Monday 26th November 2012

Aston to link with AMG?

Two suitors rumoured to be chasing half of Aston, one of whom is touting a connection to Mercedes

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Will Aston Martin get access to AMG technology via a Mercedes link-up? That's the tantalizing possibility thrown up after news stories over the weekend suggested that the owner of a 50 percent share in Aston wants to sell up.

All this chatter started after Reuters spoke to a source who said that Indian SUV and tractor maker Mahindra and Mahindra is competing with European turnaround specialists InvestIndustrial for the stake owned by Middle East fund Investment Dar.

The intriguing thing mentioned by the source was that InvestIndustrial was touting a link-up with Mercedes for the deal. You might remember that II owned Ducati before selling to Audi, during which time the Italian bike maker and AMG were thrust together in a sporting marketing push.

SLS: From competitor to stablemate?

Audi's purchase spoiled all that, but imagine what AMG and Aston could achieve together. Aston desperately needs a partner to allow it to build a replacement for its wonderful but increasingly long-in-the-tooth V12, among other tech investment.

Whether Merc and AMG would welcome a competitor for the SLS with similar running gear, we don't know. It would deal a blow to the hardcore fans to whom Aston's comparative independence, tech-wise at least, has always been a source of pride.

Anyway, we might be jumping the gun here. Aston told PH "it's not for sale", echoing what Investment Dar has said. And Mahindra and Mahindra (so good they named it twice) might win out, giving them bragging rights to a blue-blood UK automotive brand in the way that fellow Indian industrial firm Tata has Jaguar Land Rover.

Where the overlap would come in terms of its cheap and cheerful SUVs, we've no idea, but if you could afford it, wouldn't we all love to say we've owned Aston?

[lindrup119]

A tractor company......making supercars! Won't work..

[andyps]

I read the report yesterday, interesting and I am sure there is some truth behind it despite Aston saying they are not for sale - any investor would sell for the right money so maybe that is all that is needed. Not sure about either of the investors but a link with AMG would be great for engine development - Aston could have V12s with AMG concentrating on the V8s for themselves. Having said that, I think it would be great for Tata to get involved, except the overlap between Jaguar and Aston could get more confusing with Jag having pushed into the Aston space with the XKR-S.

[gl20]

'to build a replacement for its wonderful but increasingly long-in-the-tooth V12, among other tech investment'

I think other tech investment is the key thing here. Frankly, a replacement for the V12 is the least of its worries. How about a new platform or anything else that allows AM to come up with a car that looks like more than a refresh of everything that has come before in the past 10 years?

[andyps]

lindrup119 said:

A tractor company......making supercars! Won't work..

Might as well sell directly to Audi

[NickGibbs]

lindrup119 said:

A tractor company......making supercars! Won't work..

ha!

[Fetchez la vache]

lindrup119 said:

A tractor company......making supercars! Won't work..

Hmmm... I wonder where the "DB" in Astons model names comes from, and whether there is any tractor history there...

[.blue]

Fetchez la vache said:

Hmmm... I wonder where the "DB" in Astons model names comes from, and whether there is any tractor history there...

You've got the wrong reference/missed the irony but that's amazing.

Without doubt, it can't be coincidence if it happens twice so I'm off to start a tractor company.

[Trusty Steed]

lindrup119 said:

A tractor company......making supercars! Won't work..

Well just think of Lamborghini and also David Brown......

[Skylinecrazy]

Trusty Steed said:

lindrup119 said:

A tractor company......making supercars! Won't work..

Well just think of Lamborghini and also David Brown......

You must be pretty thick to not get the sarcasm there..

[New Scot]

.blue said:

Fetchez la vache said:

Hmmm... I wonder where the "DB" in Astons model names comes from, and whether there is any tractor history there...

You've got the wrong reference/missed the irony but that's amazing.

Without doubt, it can't be coincidence if it happens twice so I'm off to start a tractor company.

Next is the turn of Massey Ferguson??? I remember driving a Ford tractor too, back in the day!

And wasn't it Robert Heinleim who posited the "Rolls-Skoda" brand in a 60's sci-fi novel? Life imitating art again...

Where could this end??

[gforceg]

New Scot said:

Next is the turn of Massey Ferguson??? I remember driving a Ford tractor too, back in the day!

And wasn'nt it Robert Heinleim who posited the "Rolls-Skoda" brand in a 60's sci-fi novel? Life imitaing art again...

Where could this end??

Right here hopefully.

[Skylinecrazy]

Trusty Steed said:

Skylinecrazy said:

You must be pretty thick to not get the sarcasm there..

Drop dead w4anka

[stew-S160]

Trusty Steed said:

Skylinecrazy said:

You must be pretty thick to not get the sarcasm there..

Drop dead w4anka

I think you were right, Dan.

[Numeric]

I have no idea on this, but do companies like Aston, Lamboghini, Jaguar and even Ferrari make much money? I've suspected they haven't (Ferrari excluded - just the merchandising must be making a fortune) had many profitable years in the last quarter century - but I'm really guessing and I'd really love to hear these great brands are solid cash producers nowadays.

[Skylinecrazy]

stew-S160 said:

Trusty Steed said:

Skylinecrazy said:

You must be pretty thick to not get the sarcasm there..

Drop dead w4anka

I think you were right, Dan.

I didn't quite expect a reply like that if I'm honest.

[Kev T]

They can't get rid of the V12's!!! They're the last Bastion of the Ford V6 left for god sake :-(

[smilo996]

If this is true then yet another maker of characterful and beautiful cars will fall vicitm to German car makers. To then ensure the cars made lack character and become just that little bit less special.
What amazes me is that there are no investment (W)bankers in the UK jumping up and down saying...we'd like a piece of that. Although a fan of globalisation, the UK simply turns up its nose at anything that involves making goods now. Imagine what would happen in Germany.......
And the Germans will simply never stop. If it goes through then Aston will just become another brand with no soul.

[patmahe]

As long as Aston doesn't get too Germanic in its ethos. There's enough companies already for that.

Astons USP is its beautiful and distinctly British cars (though they do need something that doesn't look like a DB9 derivative)

[cidered77]

gl20 said:

'to build a replacement for its wonderful but increasingly long-in-the-tooth V12, among other tech investment'

I think other tech investment is the key thing here. Frankly, a replacement for the V12 is the least of its worries. How about a new platform or anything else that allows AM to come up with a car that looks like more than a refresh of everything that has come before in the past 10 years?

agree -but how do you do that while remaining an independant, but volume luxury car maker? takes billions to develop a platform the motoring press and public won't just shoot down in flames - buyers want aston to be all independant and remain british, but much more they want a quality motor that can hold its head up with ze germans.

either another car maker buys a stake and they get to share development costs, or long term aston fades away and dies, i reckon.

[Skylinecrazy]

smilo996 said:

If this is true then yet another maker of characterful and beautiful cars will fall vicitm to German car makers. To then ensure the cars made lack character and become just that little bit less special.
What amazes me is that there are no investment (W)bankers in the UK jumping up and down saying...we'd like a piece of that. Although a fan of globalisation, the UK simply turns up its nose at anything that involves making goods now. Imagine what would happen in Germany.......
And the Germans will simply never stop. If it goes through then Aston will just become another brand with no soul.

Would you rather Aston die?

The Germans have done quite a good job with a make called Lamborghini. A manufacture which still has more soul than most out there. I think Aston will be just fine.