CHRIS HARRIS
Aston’s latest rebrand has left Chris confused... and with more questions than answers
“EVERYONE LOVES ASTON AND WANTS IT TO BE SELLING CARS AND MAKING PROFITS”
A while ago I managed to upset some people who run Aston Martin I wasn’t invited to drive their cars for a while but I’ve been allowed to step down off the naughty step So I’m not that keen to wind them up again but I do have some questions to ask because I really don’t understand Aston at the moment
The company’s troubles have been well documented in the press so I don’t need to rake over them here Sales aren’t what they should be and debt is high I don’t know a single person who takes any satisfaction from that position Everyone loves the brand and wants it to be selling many cars and making great profits The only times that people become frustrated with car brands is when company representatives make public statements that seem designed purely to obfuscate or are quickly contradicted Or when they announce some baffling rebranding exercise Both of these will play a part in my questions
Firstly with reference to Lawrence Stroll saying that Aston didn’t need any more investor cash As someone who knows nothing about spreadsheets and company accounts even I could tell that Aston was running very low on cash and just servicing its loans was eye wateringly expensive But when Mr Stroll a man who has been very successful and made lots of money says with a straight face that Aston doesn’t need any more money thickos like me want to believe him Three months later the financial press reports rumours of a huge investment from Saudi Arabia
So here’s the first question What has happened in the four months since making that statement to mean Aston suddenly needs the very cash it was said not to have needed?
A few days ago Aston announced it was updating the company logo Whenever a company does this I shudder because more often than not it comes across as tragic navel gazing nonsense Which brings us to “Intensity Driven” the new motto for Aston which could describe the aspirations of anything from a hot chilli sauce to a mid table management consultancy The quite brilliant Aston wings design has also enjoyed a mild facelift and to the untrained eye looks identical Probably a solid outcome Supporting this are a series of statements from senior people describing why this new logo is important phoned in from a beach somewhere
Onto my second question Aston needs good news and good new cars Yes the product cycle means that the company is in a predictable holding pattern while it waits for facelifts of current models But the mid engined Valhalla has been cooking for many years already and I still don’t understand why it only made V Vantages when surely there was decent profit to be had from building more In among all this and the situation listed above is it a good time and a good look to announce a bit of logo fiddling?
These are merely questions about things I’m not very good at I’d rather not take a step back onto the naughty step but any answers will be gladly received
Need more of the TopGear telly show in your life? All episodes are now free to stream on BBC iPlayer