Russia’s invasion of Ukraine turned the country into an international pariah and sanctions were quick to follow. These forced a number of Western brands to leave but, as the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
However, the will we’re talking about is the desire of rich Russians to sidestep sanctions and corporate exits, and get the luxury goods they desire. The New York Times took a deep dive into this practice and found willing partners in the Middle East.
In particular, the publication talked to one dealer communications director who said the war “did not affect” rich Russians and noted they recently shipped a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT to the country. While the Porsche is a pricey example, Ram trucks are said to be a “recent favorite.”
More: Chinese Cars Now Account For Over 30% Of New Sales In Russia
While some people are shopping for themselves or just trying to resell a few vehicles to make money, the paper says there are occasionally large orders. As they reported, “Russian car dealerships, having lost their official affiliations with Western brands, are organizing their own imports, sometimes of hundreds of cars at a time.”
While it’s hard to get firm numbers on how common the practice is, the Times noted Autostat said “indirect imports accounted for 12 percent of the 626,300 new passenger cars sold in Russia in 2022.” Doing the math, that’s 75,156 vehicles and it’s possible the number could be higher.
Officials at GM and Volvo said they’re not aware of vehicles going to Russia, but the publication noted it would be hard for them to track as deals are being done through intermediaries. That being said, a quick search on Auto.ru reveals listings for a 2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom and Cullinan Black Badge as well as multiple 2022 Ferrari SF90 Stradales. We also discovered a few 2023 Range Rovers as well as Chevrolet Tahoe and Equinox SUVs from the 2022 model year.
