Report: Aston Martin chief sees slow recovery
By Andrew C., 30 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
2012 Aston Martin Virage
Sportscar maker Aston Martin will be releasing new models, new engines and special editions next year in the UK however; chairman David Richards is not expecting that it will reach the sales levels it had been experiencing two years ago. Despite the upcoming arrival of the new four-door Rapide, Aston Martin said that it won't attain the levels it had in that year, which had sold 5,500 cars. Richards said that those levels most likely won't be reached until 2012. The four-door Rapides, which were built by Magna Steyr in Austria, is expected to achieve sales of about 4,000 units this year.
Richards is confident that the number will be higher next year. In fact, the company has received plenty of inquiries for the Rapide, which goes into production in January and which will begin to be delivered to customers in March or April. When asked why the car will be built in Austria by Magna International Inc. despite Aston's shortage in capacity at its Gaydon, Warwickshire facility, Richards answered that the decision was made sometime ago.
Aston Martin had chosen to shift production to Magna at a time when the market was very buoyant. With regards to its new products, the company has the V12 Vantage and the expensive One-77 of which only 77 will be built. The One-77 had beaten the odds, considering the current economic environment. Richards claimed that so far, half of the One-77s have been sold. He is confident that all 77 cars will be sold very soon. He said that after 3 or 4 years, the company might do something similar again. Meanwhile, Aston Martin is pushing ahead with plans to work with Toyota on a high end IQ small car dubbed Cygnet. [via just-auto]
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