When will Aston Martin manufacture in China?
Discussion
I'm not sure if I'm way behind this or a couple of steps ahead but it suddenly occurred to me the other day that Aston Martin would be a great brand for one of the many Chinese Manufacturers to help speed their rise into the upper premium market.
Then I read that Geely already have a minor holding in Aston Martin whilst the company has been losing money hand over fist.
Suddenly I found myself joining the dots and probably making 5.
Putting money into a car manufacturing money pit and then eventually taking over the brand has been done before.
The thing is - Aston Martin has a long history of rising from financial ashes and the one thing that has remained is brand image which I imagine would be pretty valuable to an organisation with good high technology products that could have their value maximised if it's attached to a premium brand.
Maybe these are the ravings of a deluded conspiracy theorist and as such, I've talked myself into the logic of it all and am left wondering not so much if but when we will see the first car with an Aston Martin badge assembled and manufactured in China?
These are just a musings of someone who has suddenly seen half a story and then made up the rest but I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of someone who understands these things better than me.
Then I read that Geely already have a minor holding in Aston Martin whilst the company has been losing money hand over fist.
Suddenly I found myself joining the dots and probably making 5.
Putting money into a car manufacturing money pit and then eventually taking over the brand has been done before.
The thing is - Aston Martin has a long history of rising from financial ashes and the one thing that has remained is brand image which I imagine would be pretty valuable to an organisation with good high technology products that could have their value maximised if it's attached to a premium brand.
Maybe these are the ravings of a deluded conspiracy theorist and as such, I've talked myself into the logic of it all and am left wondering not so much if but when we will see the first car with an Aston Martin badge assembled and manufactured in China?
These are just a musings of someone who has suddenly seen half a story and then made up the rest but I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of someone who understands these things better than me.
BA11AGO said:
Suddenly I found myself joining the dots and probably making 5.
I think to make five you need to add two and two. Joining dots is a different metaphor 
As for the rest, anything is possible. But would a Chinese Aston Martin kill sales? Part of the brand's appeal is 'made in England'.
Simpo Two said:
BA11AGO said:
Suddenly I found myself joining the dots and probably making 5.
I think to make five you need to add two and two. Joining dots is a different metaphor 
Simpo Two said:
As for the rest, anything is possible. But would a Chinese Aston Martin kill sales? Part of the brand's appeal is 'made in England'.
I agree but we thought that of Volvo - Made in Sweden, well it's not. MG - the quintessential British brand that isn't British any more and nobody seems to care. Some still think it is British. Electric Minis - who decides not to buy a Mini just because it's built in China? Lotus, Polestar. I've run out now but there's probably more.And to be honest, I'm not sure how much it matters as that history associated with Aston Martin will remain in living memory for decades to come.
People still buy many of the German brands because of the reputation they earned 40 years ago.
I've got to say - it matters to me. Not sure why but it just does.
BA11AGO said:
I agree but we thought that of Volvo - Made in Sweden, well it's not. MG - the quintessential British brand that isn't British any more and nobody seems to care. Some still think it is British. Electric Minis - who decides not to buy a Mini just because it's built in China? Lotus, Polestar. I've run out now but there's probably more.
No one thinks of volvo as a swedish brand any more and lol at polestar. MG is thought of as a pure Chinesium brand, no one thinks it's British anymore. Mini is thought of as a German brand. Only the Emeria was thought of as British as it was engineered here but Lotus is rapidly becoming a faceless chinese brand which no one likes. I couldn't think of a worse souless face for Aston Martin. I'd rather the company died.
Blitzuk said:
No one thinks of volvo as a swedish brand any more and lol at polestar. MG is thought of as a pure Chinesium brand, no one thinks it's British anymore. Mini is thought of as a German brand. Only the Emeria was thought of as British as it was engineered here but Lotus is rapidly becoming a faceless chinese brand which no one likes.
I couldn't think of a worse souless face for Aston Martin. I'd rather the company died.
We move in different circles. I find most are not remotely switched on to the reality of where things are made. Certainly not to the extent that a brand or even a car enthusiast would be but I wonder if the soul has already gone or at least picked up it's hat and coat getting ready to be leaving.I couldn't think of a worse souless face for Aston Martin. I'd rather the company died.
I'm genuinely in 2 minds over your last point though. I believe we will see some amazing developments from the Far East in the near future. Sadly, I fear too much will be lost to deserve the badge.
Are Mclaren a British brand??
Today AM is owned by its shareholders. In the past Aston's have been part owned by middle easter Investment funds, Ford, Ameican, canadians, An Italian/ Welsh man. And even a Yorkshireman.
I doubt they'd ever be built anywhere else. And loke all of us, I hope not
Today AM is owned by its shareholders. In the past Aston's have been part owned by middle easter Investment funds, Ford, Ameican, canadians, An Italian/ Welsh man. And even a Yorkshireman.
I doubt they'd ever be built anywhere else. And loke all of us, I hope not
BA11AGO said:
We move in different circles. I find most are not remotely switched on to the reality of where things are made. Certainly not to the extent that a brand or even a car enthusiast would be but I wonder if the soul has already gone or at least picked up it's hat and coat getting ready to be leaving.
I'm genuinely in 2 minds over your last point though. I believe we will see some amazing developments from the Far East in the near future. Sadly, I fear too much will be lost to deserve the badge.
There is a possibility you are correct when the hat and coat are on ready to leave. But only time will tell. I'm genuinely in 2 minds over your last point though. I believe we will see some amazing developments from the Far East in the near future. Sadly, I fear too much will be lost to deserve the badge.
