The sports car mecca of southern Switzerland
The Ticino-based Ferrari, Maserati, and Pagani dealer Kessel is in the process of expanding its headquarters in Lugano and pushing ahead with the construction of its new base in Sihlbrugg. Autosprint had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes with owner Ronnie Kessel.
The Lugano South motorway exit, where the latest Ferrari and Maserati models were recently on display in the Kessel Lugano showroom, is currently a hive of construction activity. Next spring, the Italian sports cars will attract customers in a new setting at the same location on Via Pian Scairolo in Pambio Noranco. Company owner Ronnie Kessel also expects the expanded multi-brand center in the nearby suburb of Grancia to be completed by the end of the year.
Ronnie Kessel, only 38 years old, took over the management of the company in 2010 after his father, Formula 1 driver Loris Kessel, died of leukemia at the age of 60. During this time, the dynamic young entrepreneur has built up a remarkably large and diverse sports and racing car business.
lunch meeting
Ronnie arrives for our lunch meeting in a Smart Fortwo. «It's my favorite car for everyday use. I can find a parking space anywhere with it,» he explains. «I prefer to save driving the Ferrari for the weekend or for special trips.» His favorite model is the F40, «a revolutionary car with outstanding technology and a design that is still unique today. What's more, the F40 was born in the same year as me.»
Kessel sums up his 200-employee company with the acronym CARS: Classic, Auto, Racing, Service. In addition to trading and providing technical support for vehicles—classic cars, modern classics, and contemporary models—Kessel is also represented on racetracks around the world. Although Ferrari is his main brand, his range also includes other manufacturers from Emilia Romagna, Maserati, and Pagani.
Is it also available in an electric version?
When asked whether there will really be demand among Ferrari customers for fully electric models such as the announced Elettrica, Ronnie answers without hesitation: «Certainly in China, in some North and South American countries, and in the Scandinavian countries.» So, new times are also coming for the Maranello models, which traditionally specialize in V6, V8, and V12 high-speed gasoline engines with their beguiling sound. «Incidentally, I consider hybrid solutions to be the best drive option at present,» Ronnie states: «They allow you to drive locally emission-free and almost silently in towns, while the familiar and appreciated characteristics of our cars remain intact for cross-country and highway driving.»
New era
New times are also evident in the shape of the bodywork. While the term SUV was still a red rag during the era of Luca di Montezemolo, who headed the Maranello-based company as chairman of the board from 1991 to 2014, Ferrari now takes a more relaxed view. As already hinted at with the FF and GTC4 Lusso, the Purosangue is somewhat closer to a sports utility vehicle – if only because of its four-door, station wagon-like body and all-wheel drive. Because demand for this model now significantly exceeds supply, driving up prices, this strategic detour – sacrilegious to many Ferrari aficionados – was not a mistake, at least from an economic point of view.
Kessel sees a perfectly plausible solution for the further development of the Maserati brand, which has been sailing under new flags for decades with little success. Under Ferrari ownership, the models from Modena could represent a suitable expansion of the model portfolio in the direction of family friendliness.
In order to consolidate the market coverage of its brands in Switzerland, Kessel is currently establishing a new base in the «car city» of Sihlbrugg. The German-Swiss branch is scheduled to open in March 2026 and will then replace the Zug branch.
