Do you think sanctions are keeping luxury cars out of Russia? think again

Customers and opportunists buy vehicles in other countries and then ship them to Russia

for Michael Gauthier

1 hour ago

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made the country an international pariah, and sanctions were swift. This forced several Western brands to leave, but as the saying goes, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

However, the will we are talking about is the desire of wealthy Russians to circumvent sanctions and corporate exits and get the luxury goods they desire. The New York Times delved into this practice and found willing partners in the Middle East.

In particular, the publication spoke with a director of communications at the dealership who said the war “didn’t affect” wealthy Russians and noted that they recently shipped a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT to the country. While the Porsche is an expensive example, Ram trucks are said to be “recent favorites.”

More: Chinese cars now account for more than 30% of new sales in Russia

While some people are buying for themselves or just trying to resell a few vehicles to make money, the paper says there are sometimes large orders. As they reported, “Russian car dealers, having lost their official affiliations with Western brands, are arranging their own imports, sometimes of hundreds of cars at a time.”

While it’s hard to get firm numbers on how common the practice is, the Times noted that Autostat said “indirect imports accounted for 12 percent of the 626,300 new cars sold in Russia in 2022.” Doing the math, that’s 75,156 vehicles and it’s possible that the number is higher.

GM and Volvo officials said they have no knowledge of the vehicles going to Russia, but the publication noted that it would be difficult for them to track them since the deals are being made through middlemen. That said, a quick search on Auto.ru reveals listings for a 2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom and a black-badged Cullinan, as well as several 2022 Ferrari SF90 Stradales. We also discovered a few 2023 Range Rovers, as well as the 2022 model year Chevrolet Tahoe and Equinox SUVs.

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine turned the country into an international pariah and sanctions were quick to follow. These forced a number of Western brands to leave but, as the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”"
  [1]=>
  string(352) "



However, the will we’re talking about is the desire of rich Russians to sidestep sanctions and corporate exits, and get the luxury goods they desire. The New York Times took a deep dive into this practice and found willing partners in the Middle East."
  [2]=>
  string(448) "



In particular, the publication talked to one dealer communications director who said the war “did not affect” rich Russians and noted they recently shipped a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT to the country. While the Porsche is a pricey example, Ram trucks are said to be a “recent favorite.”"
  [3]=>
  string(199) "



More: Chinese Cars Now Account For Over 30% Of New Sales In Russia"
  [4]=>
  string(2219) "




         
            
  
        


While some people are shopping for themselves or just trying to resell a few vehicles to make money, the paper says there are occasionally large orders. As they reported, “Russian car dealerships, having lost their official affiliations with Western brands, are organizing their own imports, sometimes of hundreds of cars at a time.”"
  [5]=>
  string(300) "



While it’s hard to get firm numbers on how common the practice is, the Times noted Autostat said “indirect imports accounted for 12 percent of the 626,300 new passenger cars sold in Russia in 2022.” Doing the math, that’s 75,156 vehicles and it’s possible the number could be higher."
  [6]=>
  string(534) "



Officials at GM and Volvo said they’re not aware of vehicles going to Russia, but the publication noted it would be hard for them to track as deals are being done through intermediaries. That being said, a quick search on Auto.ru reveals listings for a 2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom and Cullinan Black Badge as well as multiple 2022 Ferrari SF90 Stradales. We also discovered a few 2023 Range Rovers as well as Chevrolet Tahoe and Equinox SUVs from the 2022 model year."
  [7]=>
  string(1876) "




         
            
  
        "

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