Italian marque opens one of largest global showrooms as Korea becomes 7th-biggest market
Automobili Lamborghini has opened a new flagship showroom in Busan, underscoring its confidence in Korea’s fast-growing luxury car market.
The Italian supercar maker’s new facility in the city’s affluent Centum district spans three floors and 2,710 square meters, making it one of the brand’s largest worldwide and the second-largest in Asia after Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It will serve as Lamborghini’s hub for sales and customer service across southern Korea.
“Busan is Korea’s second city. It has a big population and people here are incredibly trend-sensitive — not just in fashion, but in cars as well. That made Busan the natural next step,” said Federico Foschini, chief marketing and sales officer, during a group interview Monday to mark the opening. He was joined by Francesco Scardaoni, regional director for Asia-Pacific.
Lamborghini entered Korea in 2015 and has since seen sales soar from just four units that year to 487 in 2024. Even in 2024, when many imported brands struggled with supply chain bottlenecks and a slowing economy, Lamborghini sales rose.
Korea now ranks as Lamborghini’s seventh-largest market worldwide, and Busan accounts for a growing share. According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, Lamborghini sold 147 vehicles in the city between January and July, more than half of its nationwide sales of 263 units during the period.
“In terms of sales share, ideally this showroom will account for about one-third of Lamborghini Korea’s total revenue, possibly more,” said Scardaoni. “In the long run, we’d like to balance things closer to fifty-fifty with the capital region.”
The new Busan showroom is located along a wide boulevard in Haeundae-gu, where many other luxury brands cluster. The move reflects Lamborghini’s belief that its cars should be experienced on the road rather than solely admired in a showroom.
“Real test drives are what we think is most important,” said Foschini. “Our cars are about performance as much as design, so we needed a place where customers and potential buyers could experience that firsthand.”
The brand, he added, prioritizes product-driven marketing over elaborate campaigns. “The main focus is always on the product and making it stand out — giving people opportunities for test drives, expanding the experiences we offer and making them feel part of the Lamborghini family.”
Executives say Korea’s appetite for super sports cars is outpacing Japan’s once-dominant market. “Japan’s market is larger, but its growth rate is flat. Korea may not have the same entrenched culture yet, but demand is growing fast. I honestly think it’s only a matter of time before Korea surpasses Japan in certain aspects,” Foschini said.
That momentum has fueled Lamborghini’s rapid expansion. The Busan launch comes just a year after opening a showroom in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, adding to two existing locations in Seoul.
Beyond sales, Lamborghini plans to make Busan a service hub for customers across southern Korea, many of whom previously traveled to Seoul. The facility includes six service bays and will host training programs combining expertise from Italy, Japan, China and Singapore.
“Korea is an incredibly important market for us, and we want to enhance the brand experience nationwide,” Scardaoni said.
forestjs@heraldcorp.com
