Aston Martin to begin delivery of Alonso-inspired Valiant race car in fourth quarter

By Yadarisa Shabong

(Reuters) – Aston Martin announced the launch of its new limited-edition Valiant sports car on Wednesday and said deliveries would begin in the fourth quarter, as the British carmaker aims to revive falling sales and return to profit.

The company will produce only 38 units of the Valiant, a vehicle designed by the Aston Martin team alongside Formula 1 driver and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.

The Valiant’s retail price is about 2 million pounds ($2.54 million), excluding U.K. taxes, a source close to the company told Reuters.

All units have been pre-sold, according to the company.

Aston Martin has stopped making older models in anticipation of ramping up production of new models that are expected to boost revenue and profit growth at the loss-making company from the second half of the year.

In recent years, chairman and major shareholder Lawrence Stroll has revamped the British brand’s sports car lineup with new models and embarked on several recapitalizations, including a rights issue that made Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund a major shareholder in 2022.

Valiant joins the ranks of Valkyrie, which starts at £2 million, Vantage and the upcoming mid-engined supercar Valhalla as special collectible products. The company did not disclose the price at which Valiant would retail.

The second half of 2024 will be a real test for the company and its ability to increase production after encountering certain obstacles in the past.

It faced production problems for the DB12 in November, as well as delivery delays and high delivery costs for the limited edition Valkyrie over the past two years.

Alonso is one of the drivers for the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 team, alongside Stroll’s son Lance. Aston Martin Racing and Aston Martin Lagonda are separate entities.

($1 = 0.7889 pounds)

(Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bangalore; Editing by Devika Syamnath)