Luxury Aston Martin car to boost sales in China

Shanghai, September 9 (Gasgoo.com) The world's premium auto brand Aston Martin has begun to speed up its foray into China's rapidly growing luxury sports car market. The British iconic carmaker announced on September 7 that Aston Martin will expand its sales in China by setting up more dealerships in the country, said xinhuanet.com today.

Now with a sales center in Shanghai and two in Beijing, Aston Martin will build two more dealers in mainland China this year, one in Guangzhou and the other in Chengdu, bring the brand’s total dealerships to five in China by the end of 2008. The luxury brand aims to reach its annual sales of 100 units in mainland China this year, and 500 units by 2010.

Aston Martin, made famous by the James Bond movies, was introduced into China's auto market in November 2007, when the brand's Shanghai retail center was launched. Aston Martin's second China showroom opened in Beijing in March 2008. Chinese buyers who have placed a 20% deposit for buying the multi-million-yuan luxury car can drive it away in October this year. Reportedly, more than 50 Aston Martin cars have been ordered in China in the past six months.

Sales staff of the Shanghai Aston Martin Retail Center, franchised by GruppeM and located in Xintiandi, said earlier that Aston Martin now has three models for sale in China, including the DB9 Volante, DB9 coupe and V8 Vantage, priced between two million yuan ($293,000) and four million yuan each.

The 7.0L 12-cylinder Aston Martin One-77, an all-new supercar of the luxury brand, will also come to China. Of the limited 77 units to be released globally, five will be sold in China's mainland.