Aston Martin sold to UK-led group

[iGav]

So... that confirms an Aston Martin F1 Team next season then.

Rinky dink link

 

[Sun Baked]

A lot of sales talks with everyone lately, of course with the depressed prices for the big 3 -- it cannot hurt to buy a decent vehicle unit for the cost of a single hotel these days.

Good for Aston Martin to be out from under Ford, and can get some of their identity back again.

Ford could have sold Jaguar when it was doing well, likely with it in the toilet again -- it'll be a bargain with most of the reengineering already done on most of the vehicles.

 

[MP4-22]

It would be great to see an Aston Martin F1 team but, I still think it will be a McLaren-Mercedes B team.

I wish Prodrive will run in the ALMS this year or else Corvette Racing might leave.

 

[amiga]

Yey!

 

[Danksi]

...Aston Martin will remain at its purpose-built factory in Gaydon in Warwickshire, which employs 1,800 people...

Is Aston Martin no longer in Newport Pagnell (nr. Milton Keynes)?

It was pretty cool seeing them stop traffic, to push a part-built car from one garage to the next, on either side of the street. That and seeing them test drive them along the dual-carriageway that by-passed the town... barrrrrrbbbbb.

EDIT: Looks like it's still there, but the HQ looks pretty sweet.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Good news for Brits...

It does make you wonder whether Prodrive will brand their F1 team as AM...

 

[Chrismcfall]

Ahhh, No Abdul Martin then? I once saw an aston/jag covered completly with what looked like paper driving through coventry once. Would AM test a car like that?

 

[quagmire]

There goes my reason to ever buy a Ford product........ Seriously, Ford didn't do anything to screw up AM unlike with Jaguar.

So Aston is now a 100% British auto company again. Now just for Chrysler to become American again and all things will be back to normal( seriously, I would rather see Chrysler stick with DCX. Mercedes just needs to open up and accept helping out the Chrysler group).

 

[21stcenturykid]

Ahhh, No Abdul Martin then? I once saw an aston/jag covered completly with what looked like paper driving through coventry once. Would AM test a car like that?

I remember seeing a 5th gear episode when they tried todo some covert journalism on unreleased cars and they showed an aston turning onto the motorway in that exact way. That's likely what you saw... or atleast a similar event.

 

[Danksi]

..I once saw an aston/jag covered completly with what looked like paper driving through coventry once. Would AM test a car like that?

Cars are often delivered with the protective sticky-paper on most panels - nothing worse than a stone chip on a brand spanking new motor.

 

[miniConvert]

Given how well it's doing I'm hoping the change of ownership will have no negative impact on warranty work/servicing/customer service etc - the service levels really have been fantastic over the last couple of years. Cars like the Vanquish must have taken some serious investment, and I just hope the money will be there to continue the great return of Aston Martin to the forefront of luxuary and style.

They're still in Newport Pagnell btw, that's where mine was built and where it goes for work and servicing. I believe it's still very manual there, it certainly was the last time I went. The DB9 isn't made there, though, that comes off a far more automated production line.