Ferrari records record sales

After a few 'Ferrari in trouble' scare stories at the end of last year - all strenuously denied by the Italian maker - it seems nothing was further from the truth. The iconic supercar brand has posted a £304m profit, thanks to a sales increase of two percent last year - it sold 6,587 cars compared to 6,465 in 2007.

The rise comes thanks to Eastern European sales increasing by 23 percent, as well as burgeoning sales in China, South Africa and the Middle East. The maker shifted over 200 cars in China for the first time - small gains, but significant given China's place as a fledgling market for top-end cars with massive future potential.

Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo was, of course, jubilant. He said: "The economic climate in 2009 still remains very uncertain as the crisis takes its toll across the globe and it is hard to say how the situation will develop from here.

"Ending 2008 with results unprecedented in the entire history of the Company is the best endorsement we could have of our strategy of exclusivity, innovation and focus on people."

Mark Nichol