Reflection of achievement, prestige and status

Reflection of achievement, prestige and status

Burhanuddin Abe, Contributor, Jakarta

The number of luxury cars in Indonesia, like in many
developing countries, is still comparatively small. However, it
is not the quantity that matters here, for luxury cars and their
owners are a highly exclusive and elitist group. The exorbitant
prices are the least of their worries, as owning a luxury car is
a true reflection of their prestige, achievement and status in
society.

Take George Widjojo for example. This lawyer, whose schedule
is full of major cases, is fond of collecting sports cars,
especially the classics. His huge garage is filled with a 1981
Ferrari 308 GTS, a 1975 Ferrari Dino 308, a 1975 Maserati, a 1988
Lamborghini Countach, a 1975 Alfa Romeo Spider and another Alfa
Romeo, the 1969 1750 GTV.

"I like the classic Italian sports cars for various reasons,
like their design is unique and they turn into legendary
vehicles," he said, as quoted by SWA magazine. However, he also
appreciates Japanese cars, as indicated by the 1969 Nissan Fair
Lady 240Z that he also owns. The lawyer is now eying a Honda NSX,
which many car observers think will be one of the world's classic
sports cars.

George is not alone in this exclusive "club" of luxury car
owners. Setiawan Djody (businessman), Hotma Sitompul (lawyer),
Susila Budi Moeffreni (real estate businessman) are also avid
collectors of these extremely expensive cars. A number of
celebrities, like the comedian Mandra, is also on this list with
his Rp 3.5 billion Mercedes.

The trend of purchasing luxury cars started and was made
possible when the government allowed the import of completely
built up cars in 1997. The moment to realize their dreams was
welcomed by the superrich of the country. Authorized importers
and distributors of various luxury cars, such as Jaguar, Porsche,
Bentley, Ferrari and several others immediately opened up their
offices here and from day one, to their delight, demand slightly
exceeded their stock.

Even Ferrari decided to allot a larger number of cars for its
market here. Before deregulation, the creme de la creme of
Indonesian society had to purchase luxury cars directly from the
manufacturers in their country of origin. Next to authorized
importers, a number of dealers have also cropped up in the luxury
car market, like William Mobil, Ivan Mobil, Simprug Motors and
many others.

The significant growth of luxury car sales in Indonesia can be
illustrated by sales figures for Jaguar. PT Grandauto Dinamika,
the authorized dealer for Jaguar in Indonesia, reported an almost
50 percent increase for its 2002 sales figure. In 2002, it sold
157 Jaguars, while in 2001 the 110 Jaguars sold was already a
mind-boggling figure. Again in the following year sales went up
as PT Grandauto reported that 184 Jaguars were sold, thus making
the population of Jaguars close to 500 in the country.

Meanwhile, PT Eurokars Chrisdeco Utama, the authorized dealer
for Porsche in Indonesia, reported more fantastic sales figures:
70 cars for the first semester, which means that about 100
Porsches are owned by Indonesians. Sarwono Tjokrowinoto, the
company's president director, said that the company's success
only confirmed his optimism about the future of the luxury car
business here.

Similarly, Ferrari sales have proven to be another major hit.
Ferraris are produced in limited quantity and Indonesia gets a
quota of only eight cars a year. All eight Ferraris were sold out
almost instantly, including the rare, extremely exclusive Ferrari
Enzo, as only three were allotted here out of the 300 worldwide.
The secretary-general of the Ferrari Owners Club of Indonesia,
George, said that the quota for Indonesia had been slightly
increased to 10 Ferraris annually. He also estimated that not
less than 40 Ferraris are now owned by Jakartans.

The number of Bentley cars in Indonesia is less than the
number of fingers of both hands, said Tryfena Sri Rahayoe,
marketing communications specialist of PT Grandauto, which is
also the authorized dealer for Bentley in Indonesia, in addition
to its Jaguar dealership here. She said that only about 150
Bentleys were produced for the entire world and most Asian
countries were allotted only a small number, sometimes even only
one Bentley for Indonesia.

"No wonder the Bentley is really a rare species here." The
positive side probably is that this makes it even more desirable.

The luxury car market has been made livelier with the entrance
of various newer series and types of BMWs. Helena Abidin,
communications manager of PT BMW Indonesia, said that in the not-
too-distant future the company planned to launch the BMW X-3 in
two variants, the 2.5i and 3.0i. The latest 5 and 6 series are
also planned to be marketed soon in the premium category.

Another challenger in this high-end segment is one of the
world's extremely luxurious brands, Maybach. This car with a long
history of renowned luxury and state-of-the-art technology is in
a way related to Mercedes Benz. PT DaimlerChrysler Indonesia said
that the launch was planned within this year. Only five Maybachs
will be available this year due to its exclusivity.

With this array of luxury cars it is only natural that the
competition is getting tougher. However, that is to the advantage
of customers as better service from the nationwide network of
professionally managed after-sales centers gives a real sense of
security for the maintenance of these extremely expensive items.
So for those who can afford it, all they have to do now is choose
the brand of their dream.