Carmakers like to trot out their heritage because it plays well. However, the actual interest that most manufacturers have in their older products expired along with their warranty periods; they’re in the business of selling new cars, not old ones. Yet the rising values of classic cars, especially those wearing prestigious badges, has seen a reassessment of this attitude and the creation of a lucrative new sideline for luxury carmakers?the in-house heritage division. Effectively factory classic workshops, they’re able to help owners to authenticate the originality (and therefore value) of their cars, source rare parts, and even to restore cars to original standards. Lamborghini has now gotten in on the act with the launch of its PoloStorico division. “PoloStorico,” we?re told, translates to ?classic hub.? We recently had a chance to talk to the division?s sales experience manager, Enrico Maffeo, about what it?s able to do for those who have both an older Lamborghini and deep pockets.
Pretty much anything is the answer. Maffeo says that PoloStorico was formed from the company?s previously separate archiving, restoration, and spare-parts businesses. Apparently, 2014 saw the major classic-car auctions sell more than 1 billion euros worth of lots for the first time, with strongly rising values of early and collectible Lamborghinis persuading owners to invest in both researching the history of their cars and, where necessary, restoring them back to origi...