you use a few keywords to describe your predictions for the Chinese and global automotive industries in the next five years?

A3: Sustainable growth, go electric, in-depth customization

Q4, The virus has drastically affected people's lives. It has also caused people to rethink many aspects of life, including their way of traveling, and business management. From your perspective, what are the most important lessons we can take away from this pandemic? Can you also use a few keywords to summarize the impact?

A4: The first lesson learned is that Lamborghini China had to be agile and fast to react. I think one of the main points is that if you have an agile company, you can adjust your strategy to perfectly match and fit the market. The second lesson to me, is always to be creative. When something happens, like the pandemic this year, you aren’t ready to react because you don’t have this natural creative mindset. The third lesson is the importance of the digital world. We saw there was significant risk in having a split between Lamborghini and our customers. So we began the digital sales process and digital test drive to let them feel the emotion and the sound. We also asked our dealers to change their attitude and their style to accommodate a digital audience and guided them through that process so they could be successful.

Q5, What do you think about the social responsibilities that the automotive companies have taken during the epidemic?

A5: Car companies have a profound influence on our lives. They tell us the way we should drive, what services we should expect in our cars and many other things. I believe they also have a social responsibility for influencing our daily lives. At Lamborghini, we are a small company. But as soon as the pandemic started, we produced face shields and masks for medical staffs in Bologna’s local hospitals. We supported Siare in the manufacturing of breathing machines.

Q6, In the post-epidemic era, how will China's position and role be affected in the global automotive industry? What do you think the players should do next?

A6: I think it’s important for a company not to be dependent on one country in terms of supply chain, sales, etc. You are at high risk if you rely on one single market. Having a worldwide approach makes a company more stable.