LAMBORGHINI MAY NEED FRANCHISEE - WILL PRODUCE ESTOQUE

On the same day Lamborghini lets out that the Estoque four-door concept will be produced (thank goodness), the planet's best-selling Lamborghini dealership announces its doors will close. Shut. Lock. Firmly.

Santa Ana, California's Lambo store accounts for 10% of worldwide sales. Imagine for a second that were true of a Chevrolet dealer. Okay, now picture the profits attributed to this one dealership. Now picture Lamborghini's consternation at the thought of that dealer closing up. Okay, now start collecting donations from your friend so you can re-open that very same Lamborghini dealer. Because quite clearly, sales were not the issue.

True, Lamborghini doesn't sell a lot of cars. Typically, however, the vehicles sold cost above $200,000 and sometimes close to $400,000. Usually, OC Lamborghini could sell 240 cars per annum in modern Lambo times. With a middling profit margin of, say, 4%, OC Lamborghini would easily pull in more than $2,000,000. You could nudge that 4% upward safely and nudge up the earnings for "used" Lamborghinis and and servicing too. 

So, real estate issues are the suspected culprit. Many formerly rich Californians are just that: formerly rich. Perhaps the issues affecting OC Lamborghini are completely disconnected from sub-prime meltdowns. Nevertheless, there's never been a better opportunity to confront Lamborghini brass with a few million in coin with a suggestion that you run the OC Lambo biz. Get on the phone.