Aston Martin sold to ProDrive

[Werner]

just reported in the German Press: Aston Martin has been bought by Dave Richards/Prodrive (together with some investors from Kuweit), Ford will keep a 15 % share.

I'm not sure whether this is good news for bad news for sports car fans - hope Richards doesn't throw his whole motorsport budget at Formula 1 in 2008...

[Steve Pyro]

Yup, I've just heard it on the radio here.

more details - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6442101.stm

[Andy Zarse]

UPDATE from the press conference

Aston Martin has been sold for £479 million.
Ford said that it was sorry to see AM go but that it has a great future ahead of it.
Richards said that Ford did a great job with AM. But AM's true potential has yet to come. As chairman, he said he'll be involved both technically and financially.
Bez said that he plans to increase production to 10,000 cars a year and make it the best prestige car company in the world.
Richards refused to divulge details of the equity split among the consortium.
On the question of AM's engines, Richards said that they will continue to be made at Ford's Cologne plant.
On the question of F1, Richards said that there was no chance of AM going into F1. "People have been adding 2+2 and making six. Prodrive may partner with existing team, but AM will continue with sportscar racing."
The four-door Rapide will go into production in 2009.
Bez said he couldn't confirm any further cars for the future, such as the DBS.

[Bobblehat]

Not realy surprised that some people have been adding 2+2 together, there was an Aston Martin F1 team, late 50's I think, one of the last front engined F1 cars and not very sucsessful! I belive its at the Donnington museum.

[geoffd]

Indeed there was an AM F1 car, the DBR4, it was built when front engined F1 cars were still around, but got shelved as David Brown wanted to win LM, by the time he had acheived that goal F1 had moved on and the DBR4 was hopelessly outclassed in the few races it did.

There may be one at Donington, but there has also been one on track on and off for the past few years.

As an aside, David Richards is having a bit of a David Brown spell himself!  Trying to win at LM and (part)owning AML, next he'll be moving into tractors.....

[Lorry]

...... next he'll be moving into tractors.....

I was hoping you'd mention next years F1 team.

By denying the possibility of using the AM name, he must have someone else lined up

[20vmk2_dub]

back in britain at last - although it was before.... you get my drift :lol:

[Pieter]

I couldn't say if this is a good thing. Ford did a great job with AML and I'm not sure DR has the resources to keep things going like they have been the last couple of years.

[chop456]

Maybe ventures like this will help their "resources".

I'd like to see them succeed.

[knetter]

cool story, makes sense for a company like prodrive to profit from their tecnical skills in different ways, I bet NASA pays top dollar for these parts.

I can see NASA sponsorship on an AM in the future Maybe then they will also return to Sebr*ng