ASTON MARTIN up for sale?

[grober]

Rumour has it ASTON MARTIN is up for sale? Toyota and Indian buyer Mahindra & Mahindra in the frame. Reports suggest Aston Martin is up for sale | Auto Express

 

[wemorgan]

I'm confident a buyer will be found though - beautiful cars sell.

 

[Deleted member 55947]

The James Bond connection won't do any harm either

 

[Deleted member 11979]

Shouldn't this be in the "cars for sale" section?

 

[d w124]

Shouldn't this be in the "cars for sale" section?

That`d be a bit of a problem for new members as they can`t pm

 

[nick mercedes]

Mocas will buy them with the proceeds from selling his postcode.

 

[grober]

Was there not a point in the recent past where Mercedes Benz were interested in purchasing the brand? Interestingly found this on Wikipedia

The first four-door Aston Martin Rapide sports cars rolled out of the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria since 2010.[ which used to build some Merc models 4matic and the G class] The contract manufacturer provides dedicated facilities to ensure compliance with the exacting standards of Aston Martin and other marques, including Mercedes-Benz. Ulrich Bez has publicly speculated about outsourcing all of Aston Martin’s operations with the exception of marketing. In September 2011 it was announced that production of the Rapide would be moved to the company's factory in Gaydon, production will begin in the second half of 2012 and will see all of the current Aston Martin range produced from the Gaydon facility.

 

[NISFAN]

Rumour has it ASTON MARTIN is up for sale? Toyota and Indian buyer Mahindra & Mahindra in the frame. Reports suggest Aston Martin is up for sale | Auto Express

Maybe Toyota are interested in how a £10k Aygo can be turned into a £30k Signet, just imagine what they could do with the rest of the Toyota range

 

[Deleted member 55947]

I see next year is also their centenary

 

[MOCAŠ]

Mocas will buy them with the proceeds from selling his postcode.

Perhaps I'll commission them to re-trim the Fabia if they agree to throw the company in as a sweetener...

 

[st4]

I hate the things, (Aston Martins)

 

[bigmacplease]

I'm sure this will sell quickly! TATA could buy it

 

[Charlie R6VED]

I work at Aston Martin and there certainly are all sorts of rumours flying around at the moment

Charlie

 

[Red C220]

I work at Aston Martin and there certainly are all sorts of rumours flying around at the moment

Charlie

Ohh do you get staff discount?...lol

25% off a lot is still a lot I guess...

A late 80's Aston Martin V8 Vantage X-Pack is the number one item on my bucket list.

They are lovely, you can keep all your Italian fancy stuff I'll take one of these.

 

[grober]

I work at Aston Martin and there certainly are all sorts of rumours flying around at the moment

Charlie

Always like to hear some inside info- so if you hear anything?

 

[wemorgan]

Aston Martin sale could be imminent | Autocar

A 50 per cent stake in Aston Martin could be sold before the end of the month, according to reports.

The Financial Times is reporting that Aston Martin's Kuwait owners, Investment Dar, has had bids tabled for half the company from Indian car maker Mahindra & Mahindra and European buyout group Invest Industrial.

Mahindra & Mahindra are said to have made the higher bid, but Invest Industrial are reported to be offering a technical partnership with Mercedes as part of the deal.

Financial Times insiders report that the proposed technical partnership is seen as a "trump card" by Investment Dar.

Aston Martin boss Dr Ulrich Bez recently told Autocar that the company was not for sale, but conceeded the potential need for a technical partner.

Investment Dar led a consortium that bought Aston Martin for £493m in 2007

 

[Dieselman]

Can you imagine if Mahindra buy AM. There would probably be a special model Mahindra Jeep with luxury leather dashboard and new grille...for £50k...

 

[ghibbett]

Can you imagine if Mahindra buy AM. There would probably be a special model Mahindra Jeep with luxury leather dashboard and new grille...for £50k...

Ha ha, I wouldn't put it past Bez (and I worked at AM for 8 years until earlier this year).

 

[wemorgan]

Aston Martin stake bought by former Ducati owner | Autocar

The former owner of motorcycle company Ducati has bought a stake in Aston Martin Lagonda.

Italian private equity fund Investindustrial has signed a deal to invest £150m for a 37.5 per cent stake in the British sports car company. The deal cements Aston Martin's existing £100m a year product development programme for the next five years.

Mahindra and Mahindra was previously thought to be the front runner in the deal, offering a significantly greater cash injection. Although Investindustrial has relationships with AMG, a tie-in with Mercedes’ performance arm is not part of the deal. Investindustrial has significant contacts within the industry, according to a spokesman, who referred to Aston Martin's partnerships with other OEMs, including Ford and Toyota.

Investindustrial owned Ducati until earlier this year when it sold the company to Audi for $1.1bn.

Under the new deal, Investindustrial will become a shareholder alongside current majority shareholder Investment Dar and minority shareholders, Dr Ulrich Bez and David Richards. Investindustrial will be a minority shareholder, with four of the nine board seats.

Aston Martin chairman David Richards said: "I am delighted that Investindustrial has decided to become a major investor in Aston Martin. With the support of Investment Dar, we have made substantial progress over the past five years in laying the foundations for success as one of the world’s leading luxury sports car manufacturers.

"Investindustrial’s new investment reflects and sustains the unique position of Aston Martin within the industry. With this partnership and the continued commitment of Investment Dar, we look forward to working with our shareholders as we realise our vision and exciting future plans."

Andrea C. Bonomi senior principal at Investindustrial said: "We are looking forward to working with the management and Investment Dar to achieve a similar transformation and rejuvenation that we achieved with Ducati, by expanding the model range and strengthening the dealership network, throughout the world."

 

[grober]

Mercedes trojan horse???