Ferrari: Made in China?

Ferrari 599 HTGE China Limited Edition - China could soon be building their own Ferraris

Can it be true? Are Ferrari really considering building cars in China? Well, it seems they may be.

Fiat has signed up to a partnership with China’s Guangzhou Auto Group (GAG) which will see the first Chinese built Fiat hit the roads in China next year. Unsurprisingly, Fiat has big ambitions for China, as does every car maker. The market is huge, growing like no other and with so much untapped potential it could end up being as big a marketplace for car makers as the rest of the current marketplace combined.

But it’s one thing building run-of-the-mill cars like Fiats in China, quite another building cars from the halo of the Fiat Group – Ferrari. But is it? Does it really matter?

The reality is that probably the only people it really matters to are the real Ferrari ‘Aficionados’. And although some of those Ferrari aficionados – Ferraristi – do buy product from Marenello, the vast majority are wannabees. If the Ferrari built in China is built the same as the Ferrari built in Maranello we doubt very much it would cause Ferrari any problems.

And we might as well get used to this now; it’s only going to become more prevalent as we move forward. Car makers with strong national identities – like Ferrari – will continue to make cars for the Western Market from their home base, but for everywhere else…

Within a few years Ferrari will see China as its third biggest market. In a decade it will probably be its biggest. Frankly, it would be mad NOT to build Ferraris in China for the local market.

Despite the inevitable hue and cry from the Ferraristi.