Who owns Aston Martin?
THERE'S arguably not a cooler car brand on the planet than Aston Martin.
The luxury supercar maker blends power, pace and gorgeous design with a famous history dating back more than 100 years - and of course it’s the preferred wheels of a certain Mr James Bond.
With a state-of-the-art factory in Gaydon, Warwickshire and plenty of new investment on the way, things look to be in good shape.
But who actually owns Aston Martin? And what are its plans for the future? We decided to find out.
A good starting point is to explore why Aston Martin is called Aston Martin?
It all started in 1913, with the company founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford.
Initially known as Bamford & Martin, the pair began producing hand-built cars together, but the name soon gave way to ‘Aston Martin’ after the Aston Clinton Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, where Lionel Martin used to race.
After experiencing some financial difficulties the company was bought by investors in 1925, and the name was officially changed to Aston Martin Motors.
But, the real change in fortune came in 1947 when David Brown - a tool manufacturer - bought Aston Martin and went on to produce the famous ‘DB’ series of cars.
The 70s were reasonably kind to the firm, and Brown was able to pay off all outstanding company debt before selling up in 1975.
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However, the next decade saw increasing money trouble and changing of hands at the top table.
From the early 90s through to 2007, Aston was under the umbrella of Ford Motor Company in its luxury Premier Automotive Group division, but a buyout by rallying guru David Richards took it into private ownership.
Profit levels were a bit rocky to say the least over the next ten years, but by 2018 Aston Martin had pulled itself out of the red and plans were announced to float the company at the London Stock Exchange - as Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc.
Bringing things right up to date and it’s a three-way battle to be the largest Aston shareholder between Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll (18.3%), Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (16.7%) and Chinese manufacturer Geely who has recently increased its share to 17%.
Mercedes-Benz also has a stake, owning 9.7% of the super cool British brand.
So, with all of that financial backing and expertise to call on, you’d hope that the future is bright for Aston Martin and its thousands of workers across the country. Mr Bond will be pleased.
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