Maserati to set up shop in Taiwan...

Taiwan's moneyed and exclusive set will soon be getting all the personal attention that they need for their precious toys.

Modena Motori Taiwan, the sole agent of Ferrari and Maserati in the country, will serve as a one-stop-shop for local auto aficionados, Simone Niccolai, business development and sales manager of Maserati, said yesterday.

"Starting today, we have an official Maserati importer," Niccolai said. "There are already some Ferrari and Maserati car owners in Taiwan who purchased their cars through different channels. We will be inviting them to our Taiwan facility as soon as we've gotten everything in place. We want them to be a part of our family."

Modena Motori Taiwan is planning on opening a posh showroom and a repair and maintenance facility in Taipei, Niccolai added.

"Our clients could bring their cars there for repairs and maintenance work since the place will be manned by highly-trained technicians," said the executive.

"Getting spare parts will also not be a problem since we will have them all in our Taiwan shop too."

Their prized customers also prefer to deal directly with importers who have direct contact with the car manufacturer, he added.

Asked as to how many Maseratis his team was hoping to sell in Taiwan per year, Niccolai said he was looking at selling 20 to 25 cars initially.

"We are doing things for the longer term so we'll take it one step at a time," he said. "If our cars are well received (here), we will try to accommodate the market's demand. There is however still a long list of customers waiting for their Maserati Quattroportes."

Production is still "very limited" for those cars, Niccolai added. A Quattroporte sells for at least NT$6.8 million.

Asked if Maserati and Ferrari were chasing different customers, Maserati's Andrea Cittadini said those two luxury car brands were going after the same clients.

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