Aston to stay in the family?

Could Ford's sale of Aston Martin be to the existing management after all?

After Ford had publicly poo-poo'ed the idea of a management buy-out, Aston Martin's boss, Dr Ulrich Bez, recently told the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he's secured the cash for just such a move. The FAZ reckoned the sale price at £1 billion.

Bez is also reported to have said that the sale could go through by the end of 2006, with Ford retaining a minority stake of 10 per cent.
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S4cabriofox - 9/24/2006 8:52:19 PM

+1 Boost

I hope not. Aston should keep its fantastic designers (cough-Ian Callum-cough) and engineers, but they need better management while they can get it. Do this before Ford spends all its cash on Jaguar and doesn't pay attention to Aston Martin!

urbansouljah - 9/24/2006 8:58:18 PM

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Ian Callum no longer works for Aston. The last car he had a hand in was the DB9 which was finished by Henrik Fisker. Fisker designed the V8 Vantage. He left to form his own company recently. The AM Rapide is designed by the new design director Marek Reichmann.

urbansouljah - 9/24/2006 9:01:21 PM

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Aston Martin does not share engineering or management with Ford. They do share some engineering with the PAG brands. That's why Ford can sell them easily. Aston is the brand with the least ties to Ford.

urbansouljah - 9/24/2006 9:02:34 PM

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Aston's success came because of Dr Ulrich Bez. It's only fitting that he would buy the company.

JCF110 - 9/24/2006 10:04:23 PM

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sell it to BMW!

S4cabriofox - 9/24/2006 11:11:31 PM

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JCF-

May I ask why? BMW has a thing for ruining prestigious luxury marks and not being able to help lesser ones. Look at Rover (dead) and Rolls (ugliest it's ever been and no sales).

VW, on the other hand, knows how to bring a super-brand into the spotlight (Bugatti, Audi-Lamborghini, Bentley)!

(-;

awsomeaudi - 9/25/2006 12:08:23 AM

+1 Boost

Will ,
VW has Bentley and Porsche
Sincerly,
AwsomeAudi

awsomeaudi - 9/25/2006 12:09:55 AM

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ok anyways aston martins are over rated especially in Irvine, Ca where the socal head quarters is for ford astons are ugly slow and look like james bond lives in the ghetto

awsomeaudi - 9/25/2006 12:11:11 AM

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Dear Will (again),
The unpimpers have Lambo and bugatti \
Sincerly ,
AwsomeAudi

528i - 9/25/2006 1:32:30 AM

+2 Boost

they should sell it to toyota

urbansouljah - 9/25/2006 7:16:20 AM

+1 Boost

Aston Martin can be indepenent. They are profitable now.

bigslick83 - 9/25/2006 11:37:26 AM

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nice to see DCX pick them up. maybe it will pick up some of the slack from chrysler now that they are making a profit