“Buy X and get a free Y” is probably one of the oldest marketing come-ons in sales. Here at EBACE 2011, OEM Hawker Beechcraft of Wichita, Kansas, is taking the concept to a new level. Any Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) customer who buys a Hawker Beech turbine airplane between EBACE and the end of the second quarter of this year will receive a Lotus sports car.

Hawker jet buyers will get a Lotus Evora, which has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $64,000. King Air turboprop buyers will receive a Lotus Elise (MSRP of $51,845).

“But wait! There’s more!”

Although the sports cars is officially being offered only to EMEA buyers, Shawn Vick, executive vice president of Hawker Beechcraft, alluded to AIN that the offer may not limited to this group. “If someone wants to buy an airplane here in Geneva, I am happy to have that conversation,” he said.

What if a King Air buyer prefers to get the more expensive Evora? “Then he should buy a Hawker,” Vick answered with a chuckle, but added, “We are all things here at Hawker, including pragmatic.”

New airplane buyers will receive their cars upon delivery of their airplanes via a Lotus dealer, he said. Buyers may add any options they want to their cars (as well as their airplanes) at their own expense.

The EMEA connection came about because Hawker Beech has reorganized its marketing regions, as well as customer service, from “The Americas” and the “Rest of the World,” to “The Americas,” “Europe/Middle East/Africa,” and “Asia/Pacific.”

Explained Vick, “We are a global enterprise and our aim is to think locally and act globally. Each region is tasked with developing a region-specific strategy for both sales and service. Formula One racing is popular globally, but particularly in Europe and Africa. And Formula One has many high-net-worth individuals among its fan base, sponsors, owners, drivers and fans–in other words, the same people who are our customers and prospects.”

Lotus seemed like a natural marketing partner for Hawker Beechcraft for a number of reasons. “We had been looking for ways to highlight the advantages that exist within the composite technology of our Hawker 4000 and Hawker 200,” said Vick. “And we saw some interesting similarities in the way Lotus has leveraged technology and we’ve leveraged technology, in areas such as materials, manufacturing, production, engineering and aerodynamics. For example, like Hawker Beechcraft, Lotus was the first in its field to embrace composite design.”

During this year, Hawker Beechcraft plans to join Lotus at each Formula One event in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, starting at the Turkish Grand Prix this month, and at other motorsports events in the Americas. Aircraft will be on static displays at airports near the events. Customers and prospects will have VIP access to the racing venues at each event.