Italian
farm equipment major Same Deutz-Fahr (SDF) group has introduced its iconic
tractor brand Lamborghini in India. The company unveiled a 30-horse power (HP)
tractor at a Kisan agricultural fair in Pune. The company, through its wholly
owned subsidiary SDF India, manufactures a range of tractors at its Ranipet
plant, near Chennai. The SDF group has four brands — Same, Deutz-Fahr,
Lamborghini and Hurlimann. The Indian company only sells the Deutz-Fahr brand
in the country.
Says
Bhanu Sharma, Managing Director and CEO, “The beautiful and iconic Lamborghini
tractor is targeted at affluent farmers, golf courses, vine yards and luxury
resorts. On the other hand, the introduction of our new 35-45 HP range in 2014,
which is the most popular configuration pertaining to tractors in India, will
complete our entire product range in this market . We will follow this up with
the launch of the 100 HP range category, in which we have always excelled
globally.”
The
Ranipet plant has a capacity to produce 18,000 tractors and 25,000 engines
annually, catering to both domestic and export demands. It makes the higher HP
range Lamborghini tractors here at the plant and exports them to SDF globally.
Sharma said the 30HP Lamborghini tractor will be used to get a feedback from
prospective customers in India, before the company thinks of distributing them
in India.
SDF
group had gained ownership of the Lamborghini brand of tractors in 1973
following the acquisition of Trattori Lamborghini, founded by Ferruccio
Lamborghini — creator of the Lamborghini cars. The car business of Lamborghini is
under Automobili Lamborghini SpA, which is a part of the Volkswagen Group.
SDF India currently manufactures and sells 40HP and above tractors. It
now plansto widen this range by bringing in 35HP tractors beginning 2014. The
new product range will consist of 35HP, 40HP and 45HP tractors.