How about moving St Athan to America

How about moving St Athan to America

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Jon39

Original Poster:

13,374 posts

150 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all

The USA has become Aston Martin's most important sales area.
Unfortunately, it now appears that there might be a problem next year.

President Elect - "Here is the deal that I will be offering to every major company and manufacturer on Earth: I will give you the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burden, and free access to the best and biggest market on the planet.
But only if you make your product here in America. It all goes away, if you don't make your product here. If you don't make your product here, then you will have to pay a tariff, a very substantial tariff."






VantageHead

86 posts

63 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
Interesting thought Jon, especially as cut-off date for ICE car purchase in UK is looming……

AMG V8s (as used in Vantage, DB12 & DBX) would need to be built in US as well (to avoid tariffs)!

For a while, cars made in Gaydon were sent to St Athans paint shop to be sprayed (as it was a more modern facility). Not sure if that’s still the case, but if it is, then that’s big old carbon footprint!



Edited by VantageHead on Tuesday 12th November 19:07

Simpo Two

87,066 posts

272 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
Seems entirely fair to protect a country's workforce. Tariffs aren't a new thing limited to Trump; the EU loves them. Nissan opened a factory in the UK to get round EU tariffs. Perhaps Aston can do the same in the US, or at least do a final assembly to qualify.

Jon39

Original Poster:

13,374 posts

150 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all

Simpo Two said:
Seems entirely fair to protect a country's workforce. Tariffs aren't a new thing limited to Trump; the EU loves them. Nissan opened a factory in the UK to get round EU tariffs. Perhaps Aston can do the same in the US, or at least do a final assembly to qualify.

Of course tariffs can result in retaliatory action.
Perhaps the UK might put a matching tarff on Amazon.
Hold on, judging by my Amazon invoices, the entire operation has never been in the UK, but is in Luxembourg.
It has always been a puzzle to me, how those 45 Amazon employees in Luxembourg, manage to pack millions of packages every day.
On that basis, they must surely qualify as 'working people'.

Perhaps they work just 4 days a week, because the British unions tell everyone, that a 4 day working week is far more productive than working 5 days, especially those working for employed by councils.
I am not convinced, because if 4 has better productivity than 5, surely 3 would be even better. When they try for a zero day working week, I am certain that their rationale would be rumbled.

smile


matrignano

4,609 posts

217 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
Jon39 said:

Of course tariffs can result in retaliatory action.
Perhaps the UK might put a matching tarff on Amazon.
Hold on, judging by my Amazon invoices, the entire operation has never been in the UK, but is in Luxembourg.
It has always been a puzzle to me, how those 45 Amazon employees in Luxembourg, manage to pack millions of packages every day.
On that basis, they must surely qualify as 'working people'.

Perhaps they work just 4 days a week, because the British unions tell everyone, that a 4 day working week is far more productive than working 5 days, especially those working for employed by councils.
I am not convinced, because if 4 has better productivity than 5, surely 3 would be even better. When they try for a zero day working week, I am certain that their rationale would be rumbled.

smile
Amazon actually employed a few thousand people in Luxembourg, but yeah, they’re still at dodgers so your point stands

skhannes

150 posts

19 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
For purely selfish reasons, I would LOVE to have Aston build a manufacturing plant here in my home state of Florida. In fact, there is some recent vacant land nearby, compliments of Milton, enough to build a formidable facility.

As a thank you, I will even "donate" my background experience as a (retired) manufacturing engineer to help get them up and running.

DB4DM

986 posts

130 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
Buy America Acts or similar are not new from a federal procurement perspective (latest is 2021 so not Trump) or for personal buying by John or Jane Doe

Simpo Two

87,066 posts

272 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
[quote=skhannes]For purely selfish reasons, I would LOVE to have Aston build a manufacturing plant here in my home state of Florida. In fact, there is some recent vacant land nearby, compliments of Milton, enough to build a formidable facility.[quote]

Well, Lawrence Stroll is Canadian which is almost American so perhaps he can do a deal - eg give Trump a free DB12 in return for planning permission...

oilit

2,691 posts

185 months

Wednesday 13th November
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
skhannes said:
For purely selfish reasons, I would LOVE to have Aston build a manufacturing plant here in my home state of Florida. In fact, there is some recent vacant land nearby, compliments of Milton, enough to build a formidable facility.[quote]

Well, Lawrence Stroll is Canadian which is almost American so perhaps he can do a deal - eg give Trump a free DB12 in return for planning permission...
Its a big thing to do for a 4 year window of d t rump pain. Not sure that is worthwhile?

quench

527 posts

153 months

Wednesday 13th November
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Well, Lawrence Stroll is Canadian which is almost American so perhaps he can do a deal - eg give Trump a free DB12 in return for planning permission...
Ugh... that's like saying British is almost Irish.

