Wednesday, July 20, 2011

No Joke: AMEX Black Card Holders Like Hyundais

Mentioning Hyundai and the American Express “Black Card” in the same sentence would’ve made for a good April Fool’s joke just a few years ago. But the following statistic announced today by a Hyundai executive is very real: 6 percent of American Express “Black Card” Centurion Card holders have a Hyundai in their garage.

For those unfamiliar with the Black Card, the average holder owns $16.3 million in assets and takes home an annual average income of $1.3 million. The card has only been around for over a decade but is often the topic of rumors and speculation surrounding the long list of privileges only known to its owners.

Hyundai U.S. Chief John Krafcik shared the info today and even he was surprised. “I know you all can’t believe this,” he said during a presentation about the 2012 Hyundai Genesis at the automaker’s engineering and research center in Superior Township, Michigan. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the percentage of Black Card holders who own a Hyundai is now tied with Bentley and Audi. Other cars on the list from starting with the highest brand include: BMW at 22 percent; Mercedes at 21 percent; Porsche at 15 percent; Lexus at 11 percent; Ferrari at 8 percent; and Acura at 7 percent.

Not that Hyundai needed any good news, but this latest surprise should be a welcomed image (and sales) boost for the Genesis and Equus luxury sedans. And we suspect that more Black Card holders will be visiting Hyundai showrooms following future updates and model releases the automaker has recently announced. The Genesis sedan, for example, is expected to get an all-wheel drive option, while the coupe is slated for a major refresh in the near future.  Additionally, there are plans for a luxury crossover, as well as a small, rear-wheel drive sedan aimed at the BMW 3-series.

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