UK Ferrari sales outstrip entire Middle East

ITALIAN supercar company Ferrari raced to a record year in 2013 on the back of expanding UK sales, selling more cars in Britain than in the Middle East and Africa combined.

As a result the company made an all-time high net profit of 264 million Euros (£217 million) - a 5.4% rise on 2012.

A total of 677 Ferraris were sold in the UK, with the nation overtaking Germany as the company's strongest European market and leaving the oil-rich states trailing.

Even China, when grouped with Hong Kong and Taiwan, only just pipped the UK to second place.

The record profit was achieved despite Ferrari selling 5% fewer cars than in 2012, with the total delivered to dealerships in 2013 dipping to 6,922.

Sales in Ferrari's home country fell to 205, with Italy now representing only 3% of worldwide sales.

The US remains Ferrari's biggest market with more than 2,000 vehicles delivered last year.

These were the number of cars delivered to Ferrari's major markets in 2013:

1. USA, 2,035

2. China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), 700

3. UK, 677

4. Germany, 652

5. Middle East and Africa, 599

These were the number of new Ferraris registered in the UK over the last 10 years:

2004: 480

2005: 635

2006: 595

2007: 657

2008: 644

2009: 452

2010: 560

2011: 514

2012: 675

2013: 694*

* The 2013 figure is slightly higher than the figure in the delivery table above as some cars registered last year will be delivered in 2014.

By Press Association reporter