Aston Martin Historien

Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC er en Britisk producent af luksus sports vogne og grand tourers (GT biler). Forgængeren blev dannet i 1913 af Lionel Martin og Robert Bamford. Firmaet blev fra 1947 ledet af David Brown, og blev nu synonymt med dyre GT biler I 1950’erne og 1960’erne, og med film karakteren James Bond, der brugte DB5 modellen i 1964 filmen Goldfinger. Aston Martin bilerne anses for at være et Britisk kultur ikon. 

Aston Martin har været hofleverandør til Charles III (Prinsen af Wales og senere konge) siden 1982, de har mere end 160 bil forretninger i 53 lande, hvilket gør dem til et globalt bilmærke.

Aston Martin’s hovedkvarterets og produktion ligger i et 22 ha stort kompleks i Gaydon, Warwickshire, England, det tidligere RAF Gaydon kompleks, der ligger op til Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centeret. Det gamle 1,5 ha sted i Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire er nu hjemsted for Aston Martin Works classic car afdelingen, hvis fokus er på salg, service, reservedele og genopbygning af de gamle klassikere. Den 36 ha store fabrik i St Athan, Wales er stedet hvor de producerer Aston Martin’s første SUV, nemlig DBX. 

Aston Martin har været involveret i motorsport på forskellige tidspunkter i deres historie, mest i sportsvogn race, men også i formel 1.

Aston Martin blev dannet i 1913 af Lionel Martin og Robert Bamford. De to havde slået sig sammen som Bamford & Martin det forgående år, for at sælge biler lavet af Singer fra deres lokaler i Callow Street, London, hvor de også servicerede GWK og Calthorpe køretøjer.

Martin kørte race med specialbyggede biler på Aston Hill nær Aston Clinton, og derfor besluttede de at bygge deres egne køretøjer. Den første bil med navnet Aston Martin blev lavet af Martin ved at tilpasse en 4-cylindret Coventry-Simplex motor på et chassis fra en 1908 Isotta Fraschini. 

De købte en grund på Henniker Mews i Kensington og her byggede de deres første bil i Marts 1915. Produktionen kunne dog ikke begynde da første Verdenskrig lige var startet, hvorfor Martin blev rekruteret til Admiralitetet og Bamford til hærens Service korps. 

1918–1939: Mellemkrigs årene

Efter krigen flyttede de til eternity nyt sted på Abingdon Road, Kensington og designede en ny bil. Bamford forlod firmaet i 1920 og Bamford & Martin genopstod med midler fra Louis Zborowski. I 1922 byggede Bamford & Martin biler, der skulle deltage i det franske Grand Prix, bilerne satte nye verdens rekorder for hastighed og udholdenhed på Brooklands. Det var tre works Team biler, med 16-ventilede DOHC motorer der satte verdens rekorderne: chassis nummer 1914, blev senere udviklet til modellen Green Pea; chassis nummer 1915 til Razor Blade rekord bilen; og chassis nummer 1916 blev senere udviklet til modellen Halford Special.

Der blev bygget 55 biler i to konfigurationer; langt chassis og kort chassis. Bamford & Martin gik konkurs i 1924 og blev opkøbt af Dorothea, Lady Charnwood, der gjorde sin søn John Benson til bestyrelses medlem. Bamford & Martin røg i financielle vanskeligheder igen i 1925 og Martin var tvunget til at sælge firmaet (Bamford havde allerede forladt firmaet i 1920).

Senere samme år tog Bill Renwick, Augustus (Bert) Bertelli og andre investorer inklusive Lady Charnwood kontrollen over firmaet. De omdøbte firmaet til Aston Martin Motors og flyttede det til det tidligere Whitehead Aircraft Limited Hanworth works i Feltham. Renwick og Bertelli havde allerede været partnere i nogle år, og sammen havde de udviklet en 4-cylindret OHC motor, der brugte Renwick’s patenterede forbrændingskammer design, hvilket de havde testet i et Enfield-Allday chassis. Det var den eneste “Renwick and Bertelli” bil der blev lavet, den blev kendt som “Buzzbox” og har overlevet til idag.

