In wake of a second earthquake this month, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Maserati have all halted production of factories in the region until tomorrow. The 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook the province of Modena at 9 a.m. local time and an aftershock that registered 5.6-magnitude on the Richter scale occurred three hours later. In all, 10 people were killed in the quake.
All three Italian luxury automakers have reported that each respective factory made it through unscathed but they have sent all employees home to tend to family. It’s estimated that around 5,000 workers from the three factories have been personally affected by the latest earthquake.
“All the workers and employees have been allowed to join their families,” Ferrari tweeted.
Lamborghini is based in Sant’Agata Bolognese, located about 12 miles east of Modena City, and Ferrari’s home base is 11 miles southwest of Marenello. Maserati operates within the confines of the Modena city limits.
The earthquake that struck northern Italy also rattled Milan, where some schools and businesses were evacuated, and as far down south as Tuscany and Umbria. Towns close by the epicenter suffered the most damage, which included Cavezzo, Medolla, and Mirandola.
The 5.8-magnitude earthquake was the second to strike the area this month as a quake with similar strength originating near the town of Finale Emilia. That earthquake on May 20 killed seven people.
Ferrari and Maserati saw a sharp decline in sales during the first quarter of 2012. Ferrari saw its sales drop by 50.5 percent while Maserati fell almost completely off the table with its sales decreasing by 70 percent. Many believe because of Italy’s current economic status that these super cars are being taxed more than usual. Lamborghini has begun picking up steam in China and that’s only expected to grow with the addition of the all-new Urus SUV being introduced by 2017.
Source: Automotive News Europe (subscription required)
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