Aston Martin has announced it will limit the number of vehicles shipped to U.S. dealerships as it works through existing inventory to soften the impact of fresh American import tariffs. CEO Adrian Hallmark said the current dealer stock should cover demand until early June, per Bloomberg News.
Despite the move, Aston Martin maintained its financial guidance even as it reported a 13% drop in first-quarter revenue and a pretax loss of £79.6 million ($107 million). The automaker’s shares dipped as much as 1.3% in early London trading Wednesday and are down 35% so far this year.
Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who rescued the company in 2020, has invested more than £600 million through his Yew Tree consortium. But efforts to turn the company around are being challenged by the new tariffs. The U.S. remains critical to Aston Martin’s business, generating over one-third of its revenue last year.
Like other exotic car brands, Aston Martin manufactures none of its vehicles in the U.S. To cope with the changing trade environment, it has already raised prices on some models and lowered its delivery forecast, anticipating only modest growth for 2025.
During an April 30 conference call, Hallmark said the company won’t fully absorb the tariffs, nor will it pass the entire cost on to customers. In the first quarter, Aston Martin shipped 319 cars to the Americas—up 5% from the previous year—making it the brand’s top-performing region. The U.S. accounts for the vast majority of that figure.
The average selling price of Aston Martin vehicles fell 15% to £216,000, largely due to fewer sales of ultra-high-end “specials” that can cost over £1 million. Excluding those, the average transaction price actually rose 10% to £193,000.
The company also cited a £15 million profit hit related to investments in car software improvements.
Aston Martin isn’t alone in adapting to U.S. trade policy. Fellow British automaker Jaguar Land Rover temporarily paused its exports to the U.S. in April while it evaluates its strategy.
To shore up its finances, Aston Martin is aiming to sell its stake in the Aston Martin Formula One team for at least £74 million. Stroll, who controls the F1 operation separately, is also seeking a new strategic investor. While he called the company’s current market valuation a “joke” and suggested he’d be open to taking it private someday, he stated he has no immediate plans to do so.
