Aston Martin chairman Ulrich Bez has conceded that sales of the Aston Martin Cygnet are not as high as he hoped – but only because of a lack of supply.
The £31,000 Toyota IQ-based city car went on sale earlier this year, but Bez believes the waiting times between placing an order and having the car delivered is putting customers off.
“I’m not satisfied with Cygnet sales,” said Bez. “We can’t deliver as many as the customers want, as we don’t have enough stock. It is the sort of product a customer sees and decides they want on the spot – they don’t want to have to wait for their car to be built, but to drive it away there and then.”
Bez also said that growing awareness of the Cygnet was key to sales. “We don’t spend millions of pounds on advertising, so promotion takes time,” he said. “We will soon have a Cygnet store opening in London, in Park Lane, and that will have a dramatic effect on our visibility I think.”
He also dismissed criticism that the Cygnet damaged the Aston Martin brand as it didn’t meet the sports car maker’s values, saying: “I don’t know why people criticise this. It’s a luxury piece, a great car to go around town in. Why would you take a Vantage through London when you could have this?”
Bez also confirmed that the electric Toyota iQ, set to go on sale late in 2012, will be converted into a Cygnet and become Aston’s first electric car.
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