Aston Martin Gains Crash Safety Exemption
Aston Martin dealers can now relax thanks to a new exemption granted to the brand from NHTSA.
Both the current-generation DB9 and Vantage will be sold for several more years in the US thanks to an exemption from new side-impact crash test safety standards which neither car could pass. Bringing both of these cars into compliance would have cost Aston about $30 million.
“The basis for the grant is that compliance would cause substantial economic hardship to a low volume manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard,” NHTSA said in a statement filed online.
SEE ALSO: Aston Martin’s US Sales Threatened by New Crash Test
Aston Martin dealers were worried that the loss of these two models would put the financial viability of operating a dealership in question. If the exemption had not been granted, it would have shuttered around 670 vehicle sales over three years.
The exemption runs until August 2016 for the DB9 and August 2017 for the Vantage.
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Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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