Luxury sports car maker Aston Martin will close its American dealerships if U.S federal regulators refuse to grant it an exemption to safety rules.
The exemption will enable the British carmaker to continue selling four of its car models. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has informed the dealers that they cannot sell the DB9 and Vantage models made after Aug.31 of this year after the cars failed to meet tside-impact safety standards.
U.S. Aston Martin Dealer Advisory Council James R. Walker disclosed the company will close the U.S. dealerships without the three-year exemption.
Aston Martin, which has made sports cars for 101 years, a three-year exemption to the rule, citing economic difficulties. The company said that if the exemption were not awarded, it would create a "substantial economic hardship" for it. The recent recession caused a delay in the redesign of the DB9 and Vantage.
Aston Martin said it is qualified for the exemption because the agency can exempt companies that sold not more than 5,000 vehicles per year. Last year, the company closed only 4,200 units in worldwide sales.
The DB9 sells for $186,525, while the Vantage sells at $119,525 until 2016 and 2017.
An NHTSA spokeswoman responded on Tuesday that that the agency has yet to decide on the request.
"The agency has been in contact with Aston Martin regarding their exemption request and is awaiting additional information from their dealers," she told Reuters.
A dealer for Aston Martin stated that an NHTSA official told him that the ruling should be made before the year ends.
Aston Martin struggled to create sales in the recent years. However, Chief Financial Officer Hanno Kirner said he is positive that the company will recover in 2016.
