Well, folks, after becoming engaged by signing a letter of intent in July to enter a technical partnership, one of the big three German automakers and the official car company of James Bond are now, in the mechanical sense, wed.
Thursday, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd and Daimler AG announced the signing of an agreement under which Aston Martin, Daimler and Mercedes-AMG GmbH (a Mercedes subsidiary) will “develop bespoke V8 engines supporting Aston Martin’s launch of a next generation of models…”
In exchange, Daimler will receive up to five percent non-voting shares in the English company in stages as the alliance progresses. It will also become an observer on the Aston Martin Holdings board.
But that’s not all. The two car makers are still trying to iron out the details of joining forces in the supply of electric and electronic components. They will look into areas of potential future cooperation, as well.
And don’t think this union will find Aston Martin moving away from everyone it knows and loves. It will still make its sleek sports cars at its Gaydon plant in Warwickshire, England.
Check out the press release for yourself here: http://www.astonmartin.com/live/news#id=51e0a633-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
