Ferrari to launch new model every year, keep production limited

You’ve no doubt perused the big news coming out of Fiat-Chrysler’s headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI today. But at the end of the brand discussions, Sergio Marchionne spoke briefly about an incredibly important, low-volume part of the Fiat–Chrysler empire: Ferrari.

“You do need one of these cars in your driveway,” Marchionne joked. And while other brand heads today lined out detailed plans for future product, Sergio’s words about Ferrari’s next five years were very simple, and very vague.

Marchionne confirmed that Ferrari will launch a new car every year between now and 2018. The cars will have a four-year lifecycle, after which, “M” versions will be produced, with a separate four-year cadence. No specific models were mentioned during Marchionne’s presentation.

Furthermore, the Fiat-Chrysler boss confirmed that Ferrari will not break its cap of limiting production to just 7,000 units per year. This is a “willful and intended” limitation by Ferrari, Marchionne said, but did note that the Italian automaker could ramp up production to 10,000 cars per year in the future.

Finally, Marchionne talked briefly about Ferrari’s value as a whole, simply saying that the brand “is not for sale.” Ferrari is a “phenomenal repository of value” for Fiat. Ninety percent of Ferrari’s stock sits within Fiat and its shareholders, and as Marchionne says, “That’s where it belongs.”

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