Currently reading: Aston Martin starts retail rethink by opening ultra-luxury dealership

The first, named Q New York, will be joined by another in London as part of the car maker's upmarket reinvention

Aston Martin’s push to become an ultra-luxury global brand has taken a leap forward with the launch of its first global flagship bespoke dealership in New York, with a second one in London to follow. The new businesses will “show the world how you will be treated as an Aston Martin customer,” boss Lawrence Stroll told Autocar.

Launched as part of a drive from the British brand to grow its Q divison and target a share of the ever-expanding personalisation market – currently dominated by the likes of Bentley's Mulliner division, Mercedes-Maybach and Rolls-Royce – the dealerships are not your typical showrooms and “will blow your mind”, added Stroll.

Its first, named Q New York and launched in the brand’s largest market, arrives with a key focus on serving clients looking for unique bespoke touches on their purchases, as well as on creating special one-offs. As such, Q New York is located on Park Avenue, one of the most exclusive parts of the city. 

Inside the flagship dealership, customers can design their car both physically and digitally, with live video links from Manhattan to Aston Martin’s design studio in Gaydon, UK. During the process, a 35ft-by-10ft screen will showcase the custom-made car in life-size proportions. 

Astonmartin q new york

In addition, the dealership (which is claimed to have one of the largest single panes of glass ever installed in a New York building) will be used as the launch venue for Aston Martin’s latest products in the US, from unique special builds to limited-edition models. It will also showcase the brand’s flagship models, such as the new Aston Martin DB12 (which makes its debut in North America) as well as the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro hypercar.

Stroll said: “The opening of our first flagship Q location is the latest distinct expression of Aston Martin’s shift to an ultra-luxury brand. 

“It demonstrates our ambition to drive global growth and create elevated customer experiences to match our owners’ passion for Aston Martin.

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Astonmartin db12 q new york

He added: “We recognise the growing trend of personalisation across the luxury goods segment and see huge value in investing in our customer experience to create the best specification experiences available anywhere in the world. 

“With a 92% increase in Q by Aston Martin take-up in the Americas last year, this is the perfect time and the perfect place for us to open our very first global flagship location.”

Next, the brand will launch another luxury dealership in London’s Berkley Square, with more planned in key locations around the world.

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It is a big move from the car maker, which posted an operating profit of £6.6 million for the final three months of 2022. This was boosted by a higher average selling price for its cars of £184,000, up from £152,000 last year  – due mainly to demand for personalisation.

This latest luxury push follows fellow British car maker JLR (formerly Jaguar Land Rover), which has transformed its showrooms for a much “warmer” and “less formal” experience as part of an all-out repositioning as a luxury manufacturer.

JLR interim UK managing director Patrick McGillycuddy previously told Autocar: “What's fundamental to our modern luxury journey is that we have to take greater ownership of the client relationship because, in fact, clients want it and demand a direct, closer, deeper relationship with the brands that they're buying into.

Will Rimell

Will Rimell
Title: News editor

Will is Autocar's news editor.​ His focus is on setting Autocar's news agenda, interviewing top executives, reporting from car launches, and unearthing exclusives.

As part of his role, he also manages Autocar Business – the brand's B2B platform – and Haymarket's aftermarket publication CAT.

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