Aston Martin Cygnet 2011

[Suggestinator]

What do you get when you cross a legendary sports and GT car manufacturer with a misguided belief that you need a solution to cut fleet average CO2 emissions and a balance sheet that doesn't allow for a whole new model line? One of the oddest cars ever.

Meet the Aston Martin Cygnet, the answer too... well, I'm not quite sure what.

The intentions appear to have been twofold. Firstly, a high-volume, lower-priced car that Aston could sell and offset the huge CO2 emissions of its big V8- and V12-engined machines. Additionally it was an Aston Martin that the buyer (or the buyer's spouse...) could use in the city without attracting low-emission zone penalties, regular city hazards like kerbs and parking dings, or the uptick in status symbol vehicle vandalism.

Without the funds or the expertise to do this itself, Aston turned to badge-engineering. That resulted in Aston grabbing examples of the Toyota iQ city car, stripping them down, Aston-ising the interior and applying unique front and rear, and then selling them at £30,000 a pop - three times the price of the original Toyota. One thing not touched was the powertrain, which remained a naturally aspirated, 1.3-litre four-pot at - importantly - 110g/km CO2.

From the point of view of the emissions targets, the car would never have succeeded. Aston simply didn't sell enough cars in Europe to qualify as a volume manufacturer and associated CO2 penalties, and had it sold enough Cygnets to do so the CO2 penalties would have been massive - it needed to outsell everything else in the range by at least 7:1.

It kind of made sense from the second angle, but not enough sense for anyone to buy it - not even as a second car or tacked on as a sweetener with your real purchase of a DBS. Aston Martin planned to sell 4,000 a year, and it reportedly sold less than a quarter of that in total across three years.

Still, with so few sold, it's also held its value well and used examples are still priced as they were new.

Also, anyone else think this looks more like a Ford Ka now than a Ford Ka now does?

 

[StigBelcherStyl]

I very much agree, small but fun

 

[listerstorm2009]

i like small city cars, but how about it came bundled with other small city cars:
public class CityBundle extends GT6{
Toyota iQ();
Aston Martin Cygnet()=Toyota iQ.clone().setBadge("Aston Martin");
Smart ForTwo();
Lancia Y();
Opel Adam();
Volkswagen UP();
Skoda Citigo()=Volkswagen UP().clone();
Seat Mii();
Fiat Panda();
Kia Picanto();
Fiat Punto.firstGen();
}
PS: i know that making an enormous pack like this would come at prices over 20€... Wouldn't mind to buy it...

 

[DigitalBaka]

i like small city cars, but how about it came bundled with other small city cars:
public class CityBundle extends GT6{
Toyota iQ();
Aston Martin Cygnet()=Toyota iQ.clone().setBadge("Aston Martin");
Smart ForTwo();
Lancia Y();
Opel Adam();
Volkswagen UP();
Skoda Citigo()=Volkswagen UP().clone();
Seat Mii();
Fiat Panda();
Kia Picanto();
Fiat Punto.firstGen();
}
PS: i know that making an enormous pack like this would come at prices over 20€... Wouldn't mind to buy it...

The Geek is strong with this one...

 

[listerstorm2009]

The Geek is strong with this one...

too much java

 

[StigBelcherStyl]

i like small city cars, but how about it came bundled with other small city cars:
public class CityBundle extends GT6{
Toyota iQ();
Aston Martin Cygnet()=Toyota iQ.clone().setBadge("Aston Martin");
Smart ForTwo();
Lancia Y();
Opel Adam();
Volkswagen UP();
Skoda Citigo()=Volkswagen UP().clone();
Seat Mii();
Fiat Panda();
Kia Picanto();
Fiat Punto.firstGen();
}
PS: i know that making an enormous pack like this would come at prices over 20€... Wouldn't mind to buy it...

Skoda Citigo and Volkswagen up! are similar but not the same car the citigo is bigger, it has different front back and sides. the interior is no way the same

 

[Qvale]

This thing is so fun to drive in Driver: San Francisco. I could see some good fun with this car making lap times on the city tracks...

 

[JKgo]

...I'd rather take the Toyota iQ, not this cynical piece of legislation-dodging. I'll change my mind if this came out of the factory stuffed with a V8 or that 6.0 V12. Oh wait it didn't.

 

[ToyGTone]

The most surprising thing is that Famine actually liked this suggestion! This is the first time i've seen that!

 

[UnkaD]

I knew of these cars' existence thanks to Driver San Francisco, but I had no idea they had such a hilarious back story. Great read, and it's fun to think of these becoming such a big ticket item in the future.

 

[Epic B]

I knew of these cars' existence thanks to Driver San Francisco, but I had no idea they had such a hilarious back story. Great read, and it's fun to think of these becoming such a big ticket item in the future.

I never knew of its origin either. Never knew they'd also become a collectible. Needing to meet emissions regulations is fine but this is the most ridiculous way. They should have made a hybrid. And I don't mean a rebadged Prius. This is also not a good way for a luxury car company to aim down market.

 

[silverman_GT]

It's rarer than a Ferrari F40, so I guess there's that.

I knew of these cars' existence thanks to Driver San Francisco, but I had no idea they had such a hilarious back story. Great read, and it's fun to think of these becoming such a big ticket item in the future.

One of, if not the most, vulnerable cars in the game. Probably on par with the Zonda Cinque.

 

[Robin]

I only ever saw one in the flesh parked outside a house next to a DB9 which I guess was the whole point of the car!

 

[aguia]

yes, rare as an F40, but that's not enough. F40 there are very few on sale and A.Martin there are immense. If they had put a 2Tg double carburetor engine, there might not have any used to sell