India Inc:
The home to the world’s growing number of super-rich billionaires seems like the natural choice for luxury car brand Aston Martin to set up shop."This expansion brings our brand to a different audience in a new market. Our decision to bring the Aston Martin brand to India is driven by a strong level of interest and enthusiasm from potential customers in an emerging luxury market. We have taken our time to find the right advocates for Aston Martin and I am confident that we have selected strong partners with whom we look forward to starting a successful relationship.”
The British brand is hoping to cash in on the high-end car segment in the country alongside Ferrari, Maserati and Bugatti – all of whom have also announced plans to open a showroom in India.
The country now prides itself with 130,000 dollar millionaires and sold 15,702 luxury cars last year alone. Experts claim India’s demand for luxury cars is growing at nearly 30 per cent, giving Aston Martin a clear heads up with a showroom base in partnership with Performance Cars.
Performance Cars managing director Lalit Choudary said: “Partnering Aston Martin offers us a unique opportunity to bring one of the world's iconic brands to one of the world's most discerning and fast growing markets. We are confident about the brand's success in India given the range of models, the comfortable ride quality the cars offer on our roads and the exclusivity they accord.”
He hopes to sell nearly 100 cars a year by 2015, including the collector’s model One-77, which will be on sale for $4.5 million.
The Aston Martin dealership in Mumbai is located at Kemp's Corner at the junction of the posh Peddar and Altamount Roads and will offer customers a premium boutique environment to customise their requirements. The after-sales facility in nearby Worli is a first-of-its-kind dedicated workshop in the luxury segment.
Aston Martin customers and enthusiasts will be able to test-drive selected models from the entire range of V8 Vantage Coupe, V8 Vantage Roadster, V12 Vantage, DB9 Coupe, DB9 Volante, DBS Coupe, DBS Volante and the four-door sports car Rapide. These models will also be joined by the recently launched V8 Vantage S and the new Virage.
The opening of the Aston Martin Mumbai showroom strengthens the company’s global dealership network to a total of 134 dealers in 42 countries.
As part of the company’s ongoing expansion plans, Aston Martin recently entered into Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Taiwan and Turkey. It also has plans to grow in other emerging markets, including China and the Middle East.
