In recent times many auto-makers have struggled to have positive or growing sales even many luxury brands but this does not seem to be the case for the special-edition vehicles many large companies produce in relatively small numbers. As reported by luxist.com Neiman Marcus sold all 100 of the Neiman Marcus special edition convertible Camaros in their Christmas book in an astonishing 3 minutes! This strategy is further proven as Porsche recently sold its entire production run of 500 for the highly limited 911 GT2 RS, at a price of $250,000 each, before they have even been delivered to dealerships.
While this strategy of producing limited-edition models in low numbers may not be highly profitable due to the low numbers of units sold there are many positive spillover effects that come from the attention these models receive. As they usually contain better technology and unique styling ques they attract much more media attention than the regular offerings a car manufacturer might offer. Furthermore, as they are usually more expensive many auto enthusiasts may be attracted to the certain model but decide to settle for something that is more in their budget. These special-edition models also allow car-makers to showcase their technological advances in the short-term without having to ensure they are cost-effective, this helps attract consumers to the brand and increase brand reputation as many consumers associate certain innovations with the original companies that introduced them to the market.
Here are the links to check out the original blog posts on luxist.com
http://www.luxist.com/2010/10/24/porsche-sells-out-entire-run-of-911-gt2-rs/
http://www.luxist.com/2010/10/24/neiman-marcus-sells-all-100-camaro-convertibles-in-3-minutes/