Object number: T2024275
Object Type: Artefact
Object Description: Cygnet Stress Ball, 2010
Are the school summer holidays causing you stress? Or holiday traffic queues making you angry? Then I have found just the thing for you. A squeezy stress ball in the shape of an Aston Martin Cygnet! An Aston Martin what?
The Cygnet. Taking the title of the smallest ‘full sized’ car that Aston Martin have made, the concept car was first launched in 2010 with the production version manufactured from 2011-2013. There are two reasons behind this seemingly surprising detour from normal Aston Martin design.
One is that Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO at the time, wanted to make a city car. Quoted as saying, “Our customers need a small car for urban and city use, and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality”, the car aimed to be the ‘luxury solution to urban motility’.
The other is that new European regulations specified a reduction in average CO2 emissions from car companies manufacturing new cars.
Looking a bit like a Smart car, it was based upon the Toyota iQ, but it really is an Aston Martin with characteristic design elements such as zinc side-strakes, bonnet meshes, the iconic grille shape and a high quality interior trim finish.
One might think the obvious name would have been an Aston Smartin (!), but the Cygnet was named as the baby to the larger beautiful swan, i.e. the usual Aston Martin sports car.
With marketing in mind, this squeezy Cygnet dating from 2010 would have been a fun item for promotional use following the launch of the concept car. It was likely given to dealerships as part of dealer training or as part of a ‘goody bag’ at press events. It measures around 75mm (L) by 50mm (W) by 40mm (H) and includes the design elements specified earlier, such as the bonnet meshes and side strakes. The base has the Aston Martin wings logo and the Cygnet branding. It’s grey in colour with a black roof and windows and represents the silver concept car with black roof that was first displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010.
The Cygnet perhaps ended up being a bit of a marmite car, but love it or hate it, we can all agree it’s still a rare sight on the UK roads. And if you hate it, did I mention a stress squeezer could help your anger?.....