Wouldn't a Vanquish be more appropriate for The Donald these days?

Everyone in the media here is in panic mode here about our looming economic disaster, when our largest trading partner by far decides to start pushing us around the day Trump takes office. Of course, our energy (oil) sector is being left out of the discussion, because it's a verboten topic, and likely because it will do just fine, which doesn't suit the media agenda.

AstonV

1,617 posts

113 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
Jon39 said:

The USA has become Aston Martin's most important sales area.
Unfortunately, it now appears that there might be a problem next year.

President Elect - "Here is the deal that I will be offering to every major company and manufacturer on Earth: I will give you the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burden, and free access to the best and biggest market on the planet.
But only if you make your product here in America. It all goes away, if you don't make your product here. If you don't make your product here, then you will have to pay a tariff, a very substantial tariff."




This is directed at the big 3 American brands, not foreign, to the USA, brands. Moving factories to Mexico and China.

How would the British government feel if AM or Jaguar decide to close their UK factory’s and move production to China?

The president elect may have just saved in ICE as well.

AstonV

1,617 posts

113 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
quench said:
Ugh... that's like saying British is almost Irish.

Wouldn't a Vanquish be more appropriate for The Donald these days?

Everyone in the media here is in panic mode here about our looming economic disaster, when our largest trading partner by far decides to start pushing us around the day Trump takes office. Of course, our energy (oil) sector is being left out of the discussion, because it's a verboten topic, and likely because it will do just fine, which doesn't suit the media agenda.
We will finally finish the Keystone XL pipeline. That will be great for Canada. driving

AstonV

1,617 posts

113 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
skhannes said:
For purely selfish reasons, I would LOVE to have Aston build a manufacturing plant here in my home state of Florida. In fact, there is some recent vacant land nearby, compliments of Milton, enough to build a formidable facility.

As a thank you, I will even "donate" my background experience as a (retired) manufacturing engineer to help get them up and running.
Sounds like a great idea to me! Build the ICE ones here, build the electric ones in the Uk.

CSK1

1,685 posts

131 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
AstonV said:
How would the British government feel if AM or Jaguar decide to close their UK factory’s and move production to China?
Isn’t that what happened with Lotus?

AstonV

1,617 posts

113 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
CSK1 said:
AstonV said:
How would the British government feel if AM or Jaguar decide to close their UK factory’s and move production to China?
Isn’t that what happened with Lotus?
I believe it’s a little different. China owns a controlling interest in Lotus, I think?

Ford building trucks down in Mexico with cheap labor then shipping them into the US, while American autoworkers lose their jobs is not the same.

CSK1

1,685 posts

131 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
AstonV said:
I believe it’s a little different. China owns a controlling interest in Lotus, I think?
Yes Lotus is owned by the Chinese and the cars are being built in China in a purpose built factory.
I think the brand has completely lost its soul.

AstonV

1,617 posts

113 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
CSK1 said:
Yes Lotus is owned by the Chinese and the cars are being built in China in a purpose built factory.
I think the brand has completely lost its soul.
I heard Stellantis had planed on moving most or all of Chrysler Dodge Jeep production to Mexico, laying off 1000's of jobs in the USA and then shipping those cars back for sale here. Looks like those plans won't happen now.

skhannes

150 posts

19 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
AstonV said:
We will finally finish the Keystone XL pipeline. That will be great for Canada. driving
It will also be pretty good for those who "push" green initiatives.

The dumbest move (and purely a personal, hateful one) was shutting down the pipeline in 2021. So, instead of delivering oil south, in a clean for the environment pipe, it has been delivered for the last 3 years in dirty, air polluting diesel trucks....smart!?!

AstonV

1,617 posts

113 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
skhannes said:
It will also be pretty good for those who "push" green initiatives.

The dumbest move (and purely a personal, hateful one) was shutting down the pipeline in 2021. So, instead of delivering oil south, in a clean for the environment pipe, it has been delivered for the last 3 years in dirty, air polluting diesel trucks....smart!?!
beer

Simpo Two

87,066 posts

272 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
quench said:
Simpo Two said:
Well, Lawrence Stroll is Canadian which is almost American so perhaps he can do a deal - eg give Trump a free DB12 in return for planning permission...
Ugh... that's like saying British is almost Irish.
Northern Irish is British.

AstonV said:
How would the British government feel if AM or Jaguar decide to close their UK factory’s and move production to China?
Not moving production, merely opening a facility elsewhere. But I guess they don't have the money.

Getting Trump to drive an Aston would be a PR scoop but he's too patriotic for that, and I don't blame him.