European Automotive Imports (EAI), the Neville Crichton-owned Australian car distribution company, now holds the top two spots for exotic cars sold in Australia with Maserati becoming the first exotic brand to pass the 200 annual sales figure and Ferrari setting another record for Australian sales in 2008 according to official VFACTS figures released this week.

Following its assumption of Australian and New Zealand distribution of Ferrari and Maserati in 2005, EAI has set a new sales record for both marques for each of the following three years and lifted sales to levels substantially above those achieved by the previous importer.

Maserati sold 201 vehicles in 2008, a 50 per cent increase over the 2007 figure of 134, itself a 25 per cent increase over Maserati and EAI’s first full year figure of 107 in 2006. Under the previous importer, Maserati sold only 80 cars in Australia during 2005.

In 2006, the first full year of distribution by EAI, Ferrari delivered 101 cars in Australia, a new record in itself. This grew to 145 in 2007 and in 2008 Ferrari has set a new record with sales of 163, placing Ferrari ahead of traditional rivals Lamborghini and Aston Martin in Australian market. In comparison, under the previous importer Ferrari delivered just 76 cars in 2005. The 2008 sales figures are in defiance of not only a declining car market in the second half of the year, but also a market where the decline was at its sharpest and earliest at the top end, particularly for prestige and sports brands.

“We have been able to grow both these unique and celebrated brands in Australia and New Zealand by taking those attributes that have made them legends to a wider audience and supporting this with dealers across Australia and New Zealand that provide a quality of facilities and a level of customer service that is, quite simply, on a par or better than anything offered around the world,” explains Neville Crichton, Governing Director of EAI. “With solid order books and demand running ahead of supply for key Maserati and Ferrari models and our programme of building world-class dealer facilities continuing in 2009, there can be little doubt that Ferrari and Maserati’s World Championship winning performance on the world’s race tracks will be matched by new record sales in Australia and New Zealand in the coming year.”