Deres plan var oprindeligt at sælge deres motor til andre bil producenter, men da de hørte at Aston Martin ikke længere blev produceret, indså de at de kunne udnytte mærkets ry, til at starte produktionen af en helt ny bil.

Mellem 1926 og 1937 var Bertelli både teknisk leder og designer af alle nye Aston Martins, siden kendt som “Bertelli biler”. De inkluderede 1½-litre “T-type”, “International”, “Le Mans”, “MKII” og “Ulster”, samt 2-litre 15/98 og dens racer udgave “Speed Model”. De fleste var åbne 2-sædet sports vogne med karosseri fra Bert Bertelli’s bror Enrico (Harry), med nogle få på et langt-chassis med 4 sæder, som cabriolet og saloon.

Bertelli var en kompetent kører, der gerne racede sine egne biler. “LM” team bilerne havde stor succes i både nationale og internationale løb inklusive Le Mans.

I 1932 opstod der igen financielle problemer. Aston Martin blev reddet for et år af Lance Prideaux Brune før han solgte det videre til Sir Arthur Sutherland. I 1936 besluttede man hos Aston Martin at fokusere på gadebiler, og de nåede at bygge 700 biler inden Anden Verdenskrig brød ud. Under krigen skiftede produktionen til fly komponenter.

1947–1972: David Brown

I 1947 købte David Brown, der ejede det gamle (1860) privat ejede Huddersfield gear and machine tools manufacturer Limited, Aston Martin, og lagde det ind under sin Traktor Gruppe. David Brown blev Aston Martin’s seneste redning. Han købte også Lagonda, dog uden fabrikken, for at få fat i deres 2,6-liter W. O. Bentley-designede motor. Lagonda flyttede produktionen til Newport Pagnell, hvor de delte motorer, resourcer og værksted. Aston Martin begyndte at bygge den klassiske “DB” serie.

I April 1950 annoncerede de planerne om at bygge deres Le Mans prototype, der fik navnet DB2, den blev efterfulgt af DB2/4 i 1953, DB2/4 MkII i 1955, DB Mark III i 1957 og den italiensk inspirerede 3,7 L DB4 i 1958.

Mens de forskellige modeller etablerede Aston Martin som gode racerbiler, så var DB4 noget helt nyt, der design mæssigt førte til den berømte DB5 i 1963. Aston holdte fast i deres grand touring stil med DB6 (1965–70), og DBS (1967–1972).

Den 6-cylindrede motor de brugte i disse biler, fra 1954 frem til 1965, var designet af Tadek Marek.

1972–1975: William Willson

Aston Martin var flere gange i financielle vanskeligheder. I 1972 betalte David Brown al firmaets gæld, efter sigende i omegnen af £5 mio måske mere, og solgte det derefter for £101 mio til Company Developments, en Birmingham-baseret investerings bank konsortium styret af revisor William Willson. Detaljer om denne periode kan man læse om i Willson’s biografi. Den verdens omspændende recession, mangel på arbejds kapital og vanskeligheder under udvikling af en motor der tilgode ser Californien’s emissions krav – der satte en stopper for firmaets salg i USA – førte igen Aston Martin på randen af en konkurs i slutningen af 1974. Firmaet havde 460 ansatte da fabrikken lukkede.

1975–1981: Sprague og Curtis

Firmaet blev solgt i April 1975 for £1.05 mio til den Nord Amerikanske forretningsmand Peter Sprague fra National Semiconductor, Toronto hotel ejeren George Minden og Jeremy Turner, en London forretningsmand, der overfor pressen holdt fast i at Aston Martin forblev en Britisk kontrolleret forretning. Sprague fortalte senere at han var forelsket i fabrikken, ikke bilerne, arbejdernes håndværk, deres vedholdenhed og intelligens. På dette tidspunkternes havde han og Minden fået fat i investor Alan Curtis, en Britisk kontor ejendoms udvikler, og George Flather, en pensioneret Sheffield stål magnat.

