Aston Martin Says New NHTSA Crash Standards Will Probably Cause Them To Shutter US Operations

Aston Martin stores in the U.S. will be unprofitable and could close if the sports-car maker is unable to get an exemption from crash standards that take effect next month, a top dealer said.

The average Aston Martin store will lose money if the carmaker can’t sell the DB9 and Vantage, two models that don’t comply with the new side-impact crash rule, said James Walker, chairman of the automaker’s U.S. dealer advisory panel.

Without convertible models, which won’t meet the standard by September 2015, all the brand’s dealers would be “in the red,” Walker wrote in a National Highway Traffic Safety

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Car4Life - 8/15/2014 4:30:27 PM

+2 Boost

I bet there have been many conference calls between Mercedes and Aston as of late, Aston needs bills paid and Merc could use another prestigious name in the stable ...

MattDarringer - 8/15/2014 7:26:36 PM

-2 Boost

Mercedes will gobble up Aston and spit out a German tank with a Fusion grille and call it good.

mre30 - 8/16/2014 11:47:10 AM

+2 Boost

I have owned a DB9 Volante since April (purchased new, ordered "bespoke" from factory, livin' the dream, etc. etc) and the thing has been one disappointment after another.

Its really a beautiful and beautifully crafted vehicle, but its so unreliable and the build quality is so poor that it completely saps any enjoyment out of the experience. Its basically a summer car, which is fine, but the thing has been on the flatbed back to the dealer so many times in the 16 months I've owned it (all under warranty) its just not worth it.

I don't know if Ferrari's or Lambo's are any better (I checked those out before I bought the DB9 and they didn't mesh with my tastes)..but perhaps there is no place for these exotic makes in our market anymore?

Are exotics becoming dinosaurs?

I'm spoiled by 15 years of relativley reliable and quickly serviced MB's and BMW's.

HughJass - 8/18/2014 4:25:58 PM

+1 Boost

Why did they put a Hyundai Genesis logo on a Aston Martin post?