Aston Martin is cutting one-fifth of its workforce as widening losses and tariff turbulence expose just how fragile its turnaround remains. The brand still sells glamour, but geopolitics and weak demand are dictating strategy.
The British luxury carmaker confirmed it will cut up to 20% of its global workforce, roughly 600 jobs out of about 3,000 employees. The company said the reductions should deliver annual savings of around £40 million (about $54 million), with most of the benefit expected this year.
The announcement accompanied results showing net losses widened 52% in 2025 to £493.2 million. Pre-tax losses also deepened as revenue and vehicle sales fell.
Management pointed to higher U.S. tariffs and subdued demand in China as key drags. President Donald Trump’s shifting trade policy has left automakers grappling with a 25% tariff introduced last year, followed by a US-UK agreement that reduced duties to 10% for the first 100,000 vehicles. Fresh uncertainty emerged after a new 15% global tariff was announced following a Supreme Court ruling.
Aston Martin did not quantify the precise tariff hit but said heightened levies in the U.S. and China weighed on margins. The company described demand in China as extremely subdued, reflecting both economic softness and growing competition from domestic brands.
In response, the group has cut its five-year capital spending plan to £1.7 billion from £2 billion, delaying some electric vehicle investment. It also sold its Formula 1 naming rights for £50 million to strengthen liquidity.
Net debt increased to about £1.4 billion. Shares slipped after the announcement.
Aston Martin’s problems are not new. Since its 2019 listing, the company has cycled through capital raises, profit warnings, and management changes. Chair Lawrence Stroll has repeatedly injected funds to stabilize the business. Yet the financial profile remains volatile.
The 20% workforce reduction signals management believes the company has been structurally oversized for the volumes it can realistically deliver. Aston Martin sells roughly 5,000 to 6,000 cars per year. At that scale, fixed costs quickly overwhelm revenue when demand softens.
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Tariffs are the immediate pressure point. Hand-built sports cars assembled in the U.K. face additional costs when exported to the U.S., one of the brand’s most important markets. Even when headline rates are reduced, quota systems and policy shifts create uncertainty that complicates pricing. Luxury buyers may tolerate higher prices, but sustained volatility erodes confidence and planning visibility.
