While automakers around the world saw sales and profits plummet in 2008, Ferrari bucked the trend with its best year ever for sales, earnings, profits and achievements in sport, Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said on Wednesday.
Speaking at his traditional end-of-the-year press conference, Montezemolo, who is also chairman of Fiat, said that Ferrari will also have a good year in 2009 because ''there will always be someone crazy enough to buy a Ferrari''.
Montezemolo recalled how ''in the 1970s Enzo Ferrari used to say that crisis or no crisis there will always be someone crazy enough to buy the 1,500 cars we made at the time. Today I'm sure we can still find 6,000 crazy enough to buy our annual output''.
While Ferrari may not be hurt by the global economic crisis, parent company Fiat is and may delay bringing out new models in the coming year, Montezemolo said.
''We started the year off strong and if it hadn't been for the financial crunch even Fiat would have seen its best year ever,'' the chairman told the press.
The economic crisis is so bad, Montezemolo observed, ''that even if you produce the most beautiful car in the world it doesn't mean you can sell it. For this reason we may delay the debut of some of our new models and wait for a more favorable market situation''.
Certain to hit the showrooms next year will be the Fiat 500 convertible and the new Alfa Romeo 149, he added.
Should the crisis on the automobile market be brief, the Fiat boss observed, ''this could be beneficial and allow for some market housecleaning. There are too may producers in the automotive sector. But if it extends into the second half of next year then we'll all suffer''.
CRISIS WILL AFFECT 2009 FORMULA 1 SEASON.
Turning his attention to Formula 1, Montezemolo expressed his joy over Ferrari picking up its second constructors' championship in a row but also voiced his disappointment that team driver Felipe Massa failed to clinch the drivers' title in the last lap of the last race.
Looking at 2009, Montezemolo said that ''the crisis is certainly going to affect the next season,'' while the changes adopted in regard to tires, motor use and fuelling will produce ''many surprises''.
The Ferrari chief said it was wise of the international racing federation FIA to drop plans to make all teams use the same engine, as a means to reduce costs and level the playing field.
''Had this gone through at least four or five teams would have walked away from the sport. And by this I mean four or five aside from Ferrari. In other words, everyone,'' Montezemolo said.
According to the Ferrari chairman, one of the best developments in Formula 1 this year was the decision by teams to join together in a single organization - Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) - in order to improve their bargaining position with both FIA and Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Group, which handles the commercial side of the sport, in regard to the future of the sport.
FOTA was created this summer at Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello with Montezemolo elected as chairman.