The issue is, the Chinese market clashes with what Aston is. You can give it a chinese parent company and all that money. The brand is saved giving everyone faceless SUV's and all these chinese EV cars rebranded. However that would no longer be Aston, just any other chinese car company but with an expensive badge.
Would that be preferable just to see the name go on? Or better it went trying to be what it always was. Seeing Lotus as is makes me sad enough. And what ever the hell is going on with Jaguar is just pure mockery. I'd rather it didn't happen here.
LTP said:
I do
Are most of the Volvo models still designed and engineered in Sweden? I know they still have manufacturing plants there. If they are mainly designed and engineered there i'll happily retract my statement on Volvo. I thought they'd mainly become a chinese arm of Geely.Blitzuk said:
Are most of the Volvo models still designed and engineered in Sweden? I know they still have manufacturing plants there. If they are mainly designed and engineered there i'll happily retract my statement on Volvo. I thought they'd mainly become a chinese arm of Geely.
Thomas Ingenlath is the Chief Design Officer at Volvo. He is a German car designer and the Chief Design Officer at Volvo Cars. He previously served as Senior Vice President Design at the same company, before becoming the first CEO of Polestar.Volvo operates three main global design studios located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Camarillo (California, United States), and Shanghai (China). Gothenburg is the main design headquarters and home to the central creative teams and traditional clay-modeling workshop.
Volvo Global Engineering & R&D Headquarters is located in Gothenburg, Sweden (specifically at the main Torslanda campus). This is where the bulk of automotive product development, software testing, and vehicle engineering takes place.
Volvo Cars also operates specialized engineering and software development offices in Shanghai (China), Bengaluru (India), Krakow (Poland), Singapore, and Camarillo (US), but having engineering centres around the world is fairly normal for large OEMs, particularly if you have to engineer some features for local market legislation or preferences.
Magnus Nilsson is the Chief Manufacturing Officer and head of manufacturing for Volvo Cars. He oversees global production and manufacturing engineering. He is based at Volvo Cars' head office in Gothenburg, Sweden
Volvo's main car testing facility, the Hällered Proving Ground, is located in the forested countryside just north of Borås, Sweden, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Gothenburg.
I put a snarky comment about fact checking here, but thought the better of it so I deleted it
Edited by LTP on Sunday 6th September 15:33
LTP said:
Thomas Ingenlath is the Chief Design Officer at Volvo. He is a German car designer and the Chief Design Officer at Volvo Cars. He previously served as Senior Vice President Design at the same company, before becoming the first CEO of Polestar.
Volvo operates three main global design studios located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Camarillo (California, United States), and Shanghai (China). Gothenburg is the main design headquarters and home to the central creative teams and traditional clay-modeling workshop.
Volvo Global Engineering & R&D Headquarters is located in Gothenburg, Sweden (specifically at the main Torslanda campus). This is where the bulk of automotive product development, software testing, and vehicle engineering takes place.
Volvo Cars also operates specialized engineering and software development offices in Shanghai (China), Bengaluru (India), Krakow (Poland), Singapore, and Camarillo (US), but having engineering centres around the world is fairly normal for large OEMs, particularly if you have to engineer some features for local market legislation or preferences.
Magnus Nilsson is the Chief Manufacturing Officer and head of manufacturing for Volvo Cars. He oversees global production and manufacturing engineering. He is based at Volvo Cars' head office in Gothenburg, Sweden
Volvo's main car testing facility, the Hällered Proving Ground, is located in the forested countryside just north of Borås, Sweden, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Gothenburg.
I'm pleased to hear that the design, engineering and testing is predominantly held in Sweden as that will keep at the heart what makes Volvo, Volvo. I'll retract my statement that it's just a chinese company then.Volvo operates three main global design studios located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Camarillo (California, United States), and Shanghai (China). Gothenburg is the main design headquarters and home to the central creative teams and traditional clay-modeling workshop.
Volvo Global Engineering & R&D Headquarters is located in Gothenburg, Sweden (specifically at the main Torslanda campus). This is where the bulk of automotive product development, software testing, and vehicle engineering takes place.
Volvo Cars also operates specialized engineering and software development offices in Shanghai (China), Bengaluru (India), Krakow (Poland), Singapore, and Camarillo (US), but having engineering centres around the world is fairly normal for large OEMs, particularly if you have to engineer some features for local market legislation or preferences.
Magnus Nilsson is the Chief Manufacturing Officer and head of manufacturing for Volvo Cars. He oversees global production and manufacturing engineering. He is based at Volvo Cars' head office in Gothenburg, Sweden
Volvo's main car testing facility, the Hällered Proving Ground, is located in the forested countryside just north of Borås, Sweden, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Gothenburg.
Edited by LTP on Sunday 6th September 15:33
LTP said:
I put a snarky comment about fact checking here, but thought the better of it so I deleted it
Oh shame, I'd have probably got a bit of a laugh out of it.BA11AGO said:
... the one thing that has remained is brand image which I imagine would be pretty valuable to an organisation with good high technology products, that could have their value maximised if it's attached to a premium brand.
Do you forsee other luxury products bearing the Aston Martin brand, being able to improve AML's financial position?
You are not the first to have that business diversification idea. Your vision was attempted during the Andy Palmer era. It appears that he first wanted Aston Martin to become the British Ferrari, but then Louis Vuitton must have caught his attention. He ran the Company out of money, then handed over the Emotion Control Unit to Lawrence Stroll.
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