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Having helped international luxury brands such as Lamborghini, McLaren, and Maserati gain exposure in Ecuador, Rosati Motors is focusing on retaining their positions in the country in the long term.

What has marked the trajectory of Rosati Motors as a luxury automotive dealer?

Rosati Motors was founded in 2018 and operations commenced when it was granted the representation rights for Maserati and Lotus. With the representation for our main brand, Maserati, which represents around 90% of our sales, operations started around mid-2018. Since then, we have been growing by including new brands. In 2020, coinciding with the pandemic, we were also granted distribution rights for Lamborghini. Then, in 2021, we included McLaren in our portfolio. Having received the vote of confidence for the distribution of Lamborghini and McLaren, we are currently working on positioning these brands.

What factors have led luxury brands to venture into the Ecuadorian market?

Jaime Ballesteros, the main partner, has around 30 years of experience as an importer and distributor in the automotive industry. These premium brands recognized his professional capabilities and saw that Rosati Motors was the ideal company to represent their brand. Another thing that made it possible for us to get the Maserati distribution was that he is also a partner of Maserati Peru, which has delivered excellent results, so they confirmed this was the right company profile to represent the brand in Ecuador. We had bigger companies and corporations behind the brand, which already represent other brands of the FIAT group, which Maserati is part of. Peru has had excellent results, but they were surprised when Ecuador started selling. We might not have the same sales volume, but our results were excellent when compared to a ratio to the total population, considering we were just starting.

How will the Ecuadorian market react to new luxury brands and exclusive models?

There are several brands we would like to include. We have Lotus with their electrical models that have just been launched, one of them an SUV. We believe Ecuador is an SUV market, as the Levante model of Maserati takes up 90% of our sales. We intend to continue working with McLaren and Lamborghini. In the long term, we would like to include Aston Martin. They are waiting for the market to become more mature, for more opportunities, so that the brand can better position itself. The country’s risk has reduced, which has been beneficial for us and has opened doors, but we need to continue working so that brands that are not yet confident in entering the market might change their minds in the medium and long term.

How responsive is the Ecuadorian consumer to electric cars?

There are two different consumer profiles. One is afraid of change, and part of Rosati Motors’ mission is changing consumers’ mindsets, though this will only happen once we have the products and they can see how the vehicles operate. The second type of consumer loves the idea, is open to these changes, and is waiting for the models to arrive. The socio-economical aspect benefits us, thanks to the changes in the legal framework that have been introduced by the current administration, linked to a tax reduction for hybrid and electrical vehicles. We rely on these models because it is convenient for us both in terms of profitability and benefit for our clients.

How is the slogan “More of Ecuador in the world, and more of the world in Ecuador” taking shape within Rosati Motors?

Rosati Motors is a portal through which international luxury brands such as Lamborghini, McLaren, and Maserati gain exposure in Ecuador. We have already achieved this goal, yet the next step is to position those brands and maintain their position in the long term. We hope to continue being backed by the government and keep seeing more positive changes that facilitate our work, bringing more brands, and opening new markets here. Part of what we contribute to Ecuador is making brands such as these want and be able to have a presence here by changing the consumers’ viewpoint to believing they deserve such brands.