Hand-Made Qualities Cut Aston Martin Production Costs by 40%

The mass-production world was launched by the automotive industry. Assembly lines we mastered in Detroit and the technology behind the equipment that has been building cars for decades has always been on the cutting edge for companies like Ford, Volkswagen, and Toyota. The idea is that machines can do it more efficiently and accurately.

Don’t tell that to Aston Martin. They’re banking on their hand-made production model to not only help them maintain their image but also improve profits and reduce costs to their customers.  Their focus on sustainable profitability rests on a combination of rejuvenating sales and building their exotic cars for less than the comparable models from other brands.

To do this, they’ll need their estimates of 40% cost savings by building them by hand to be true. Without the costly equipment and maintenance required for mass production, they might be correct in their assessment.

They’re shooting for several competitors, but most importantly is their direct competitor at Maserati, according to recently opened Aston Martin Summit in New Jersey. The company is owned by Fiat, giving them a financial advantage over Aston Martin. They also have higher volume, which means that the Italian automaker’s footprint can be bigger.

That’s not worrying Aston Martin, according to Bloomberg:

While lacking the resources of larger rivals, “a buck travels farther with us,” Chief Financial Officer Hanno Kirner said yesterday at an event at Milbrook Proving Ground, about 50 miles north of London. “As of today, we are fully funded on our way to sustainable profitability.”