Aston Martin has launched its internet system with Jaguar and Land-Rover due to follow by the end of June, according to David Cox, Global Beach Automotive's operations director.
He says: “We are delighted to be working with such a premium brand as Aston Martin. Meanwhile we are engaged actively with the other British PAG brands who should be online by the end of the second quarter applying core elements of the same approach.”
Cox says Aston Martin's initiative, rolling out globally during the next 12 months across 100 dealerships, was “based round the desire to give customers greater choice and a more rapid response time in finding particular cars. It will also generate improved retailer margins and residual values”.
The Aston Martin locator, covering cars dating from the 1994 DB7, has a potential database of 5,000 cars in the UK and 10,000 globally when Europe and the rest of the world comes on stream.
The system operates through Aston Martin's 12 UK retailers and will cover 140 global outlets by the end of next year. Retailers pay an undisclosed annual licence fee to access the system and post their own used-car stock on the site.
Ian Minards, Global Beach general manager of sales, claims www.amapproved.com provides “high levels of service and attention, combining full specification, photography and details of optional equipment”.
An Aston Martin spokesman denies it is a means of clearing stock. “It is about putting the right car in front of the right person. We don't have problems with old stock,” he says.
To support the programme, Aston Martin has appointed HPI to provide checks for the scheme. The move means dealers will have protection against clocked models as well as those subject to outstanding finance, theft or accident damage.
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