Vantage ‘bits’
Discussion
So, I’ve been having a WhatsApp chat with my future son in law (who’s a big Aston fan) about the Recently announced Mercedes investment, Racing Point and Mr Stroll, and various other Aston stuff. He mentioned the Mercedes lump in the ‘new’ Vantage, and I responded with ‘huh, no German bits on my Aston’. Then immediately retracted this as I’ve recently bought new discs from Brembo in Germany. I then fessed up that the transaxle was Italian. Then, I had to admit that the key was from a Ford Transit, and the satnav was Swedish. So, I’m just wondering what other car or parts manufacturer’s have contributed bits to my iconic P&J 
it’s an ‘07’ my Vantage.
Can anyone add to my list of ‘foreign’ bits?
Oh, he asked about my TVR and its (parts bin) construction. At this point I suggested he might need to reconsider my daughters hand in marriage. Or at least my blessing. Cheeky bugger...
it’s an ‘07’ my Vantage. Can anyone add to my list of ‘foreign’ bits?
Oh, he asked about my TVR and its (parts bin) construction. At this point I suggested he might need to reconsider my daughters hand in marriage. Or at least my blessing. Cheeky bugger...
that was made in Germany at a Ford plant- but its own entrance door 
theyve always been the same, in the 70s my aston journey began when my dad bought a 6 cylinder vantage, single headlamp ,wire knock offs, fiesta red, (how i wish i had that car now!!), the rear lights were hillman hunter, he did tell me a story of a failed mot on a track rod end which crossed over to a Leyland Comet.......
The Vantage was made when Aston were in Ford Premier group and at the time they could say that all the parts in the Vantage were not in any other production model from the group.....which was technically correct as they used the previous generation of Volvo technology and parts 
We have had a few Volvos over the years and recognise the indicator stalks, window switches, dash buttons, interior switches/butttons, navigation system and other electronics. You will also find a variety Jag/ford branded component buried in the car.
We have had a few Volvos over the years and recognise the indicator stalks, window switches, dash buttons, interior switches/butttons, navigation system and other electronics. You will also find a variety Jag/ford branded component buried in the car.
The phrase goes "when you're pretty, you can get away with a lot". I remember when I first picked up my (then new to me) V8VS, being incredibly proud of it, and a work colleague then took great pleasure in pointing out which bits of the interior were Volvo, Ford, Mazda derived.
From what I understand, Koenigsegg might be the opposite.
They seem to make almost everything themselves, because sourced parts do not meet their extreme requirements.This is true, but it comes at a cost - fortunately for Koenigsegg, their customers don't quibble about paying a list price of $1.9m for a Regera, before options.
Jon39 said:
From what I understand, Koenigsegg might be the opposite.
They seem to make almost everything themselves, because sourced parts do not meet their extreme requirements.
baconsarney said:
... I responded with ‘huh, no German bits on my Aston’. ... it’s an ‘07’ my Vantage.
Unbelievable.
After having taken a look at the below - which will be breaking and depressing news for you - I suggest you sell this German s
t called Aston Martin and buy a (real) British car:
The DB9 is based on a Volvo electronics platform, and loads of stuff from various car manufactures -
Ford
Volvo
Mazda
Jaguar
Land Rover.
Plus the ZF gearbox is German, plus Brembo brakes.
It looks like Aston made the chassis, body panels, dash, seats and got alot of other parts from the above manufactures.
Ford
Volvo
Mazda
Jaguar
Land Rover.
Plus the ZF gearbox is German, plus Brembo brakes.
It looks like Aston made the chassis, body panels, dash, seats and got alot of other parts from the above manufactures.
Great thread, few additional comments - but indeed a can of worms has indeed been opened:-
AM don't make the seats - they trim them, the seat frames and foams etc are made by a company called Lear
Whilst the things like mirrors and sat nav may have been seen in other vehicles within Ford PAG, that doesn't mean that company made them in the country that you think they manufacture their cars in (sorry most of them really just assemble bits into a finished product called a car) - it just means it was designed for them/by them and manufactured by a third party - so could be made anywhere !
It's all marketing - a lot of people thought until the Chinese turned up that Volvo made their cars in Sweden - reality is they made a LOT of cars in other countries... so just because you have seen something in a Volvo AB vehicle does not mean that Sweden is where it is really manufactured.
I have a rear view mirror in my DB9 which looks remarkably like the one in my Volvo - the one in the Volvo needed to be taken apart recently and I found it was actually made in Ireland - who would have guessed that ....
I think this is one of the reasons the EU has pushed back hard on the Brexit negotiations about car content origin and not car assembly % - otherwise Aston could buy all their bits from somewhere outside the EU and sell them in the EU as UK content and get non EU content into the EU system at a lower tariff (assuming we get some sort of deal) than it would be charged at if they were imported in component form from the originating country.
AM don't make the seats - they trim them, the seat frames and foams etc are made by a company called Lear
Whilst the things like mirrors and sat nav may have been seen in other vehicles within Ford PAG, that doesn't mean that company made them in the country that you think they manufacture their cars in (sorry most of them really just assemble bits into a finished product called a car) - it just means it was designed for them/by them and manufactured by a third party - so could be made anywhere !
It's all marketing - a lot of people thought until the Chinese turned up that Volvo made their cars in Sweden - reality is they made a LOT of cars in other countries... so just because you have seen something in a Volvo AB vehicle does not mean that Sweden is where it is really manufactured.
I have a rear view mirror in my DB9 which looks remarkably like the one in my Volvo - the one in the Volvo needed to be taken apart recently and I found it was actually made in Ireland - who would have guessed that ....
I think this is one of the reasons the EU has pushed back hard on the Brexit negotiations about car content origin and not car assembly % - otherwise Aston could buy all their bits from somewhere outside the EU and sell them in the EU as UK content and get non EU content into the EU system at a lower tariff (assuming we get some sort of deal) than it would be charged at if they were imported in component form from the originating country.
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