Aston Martn: profitable for Ford but not core business and therefore a distraction, which means the main business suffers - and Ford have got BIG problems elsewhere, especially in the US (just like the other big US-based car makers. And for them nearly half a billion is better in cash than tied up in a business. Cheap price? Well, it's a buyer's market. Small, niche car companies aren't that attractive because they are high risk given the uncertainties of legislation and climate change issues, the relative cost of product development and the issues of component sourcing/seeking scale economies. And they're serving a fickle market.
Such a business would only be attractive to a bunch of enthusiasts. Of course, VAG own Bentley, Lambo and Bugatti; M-B RR (and Maybach); Fiat Ferrari and Maserati. But they are coroprate ego trips started by comanies that could afford to do it at the time. (Glad they did; otherwise some of those older-established brands wouldn't be with us now.)
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Aston will have to start manufacturing cars that are more affordable. The Kuwaiti? backers of Dave Richards do not have bottomless pockets regardless of their intentions at the outset. They will not want to be associated with a venture that simply coasts along. I hope that they don't get delusions of grandeur by going down the F1 route as this could wreck the brand image. Le Mans would be enough challenge for them. After all, look what happened to Jaguar in F1.
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Aston will have to start manufacturing cars that are more affordable. ..... backers of Dave Richards do not have bottomless pockets regardless of their intentions at the outset.
Oh dear -
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/...m
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Cheers henry - I thought I was being thick and could not follow your post but understand now.
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I foresee a serious contender in the touring cars from aston very soon. Prodrive has a very solid background in making serious cars and for me at the momemt touring cars are where the focus should be. With F1 regs tightening more and more its becoming less and less about manufacturers and more about whos pockets are deepest and can buy the best drivers. Touring cars on the other hand have great potential for pro drive to show on an international level just how good they are with the car trickery.
plus, its great to see a true british legend back in british ownership (almost)
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