Luxury car distributors upbeat on 2001 sales

Luxury car distributors upbeat on 2001 sales

JAKARTA (JP): Domestic luxury car distributors expressed
optimism that they could meet the 2001 sales target despite the
country's economic woes.

Paulus B. Suranto, head of marketing at PT BMW Indonesia, said
his company was confident to achieve a projected sales target of
around 3,300 sales this year, a 17 percent increase as compared
to 2,821 last year.

"We're confident as the company has sold 1,664 units as of
June. It will not be difficult to sell the remaining 1,600 given
the current positive development in economic indicators," Paulus
told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, pointing to the strengthening
of the rupiah and stronger stock market.

BMW Indonesia is the sole domestic distributor for German-made
BMW luxury cars.

The rupiah soared to a five-month high of Rp 9,850 per dollar
on Tuesday as the market continued to celebrate the election of
Megawati Soekarnoputri as the new President, replacing
Abdurrahman Wahid.

The removal of Abdurrahman is expected to end prolonged
political infighting and activate a turnaround in the economy.

"If there are no unfavorable developments, the car market will
remain relatively stable," Paulus said.

He said BMW cars controlled a 49 percent share of the
country's luxury car market as of June this year.

"With the increase in sales, we expect to get a greater share
of up to 55 percent by the end of the year," he said.

BMW Indonesia is displaying six new models, including BMW 3
series convertible, BMW 5 series, BMW X5, BMW Z 3, and its only
classic limousine BMW 3200S Staatlimousine at the Gaikindo 11th
Auto Expo 2001 in Jakarta, which will last until Sunday.

Within the first three days of the exhibition, the company had
sold 12 units.

Meanwhile, Jaguar local distributor, PT Prima Auto Grupindo,
also voiced similar optimism, saying the company aimed to sell
204 units this year, a 35 percent increase from 151 units last
year.

MG Welly Oka, sales manager of Prima Auto Grupindo, said the
company was convinced it could achieve the sales target despite
the fact the company had only been able to sell 35 units in the
first half of this year.

Welly said that the company's car sales in the second half
would be stronger with the launching of a new Jaguar model, the
Jaguar X-type, which had received strong positive response from
car aficionados.

"Within only three days of our exhibition, some 14 buyers have
expressed interest in the X-type, or almost half of the total
indent of 30 units," Welly told The Post

Welly said the company expected to be able to sell 50 units of
the X-type car model this year, adding that the cars would arrive
here in November.

Prima Auto displayed five Jaguar car models at the auto expo
including the S-type and XKR-type with a price range of between
Rp 680 million to Rp 2.3 billion each.

Separately, president of automaker PT Indomobil Soebronto
Laras also expressed optimism about the luxury car market this
year.

"The luxury car market is relatively stable as it targets a
specific market segment, people in the high income bracket," he
said. (03)