Aston Martin downshifts in India

India is becoming a spotlight market among luxury carmakers, and Aston Martin is the latest to join the fray, throwing open the doors on a new dealership on Friday.

Aston enters the market in partnership with Performance Cars, which is a division of Infinity Cars Ltd. and which is expected to offer the British brand local expertise in India.

The first dealership will be in Mumbai, and an aftermarket facility will be located in a nearby city.

India customers can check out Aston's line of Vantages, DB9s and the Rapide, as well as the One-77 at the Mumbai site.

Aston now counts 134 dealerships in 42 countries, as the 97-year-old British icon expands its global footprint.

India, Russia and China are among the overseas markets that carmakers are turning to as they look to capitalize on new sales potential and consumers.

View the press release below

Aston Martin has officially opened the doors to its first dealership in India today, bringing the British marque's luxury sports cars to the city of Mumbai.

This important move in the luxury manufacturer's expansion plans further strengthens the company's representation in this growing region, bringing the Aston Martin brand to India for the first time.

Aston Martin will commence its presence in India with a new dedicated facility in Mumbai in partnership with Performance Cars (a division of Infinity Cars Pvt. Ltd.), who has enjoyed a strong reputation in the Indian luxury car market for several years.

Aston Martin's Chief Commercial Officer, Michael van der Sande said, “India represents a new opportunity for us and as part of our programme of growing the reach of the global Aston Martin dealership network; 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.”

Performance Cars, Managing Director, Mr. Lalit Choudary added, “Partnering Aston Martin offers us an unique opportunity to bring one of the world's iconic brands to one of the 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.”

The Aston Martin dealership in Mumbai is located at Kemp's Corner at the junction of the ultra premium Peddar and Altamount Roads and will offer customers a premium boutique environment wherein they can specify the cars to their exacting needs. The after-sales facility in nearby Worli is a first of its kind; air conditioned workshop in the high luxury segment. The showroom and after-sales facilities have been specially designed to follow the international design elements that have timelessly identified the elegance of the Aston Martin brand worldwide.

Aston Martin customers and enthusiasts will be able to view and test-drive selected models from the entire range of V8 Vantage Coupe and Roadster, V12 Vantage, DB9 Coupe and Volante, DBS Coupe and 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 has recently entered into Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Taiwan and Turkey whilst seeking continued growth in new markets as well as emerging markets including China and the Middle East.

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About Aston Martin:

Founded in 1914, Aston Martin sports cars were always intended from the outset to have a distinctive and very individual character. The brand has stayed true to these values since, creating some of the world's most iconic sports cars, such as the DB5 famously associated with James Bond to modern classics such as the Vantage, DB9, DBS and four-door Rapide. These cars will be joined in 2011 by Vantage S and the new Virage, plus Aston Martin's definitive sports car - the One-77; a piece of sculptural automotive art that is the ultimate representation of the company's technical ability, ambitions and values.

Aston Martin remains at the forefront of contemporary manufacturing, a cultural force that embodies design and engineering excellence, and a brand with a truly special heritage. Renowned around the world, Aston Martin enters the next decade with the promise of radical innovation and change, without losing the core qualities that make this strong, independent British brand so widely revered.

About Performance Cars

Performance Cars, a division of Infinity Cars Pvt. Ltd., is the official dealership of Aston Martin in Mumbai. Infinity Cars is the dealer for BMW cars in Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh and also the India distributor for Princess Yachts (part of the LVMH group). The company was founded in 2006 by its Directors, Lalit Choudary and Pooja Choudary.

By Greg Migliore