Daniel Craig and Aston Martin DB5 in a Skyfall publicity sill
Aston Martin, thanks to James Bond movies, including the upcoming SPECTRE, is a symbol of glamor and British ingenuity. In real life, it’s not easy being Aston.
Ford Motor Co. owned Aston for 20 years. The U.S. automaker sold off the niche maker of expensive sports cars in 2007 amid as Ford got its own economic house in order. Ever since, Aston hasn’t been owned by a major automaker unlike other British vehicle brands such as Bentley (owned by Volkswagen AG) or Jaguar and Land Rover (India’s Tata Motors).
Aston, however, is carrying on, including plans to introduce a seven-vehicle lineup this week at the Geneva Motor Show, according to THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
A quick excerpt:
GENEVA — Andy Palmer once tried to convince former employer Nissan Motor Co. to buy niche sports-car maker Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. Now as the tiny British car maker’s chief executive, Mr. Palmer is fighting to keep it independent.
Long associated with its role as a featured automobile in the James Bond series, Aston Martin has struggled in recent years even as a cast of high-end rivals surged. Sold by Ford Motor Co. in 2007, annual sales have since fallen about 40%, from 7,300 to 4,000 in 2014.
Palmer, a U.K. native, has been on the job for less than six months. He’s counting on a cost-sharing agreement with Daimler AG to help the British company stay competitive with other automakers who are ramping up spending on research and development, according to the Journal. Daimler owns 5 percent of Aston.
For more details about Aston’s new lineup, you can view the Journal story BY CLICKING HERE. There is a pay wall at the Journal’s website.
Filed under: James Bond Films | Tagged: Aston Martin, Daimler AG, Geneva Motor Show, James Bond Films, Skyfall, SPECTRE, The Wall Street Journal | Leave a comment »
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