Organizers of the Top Marques Monaco event are looking to fuel Asia’s love affair with all things related to luxury when they bring their event to Macau next month. Macau has established itself as the world’s gaming capital over the past decade, and Top Marques Macau (to be staged from November 24 to 27 at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel) will certainly give those gamblers plenty to think about. Top Marques Monaco has been staged in April for the past eight years at that city’s Grimaldi Forum and has been labeled “The World’s Most Exclusive Auto Show” by The New York Times, and “The Greatest Show on Earth” by the Financial Times. The event bills itself as the only “live” car show in the world as guests get a chance to test drive the motors. On show in Monaco have been “the fastest, most technologically advanced, bespoke cars” and the event promises to bring the same formula to Asia. There will also be the opportunity for some lucky guests to take those cars out on the road as a special 2.1-kilometer test circuit is being established around the venue.
Among the brands on show in Macau will be Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini and the event comes at a telling time for the luxury car market in the region. After establishing itself as the world’s largest car market, China’s rapid increase in spending on cars has been tempered this year as the country’s banks tighten up on loans and after local governments started to increase road rules and regulations. For sales of high-end cars in China, that has meant a rise in sales still of 29 percent this year, but the figure doesn’t look as flashy when put up against the rise of 48 percent seen in the luxury car market in 2010. Running parallel to the main event will be Top Marques Watches and a Jewel Gala, showcasing limited edition, timepieces and jewelry, as well as “pleasure boats, property, art and many other stunning, bespoke luxury products,” say organizers.
