2007 was a good year for Aston Martin!
We became an independent company again - because we have been - and still are very successful!!!
We are leading a development, where being big alone does not serve the purpose anymore …
Speed, variability, flexibility and sensitivity are characters which delivers success in the future.
That is, where smaller organisations are at their best.
Of course our success is not limited to independency, it’s much more:
It is Global recognition,
New markets
Winning awards,
Profitable for more than 3 years now, quarter by quarter
Winning races,
Insourcing core values, like engineering and design
But first of all, it is the global recognition of making beautiful, powerful, usable and reliable cars with the backbone being the DB9 Coupe and Volante, the V8 Vantage and Roadster as well as the latest Supersports DBS which you will have seen as you walked in.
Increased useage of our cars to more than 9000 km per year as an average in 2006 is proof of this. 10 years ago we were at 2 to 3000 km average.
We are on a competitive level with the established brands from all over the world.
We are winning races like:
• 24hrs Le Mans in GT1 class, six out of six cars finished and we became the FIA GT 1 champion with DBR9
• 6 hrs of Nürburgring with V8 Vantage N24
We are rewarded with numerous awards in 2007 like :
• The “most beautiful car” in Italy
• The “best sports” car in Austria
• The “coolest brand”
• The “best car I have driven this year” and of course…..
• The “Luxury Brand” of the year.
We have entered New Markets like:
• South Africa with Johannesburg and recently Capetown
• Eastern Europe with Moscow,
• China with Shanghai and Bejing and most recently
• Greece with approval of a Dealer in Athens
And we have brought home to Aston Martin what we never had –
Competent Engineering (just remember, even a Vanquish was mainly engineered outside.)
Since 2000 we added 270 highly qualified jobs in Engineering
We brought Design as a core value to the marque to Gaydon
Again I would remind you:
The most beautiful and iconic designs of Aston Martin historically came from Italy
Here we have 30 of the most creative jobs in the industry
And here its important to mention that quality and craftsmanship - our core values - starts in the heads of people and is executed in the heads of people.
Just beating a panel is a nice thing, but in the world we live in, it is just not sufficient.
And we have created jobs - not just jobs, no the best of the best in all areas -
We have created 1200 jobs in Gaydon and 2000 to 3000 in the industry.
Over all - as I have said :-
We are been profitable for 3 consecutive years, quarter by quarter
Even the turbulences of ownership change could not break this.
Clearly: Profitability is the only thing which ensures jobs and the survival of the company.
Sensible investment will avoid such turmoil that we see and have seen in the industry around us. Wrong investment is costing jobs and not ensuring life quality
Investment in product and Brand goes above all!!!!
We are small, fast, and intelligent,
We are able to do what is needed in a changing world with nearly immediate effect to the business and we have a very high ethic of how the business is executed.
Tonight we are celebrating what reflects our core values as well as starting another new level of excitement with:
• First ever design studio an environmentally friendly building as good as it can get today, renewable material, energy for warm and cool from the earth 80% less energy than comparable building
So back to tonight, as it is more than an opening. It is:
• Heritage – rarely see so many cars from our 94 year lineage all together
• Breadth of product of today and the last & years
• Art – design & craftsmanship
• Quality
• Engineering
• Partnerships, reflecting our values
To get a real exiting start we had to have – of course - a new product!
A product which adds another element to Aston Martins DNA which
basically consists of
Power – Beauty – Soul
• It has Power enough 550 to 600hp
• It has Beauty on an edge
• It has Soul to its very Best
Here it is The Star of the evening:
The V12 Vantage RS