Dr. Ulrich Bez, chairman of Aston Martin, has admitted that initial sales have been slow - though rather than disinterest in Aston Martin's controversial "ugly duckling", supply issues are to blame.
"We can't deliver as many as the customers want," said Dr. Bez to U.K. magazine Autocar. "We don't have enough stock. It is the sort of product a customer sees and decides they want on the spot".
The long times between placing an order and the Cygnet being delivered are putting off buyers, leading to slower sales than Bez first hoped. He also still maintains that the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet isn't damaging Aston Martin's brand values, and that sales should improve as awareness grows. The brand is opening a Cygnet store on the famous Park Lane in London.
Bez confirmed that the Cygnet will also be Aston Martin's first electric car, with a version based on the upcoming electric Toyota/Scion iQ, due in late 2012.
The first Cygnets are expected to arrive on U.S. shores by 2012, with a starting price of around $35,000.
[Autocar]
