Bufori gives Rolls a run for its money

Wealthy customers from China and the Middle East are desperate to get their hands on a Bufori.

The luxury hand-built cars are in high demand and, even with a waiting list of up to two-years, these $150,000-$350,000 vehicles are seeing a steady rise in customers, with a 15-20% sales increase over the last three years.

Bufori customers can experience the pleasure of seeing their cars being hand-built in the factory on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.  However, demand for the car far exceeds supply, with the hundred factory workers only able to produce 60 cars worldwide per year against a sales target of 300.

Competitors such as Bentley and Rolls Royce benefit from the less patient members of the Bufori’s waiting list of would-be buyers. But Gerry Khouri, Bufori’s founder and managing director, is determined to maintain the vehicle’s quality credentials including hand cut and stitched leather interiors. "You can't speed up people like a machine," says Khouri.

While he acknowledges his company is losing sales on a daily basis, he is reluctant to expand production to another factory for fear of compromising the quality.

Last year, Asia overtook North America in its numbers of high net worth individuals. Bufori has showrooms in Sydney and Shanghai and, if you’re after a car with a built-in vault or a pearl-studded interior, it’s no problem at all.  Undaunted by the hefty price tag, one customer, eHong Tan, was prepared to wait 20 months for her tea-making and aromatherapy customised Bufori. "It's more than a car. To me, the Bufori is an art."