Lamborghini Closes Its Only Plant Until March 25 Amid Italy’s Coronavirus Outbreak

Lamborghini has taken the radical step of closing its factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese because of the new coronavirus outbreak.

The company announced in a statement that its Sant’Agata Bolognese manufacturing facility will be closed from March 13 to 25, in support of new government directives. All the brand’s models are built there so this effectively means no new Lambos will be produced over the next two weeks.

“This measure is an act of social responsibility and high sensibility towards our people, in the extraordinary situation in which we find ourselves right now in Italy and which is also evolving abroad due to the worldwide spread of Coronavirus”, said Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini.

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Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali

The executive added that the company “will continue to monitor the situation in order to react rapidly and with the right flexibility, in collaboration with our people and in order to restart with energy in the right moment.” This may suggest that the plant could remain closed for longer if the situation worsens.

On Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered all shops in the country to close until March 25, except for grocery stores, pharmacies and few others. The government said factories can continue their activities, but only with “precautions”.

Lamborghini’s decision to shut down the plant for two weeks may help it align its output with the drop in demand caused by Chinese car market’s collapse. The Asian country is where the SARS-CoV-2 virus (a.k.a. the new coronavirus) is believed to have originated, with the epidemic causing demand for vehicles to plummet.

According to data from Autonews Europe, Lamborghini delivered 770 vehicles last year in greater China, which includes the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. This made China the brand’s second-largest market behind the United States, where 2,374 Lamborghinis were delivered, mostly Urus SUVs.