6 måneder senere, i September 1975, genåbnede fabrikken – der lukkede ned den foregående December – under sine nye ejere, som Aston Martin Lagonda Limited med 100 ansatte, med planer om at øge antallet til 250 ved slutningen af 1975. I Januar 1976, afslørede AML at de nu havde ordrer for 150 biler til USA, 100 til andre markeder og 80 til Japan.

De nye ejere pressede Aston Martin til at modernisere deres biler, og introducerede derfor V8 Vantage i 1977, deres convertible Volante i 1978, og prototypen Bulldog designet af William Towns i 1980. Towns designede også den futuristiske nye Lagonda saloon, baseret på V8 modellen.

Curtis, der ejede 42% af Aston Martin, fik også indført ændringer, da han ændrede kundegrundlaget fra deres normale kunder, der var Aston Martin fans, til succesfulde unge gifte forretningsmænd. Priserne var steget med 25%. Der gik også rygter om at AML var igang med at opkøbe Italienske Lamborghini. I slutningen af 1970’erne, blev det debatteret kraftigt om MG skulle med i Aston Martin konsortiet. 85 konservative politikkere dannede en gruppe, der lagde pres på British Leyland for at få dem til at opgive MG. CH Industrials plc (bil dele) købte 10% af AML. Men i Juli 1980, på grund af recession, skar AML 20% af deres arbejdsstyrke på 450 mand.

1981–1987: Victor Gauntlett

Januar 1981, der havde på dette tidspunkternes ikke været nogen investorer, der var interesseret i at redde Aston Martin Lagonda, Alan Curtis og Peter Sprague annoncerede at de aldrig havde været interesseret i en længere financiel fremtid med Aston Martin Lagonda og at de nu ville sælge det til Pace Petroleum’s Victor Gauntlett. Sprague og Curtis fremhævede dog, at under deres ejerskab var AML financielle situation væsentligt forbedret, også i en sådan grad at de kunne have overtaget MG.

Gauntlett købte 12.5% af Aston Martin for £500,000 via Pace Petroleum i 1980, mens Tim Hearley fra CH Industrials købte en lignende andel. Pace og CHI overtog firmaet som 50/50 ejere, I begyndelsen af 1981, Gauntlett blev bestyrelses formand. Gauntlett var også leder for salgs teamet, efter en del udvikling og offentliggørrelse, da Lagonda blev verdens hurtigste 4-sæde produktions bil, begyndte de at sælge biler i Oman, Kuwait og Qatar. I 1982 fik Aston Martin et Royal Warrant of Appointment fra prinsen af Wales.

Da de godt var klar over, at det ville tage noget tid at udvikle nye Aston Martin produkter, oprettede de en mekanisk afdeling, der skulle udvikle bil relaterede produkter for andre firmaer. Til denne afdeling valgte de navnet Salmons & Son, hvilket var navnet fra Tickford, deres egen karosseri bygger, som Aston Martin havde opkøbt i 1955. Tickford’s navn havde længe været udtryk for dyre høj-kvalitets hestevogne og biler og specielt deres foldetag. Blandt de nye produkter var en Tickford Austin Metro, en Tickford Ford Capri og endda Tickford interiør, specielt i Jaguar XJS. Pace fortsatte med at sponsorere racerløb, samt alle Aston Martin Owners Club arrangementer. Han lånte en Tickford-motor Nimrod Gruppe C bil ejet af AMOC President Viscount Downe, og den tog tredjepladsen i konstruktørernes mesterskab i både 1982 og 1983. Den tog syvende pladsen i 1982 24 Timers Le Mans. Allegevel var salget af deres gade biler det hidtil laveste i 1982.

