Money

Bugatti appeals to 'two types'

By Wang Wen (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-27 07:51

A franchised store for Bugatti supercars in Beijing. WANG JING / CHINA DAILY

Do you have 38 million yuan to spare on a car? If so, you may be on an exclusive invitation list by Bugatti, the exclusive French sports car maker.

Bugatti is planning to hold two or three test drives of its Veyron 16.4 supercar in Beijing later this year to attract super-rich Chinese.

The Veyron made its debut at Auto China 2010 last month - and the car was sold on the first day of the show for 38 million yuan.

Bugatti thinks China is a "big potential market for us", Alasdair Stewart, Bugatti's director of marketing sales and after-sales, said on Wednesday. "We will bring two cars to Beijing to hold test drives later this year."

The Hurun Wealth Report says there are 9,400 billionaires in Beijing this year, but Stewart said not all billionaires will be interested in a Bugatti.

Bugatti wants to find people who really love their cars and collect cars.

Two types of people will buy Bugattis, Stewart said. One is a collector who will have many cars including the top two-door sports cars.

The other is the very rich who does not know too much about cars, he said, and most of the Chinese super-rich belong to this group.

Bugatti plans to sell three to five cars in China every year. Its first showroom in China, opened in Beijing in September, sees potential customers by appointment only.

Stewart said serious prospects will be invited to visit the factory in France and drive the car "so that they can understand that the car is a piece of art".

The black and yellow Veyron sold at the auto show will be sent back to the factory in northwest France for checks and modifications, and be delivered to the client in about eight weeks, Stewart said.

"That is the first car we sold in China this year and we need to sell two or three more."

Every Bugatti is handmade and limited numbers are produced. Only 300 Bugatti Veyron 16.4s will be produced, with 260 sold already.

"Most of them were sold in the Middle East," he said. The remaining 40 will be sold by middle of next year.