http://pistonheads.com/astonmartin/d...?storyId=15997

I hope so. Would rather see AM in the hands of Prodrive than the LV Group.

Looking forward to seeing the official press release.

 

This would be a very intersting combo, especially when you consider what prodive has done with other. Its weird that Prodrive is now in the lime light as the rumoured future owner.arent they the one that did some mild tuning to the AMV8

 

My fingers are crossed on this one! Aston and Prodrive would be a force to be reckoned with.

 

Sounds like a good fit, provided they assembled enough money not only to buy it, but to fund new and future model development.

 

Ford today officially announced the sale of Aston Martin to an investment group lead by Prodrive founder and chairman David Richards. The deal — expected to close during the second quarter — is valued at $925 million, the company said. Ford plans to retain a small $77 million stake in Aston. The new owner of Aston Martin is a consortium comprised of: David Richards, founder and chairman of Prodrive, a world-leading motorsport and automotive technology company; John Sinders, an avid Aston Martin collector and a backer of Aston Martin Racing; and Investment Dar and Adeem Investment Co, international investment companies headquartered in Kuwait.
CEO Dr Ulrich Bez will remain in charge of Aston Martin.
Ford announced in August it intended to sell the company in order to raise capital. In November, it was reported Aston Martin would likely become an independent car company, since no major automaker expressed an interest in acquiring the marquee.




Its a done deal Prodrive own the majority shares of Aston Martin. This should be good,oh and Ford still has stakes in Aston Martin good thing because lets honest Ford, in all of its incompetence, did do a GREAT job with Aston Martin. Prodrive hopefully well put Aston Martin in a greater Performance niche BUT they have the challenge of maintaining or even better EXCEEDING the success of the last few years ,that where Ford hopefully will be stepping in. Ford's FAT wallet did AM well.

 

This is some of the best news I have heard in a while.

 

GOOOOOD.. i would rather see more performance then "FLY" Luis V. Interiors... Aston already are dead sexy inside..

I though I love the Hennessy (LV owns them)

 

Found these points another newsboard.

• Ford said that it was sorry to see AM go but that it has a great future ahead of it.
• Prodrive founder and chairman David 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 (talk about ego/vision ).
• 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. (hmmm)
• Bez said he couldn't confirm any further cars for the future, such as the DBS.

 

So happy to hear about the Rapide but that isn't fortunate news about my DBS. I wonder why he would not comment but I am extremely happy that prodive is the ones taking over the helm. Now I want to do the Aston package for Le Mans this year. Anyone wanna go??

 

Prodrive New five-year plan

As a demonstration of its commitment to a bigger future for the brand, Aston's new owners also discussed its ongoing product portfolio. "Every year, we hope to have a surprise for you," said Dr Bez, "and they will begin next year with our new halo-car, the DBS." "This will be different from the car that appeared in the latest James Bond film (the DB9 based DBS), and it won't be a direct replacement for the Vanquish either, because we prefer to carve out a new identity for the car" Bez explained. "However, it will be our flagship product, and it will use our VH platform."

Another flagship dubbed DBX, (maybe DB9 replacement ,x standing for 10 DB10,but Bez' sentiments suggested that something more unusual could be on the menu. "In the long term, we have to look for growth beyond the current range of cars," my guess would be an AWD based model, we all know Prodrive can wipe *** with awd,look at the Prodrive P2 on Topgear)positioned above the Rapide. The DBX might be will be it direct replacement for the Vanquish/S (i highly doubt) or its would very well be a super-flagship (my guess a Super GT ala Mclaren SLR and Ferrari 599 ,hmmm) above the Vanquish (very likely)and thats not currently available in the Aston's portfolio. A thrid car, Richards said Aston might want a car in the mold of the Audi R8 (i really like this,what will it look like a Muslced Vange with a v8 in there rear), suggesting the builder of front-engined sports cars may break tradition and offer a mid-engined model.

So about maybe 4 new cars for the near future a DBS (not James Bond DBS. but based on VH platform like AMV8/DB9), a DBX (Flagship ,maybe Super GT,maybe AWD ),the Rapide (2009 Lagond) and a mid-engine model (hmm). Nice

Speaking of Prodrive look at what they did to a Subaru STI,the Prodrive P2 went from concept to reality in just nine months .The final results were amazing.
http://www.funny-videos.co.uk/videotgProdruieP2.html.

 

Ford sells Aston Martin
David Richards-led consortium wins the day



"We have a deal - and a good one" was how Dr Ulrich Bez announced that the Ford Motor Company would be selling its majority shareholding in the iconic British sports car manufacturer - voted ‘the UK's coolest brand’ in 2006 - to a consortium of investors comprising David Richards, John Sinders (a banker in finance and shipping from Houston, Texas and Dubai UAE), Investment Dar, and Adeem Iinvestment. The latter two being Kuwaiti investment companies with over $5 billion under management between them.

After months of protracted negotiations, and rival bids from around the world, the company has gone to the most well-fancied, and one that with Dr Bez firmly in charge as Chief Executive actively pushing the company on from the successfully profitable position it is in today, in tandem with David Richards as non executive chairman and board member, should prove to be the most capable of retaining the marque’s exclusive status yet increasing production beyond the 7,000 cars manufactured in 2006.

John Sinders is an avid Aston Martin collector, as well as a backer of the Aston Martin Racing team. David Richards investment is a personal one, his company Prodrive, located just a few miles away at Banbury, is not involved in the sale. At the Question and Answer session after the announcement, Richards confirmed the Aston Martin name would NOT be on Prodrive’s forthcoming Formula 1 team, and that Aston Martin Racing’s worldwide programme would be unaffected. The team will be at Le Mans in 2007.



All parties are coy about the share breakdown but the transaction values Aston Martin at £479 million, and as part of the deal Ford retains a £40 million investment. This is useful for both parties as Astons need many of the ancillary parts sourced from Ford, and the Blue Oval will have a prestigious high-tech partner giving a certain ‘halo effect’ to their other premium brands.

There is an immediate five year plan in place with guaranteed funding that means that both the DBS and four-door Rapide will go into production, despite the Gaydon plant being pretty well on full capacity. When Dr Bez joined the company in 2000, just 800 cars were produced, the figure is now 7,000 with all production centred around the unique modular lightweight VH platform.



This long-term investment will mean an expansion of not only the model range (intriguingly a ‘DBX’ was listed on one presentation slide), but also the worldwide dealer network, with 150 dealers - handpicked by Dr Bez - on stream by end 2008. 25% are likely to be in the Asia Pacific region, in order to minimise the marque’s exposure to economic uncertainties in Europe and the US.

"This new partnership is a tremendously exciting opportunity for Aston Martin," said Ulrich Bez. "Under the ownership of Ford we have become a successful, profitable company and I will be working with the new owners to build on this great foundation. It is a new beginning which will give the company the opportunity to attain an even higher level of excellence.



"This next stage in the company’s history promises to be the most exciting yet. David Richards and I have a great deal of mutual respect for each other and we are equally passionate about realising the brand’s full potential."

Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: Classic Driver

 

Thank you for sharing, great pictures.

 

Ok so wait the DBS will be different than the car in the movie and will not be a vanquish replacement??? So they are gonig to take the coolest car in that segment right now and change it?? That isn't off to a good start in my book, just look at the picture of the one above it's astonishing.