Aston Martin to slash up to 500 jobs as car sales plunge

The troubled company said it will shortly launch consultations on the job losses, which have been driven by lower-than-planned production volumes and improved productivity.

Aston Martin said the restructuring is expected to cost around £12m.

However, it added that the strategy is intended to deliver £10m in operating cost savings each year.

It said it will also save around £8m from reduced manufacturing costs amid lower demand, while it will also reduce capital spending by around £10m.

The UK manufacturer will "right-size the organisational structure" amid lower demand for sports cars, in a bid to improve profitability.

Aston Martin also told investors on Thursday that its first SUV car, the DBX, is on track for deliveries this summer and has a "strong order book".

It comes after a testing year for the manufacturer, as it was blighted with numerous profit warnings.

Last week, the company's chief executive, Dr Andy Palmer, announced he was leaving the manufacturer after a collapse in its share price.

Dr Palmer, who has led Aston Martin since 2014, is to be replaced as chief executive by Tobias Moers, who currently runs Mercedes-AMG, which is the German manufacturer's high-performance division.

The number of vehicles sold by Aston Martin almost halved in the first three months of the year, as it was hit by the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.

This caused its pre-tax loss to soar to £118.9m, up from £17.3m the year before.