After Establishing Its Brand, Aston Martin Wants Growth in China

Aston Martin is pressing ahead with ambitious growth plans for the brand in China after debuting the new Virage and Vantage S in the Asian region, and announcing plans for up to four new dealer sites over the next 12 months. The sportscar make has been at the forefront of the segment there since it joined the market in 2008 with Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shanghai.

The British company has big ambitions in the market where it achieved its biggest sales increase for Asia - up 25 percent in 2010 over the previous year.

“Now is the right time for us to accelerate our growth in China. We have taken our time to gradually establish the building blocks to ensure long-term stability for the Aston Martin brand in the region and – encouraged by reaction from customers – it is right for us to grow our presence,” said Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez.

“Clearly, China offers the largest emerging luxury market in the world and offers substantial growth potential for us while allowing us to remain exclusive and fulfilling our strategy of becoming less dependent on classic established (western) markets. In conjunction with the investment in our dealership network we will develop a new dedicated organisation for China and establish a regional office in Shanghai,” Bez added.

“In April we enjoyed a very successful Shanghai Auto Show where the new Virage, Vantage S and four-door Rapide made their Chinese debuts – as well as the flagship One-77 making its first appearance in the region. During the show we saw considerable interest in our cars and a great enthusiasm for the Aston Martin brand from the Chinese public which gives us great encouragement,” said Aston Martin’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific, Dr Matthew Bennett.