Lamborghini H1 profit up on sales, product mix

By Gilles Castonguay

MILAN, July 25 (Reuters) - Italian luxury car maker Lamborghini said it lifted gross profit by nearly a third in the first half of the year, thanks to higher sales, better products and bigger margins.

It also reiterated its 2008 forecast for a 5 percent rise in unit sales. Chief Executive Stephan Winkelmann said the company had already surpassed its target of matching the 10 percent gross profit margin it achieved last year.

"We are at ... 12.6 percent," he told Reuters in a phone interview. "We are increasing (it) and we will see (how things go) at the end of the year.

"We are acting very conservatively," he added, referring to the forecasts. "We are always over-delivering and under-promising."

Lamborghini hit a record net profit last year after working to revitalise its brand, accelerating new model launches, widening its dealer and retail network and expanding licensing agreements.

Winkelmann's latest move was to have Italian fashion house Versace design the interior of a limited edition car and accompanying accessories like bags and gloves.

Winkelmann said he was in talks with two other designers for line of sports and outdoor clothes sporting Lamborghini's charging bull logo.

Another promotional stunt was to have its Murcielago LP640 driven by Christian Bale, the actor who stars as Bruce Wayne in "The Dark Knight", the latest instalment in the Batman film series by Warner Bros.