AICON 64..?

As an Italian, I would put it this way:
Out of 800+ boatyards that we have had, I can think of others whose boats were better built.
Almost all of the others, actually...

Precisely. Do yourself a favor and find a much better brand.

Yes, I knew someone that ran a 64' Aicon. The boat was very poorly built. Many issues with the build quality and electrical.

Ivan G, I don't know anything about Aicon boats. Nada. I do read here and know that if @Capt J and @mapism say to look elsewhere that is enough for me. No questions.
Not that you shouldn't ask. I get that a 2009 hull that didn't see service until 2012 may have an attractive price point. But the fact that the factory closed in 2012 has nothing to do with why it sat unsold since 2009. Boats don't sell because there is something wrong with them or they are overpriced.

Is there any other reason boats don't sell?

Again, I know nothing of Aicon boats specifically, I just don't think you are onto something.

By all means, buy it if it the right boat for your intended use and your budget. Hire a local captain to do a pre-survey, pre- offer dock side inspection and go from there. That's the ticket.

The fact that so little information has accumulated on YF about Aicon (over 18 years) might be another consideration. Back in the 2000s, a yacht broker named Fernando Castro worked for the US importer of Aicon and he sold a few boats. He is still in the business but representing other brands now. You can search for him online.

CJ and Mapism are respected members here so their advice carries ballast. Also check with YF member “Liam” who has decades of knowledge about Italian shipyards and boat builders.

8 years old and the gelcoat needs to be worked on? Either poor quality gelcoat or not maintained. Either one being a red flag.

Reinforcing Pascal’s observations, about 10 years ago I made a post about the gelcoat breaking down prematurely on these boats. I recall looking at the Aicon 85 at Pier 66 and the finish was not only chalky, but getting wavey. That boat was still relatively new, maybe 2-3 years old?

So, why are you here asking for advice? The boat I know of also had gelcoat issues and was new and nearly new. The teak aft deck was slightly sagging and leaked water into the engine room. The boat had numerous electrical issues. They basically had a marine electrician on speed dial. This was around 2009 or so, and boat was new and within 2 years old when I last heard from him.

Back in the day... 2012
We bought a hand full of off-lease repos from BNP Paribas and UniCredit.
Included in the fleet were Aicon 72/25, 64/27, 64/31, 56/91, & 56/98.
All were relatively low hours and in good shape. I found no noticeable deficiencies in any of these.
Did they have a Pershing finish... No
Did they have firmness of a Hatteras or Bertram... No
They were a solid value for their price range and service category.
The 72 and one of the 64's traveled on their own hulls from Venice to Beirut comfortably and without incident.
The 56's made way from Marbella to Beirut, again smooth and uneventful.
The second 64 remained on the west coast of Italy for 1 successful charter season, and then sold in Italy.
My experiences with these boats were good.
I still have contact with the subsequent owners of the 72 and one of the 56's... they love their boats.
However, each are meticulously maintained with an open checkbook.

With all of this written... It's a boat.
Know what you are Buying, and know the Market that you are buying into.
Good Luck

Short answer yes, that's what I meant.

But leaving aside hearsay, here's what I can confirm you first hand.
Not so much on the 64, I'm afraid - of which I've only seen one, and not in detail.
But the 56 has been in my radar a few years ago, before I eventually bought something else, so I inspected five of them, no less.
And their most remarkable feature was the lack of build consistency.
Every time I entered the engine room of an Aicon 56, it was always a surprise.
The powerplant was actually good, because back in those days MAN was by far the more popular choice of many builders in the 800hp power node, but for some reason Aicon instead went for the Cat 3406 (C15 in the later years), which was a good engine indeed.
But in all of those five boats I've seen some sort of structural defects, and every time different - be it piping, fire suppression system, cabling, exhaust...
Up to a cracked windshield glass, which according to the owner happened just a few weeks before, out of nowhere, while the boat was moored in her berth - go figure.
One peculiarity which I think was true for all their models are the flush switch panels, very nice aesthetically, but which were built by a company that doesn't exist anymore.
In four of the boats I've seen, these panels were defective to some extent, and in the fifth the owner had enough of them to the point that he replaced them all, at high cost because that required an extensive re-wiring.

Bottom line, since the boat I was looking for was meant to be a keeper (possibly up to when I will be tired of boating, hopefully later rather than sooner!), I was rather scared at the thought of what I could NOT see, which could be even worse than what I could see, and I ruled out the model and the builder altogether.

All that said, anything can be fixed.
If you really like the boat (and I must say that my wife did like the 56, in terms of layout and interior finishing), I wouldn't go as far as suggesting you to walk away no matter what.
But pretty sure I would want to spend several hours onboard, leaving no hatch unlifted.
And even if I wouldn't find anything too worrying, I would still look for the best surveyor I can find, sparing no expense for that.

All the best for your search!

Just another thought:
when I said that I can think of many other Italian builders whose boats were better built, before you ask, most of them never sold in the US.
So, some of the names I could mention would mean nothing to you, and also if you would come across one of them that someone moved from the Med to the US for some reason, I don't think it would be wise to go for a boat which would make life much harder in case of any need of support.
But for instance Ferretti, Uniesse and Azimut are all builders whose presence in the US is (or at least has been, for Uniesse) significant.
And if I think of their flybridge models of the same vintage and size of the Aicon 64, I would definitely prefer any of those to the Aicon, in principle.
Ferretti 630, Uniesse 65 and Azimut 62 are all boats which (in this order of preference, imho) are more worth considering than the Aicon 64.

Well, if I think of all the 56 I've seen, all of them a few years older than 2009, actually I wouldn't have thought to spend a lot (if anything) in interior refitting, fabric, and that sort of stuff. All of them still had the original interiors, and in reasonably good conditions.
It's rather in the technical department, that I would have wanted to replace and/or redesign a lot of components, electrical system being an example but not the only one.
Anyway, as I understand you seem to like the boat and to be willing to go ahead, so I can only repeat myself and wish you all the best!
If you will feel like updating us on your findings, maybe also with pics, I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one interested to read that with interest.

"I get that a 2009 hull that didn't see service until 2012 may have an attractive price point. But the fact that the factory closed in 2012 has nothing to do with why it sat unsold since 2009. Boats don't sell because there is something wrong with them or they are overpriced.

Is there any other reason boats don't sell?"

No comment pro or con Aicon as I've only been on one, but I want to point out that there is another reason boats don't sell. 2008 / 09 was when the economy crashed. I don't like hearing about the gelcoat issue, but by 12 years old there's a good chance you're dealing with a paint job anyway. You know there won't be much support for these boats, same as with a lot of boats,but beyond that I'd say the boat stands on its own. Check it well, get a good surveyor and see where it goes.