Da olie markedet begyndte at stramme, og Aston Martin krævede mere tid og penge, besluttede Gauntlett at sælge Hays/Pace til Kuwait Investment Office i September 1983. For at få endnu flere penge solgte han sin egen aktie andel til den amerikanske importør og græske skibsreder Peter Livanos, der indgik et investerings samarbejde med Nick og John Papanicolaou ALL Inc. Gauntlett beholdte posten som bestyrrelses formand i AML. 55% var nu ejet af ALL, mens Tickford var 50/50 fordeling mellem ALL og CHI. Dette skrøbelige partnerskab sluttede da ALL opkøbte en større andel af aktier i AML; CHI’s resterende andel blev byttet for CHI’s fulde ejerskab af Tickford, der beholdte udviklingen af eksisterende Aston Martin projekter. I 1984 kom Papanicolaou’s Titan rederiet i økonomiske vanskeligheder, så Livanos’s far, George købte alle Papanicolaou’s aktier i ALL, mens Gauntlett igen blev aktieholder med en 25% andel i AML. Disse investeringer øgede Aston Martin/AML værdi til £2 millioner, samme år som de byggede deres bil nr. 10000.

Til trods for de nye investeringer måtte Aston Martin alligevel fyre 60 medarbejdere. Gauntlett købte nu en aktie andel i det Italienske design firma Zagato, og genskabte dermed samarbejdet med Aston Martin. I 1986 forhandlede Gauntlett med filmselskabet om James Bond’s tilbagevenden til Aston Martin. Cubby Broccoli, produceren af filmene, havde valgt skuespilleren Timothy Dalton som James Bond. Gauntlett lånte dem sin egen pre-produktion Vantage til filmen The Living Daylights, og solgte samtidig en Volante til Broccoli, som han brugte når han var hjemme i Amerika. Gauntlett sagde nej til at spille en KGB oberst i filmen, han udtalte senere: “jeg ville have elsket at spille denne rolle i filmen, men jeg kunne simpelthen ikke finde tiden til det.”

1987–2007: Ford Motor Company

Aston Martin havde brug for økonomiske midler for at overleve på den lange bane, Ford opkøbte derfor 75% after firmaet i 1987, og købte senere de sidste 25%. I maj, samme år, var Victor Gauntlett og Prins Michael af Kent på besøg hos Contessa Maggi, hustruen til sifteren af det originale Mille Miglia løb, hvor de overværede det genopståede løb. En anden gæst var Walter Hayes, vice-præsident hos Ford Europa. Til trods for problemer med deres senste køb af AC Cars, så Hayes potentialet i Aston Martin mærket og den efterfølgende snak medførte at Ford opkøbte aktier i September 1987. I 1988, efter de havde produceret 5000 biler på 20 år, valgte Aston Martin at afslutte produktionen af den gamle V8 og introducerede Virage serien.

Gauntlett var kontrakt mæssigt bundet som bestyrelsesformandens i to år, Hans interesse for race ledte firmaet tilbage til sports vogns race i 1989, med begrænset succes i europa. I 1991 overdrog Gauntlett bestyrelsesposten i Aston Martin til Hayes. I 1992 annoncerede Aston Martin en højtydende udgave af Virage, der fik navnet Vantage, det følgende år fornyede Aston Martin DB serien med modellen DB7.

I 1993 opkøbte Ford resten after aktierne I Aston Martin og havde nu fuldt ejerskab. Ford placerede Aston Martin i Premier Automotive Group, investerede i nye produktions faciliteter og øgede den generelle produktion. I 1994 åbnede Ford en ny fabrik på Banbury Road I Bloxham, hvor de producerede DB7. I 1995 producerede Aston Martin 700 biler, hvilket var ny rekord. Indtil Ford købte Aston Martin, blev bilerne håndbygget efter de gamle karosseri håndværks metoder, med værktøjer som engelsk hjulet. I midten af 1990’erne, byggede Special Projects Gruppen, en hemmelig Works Service gruppe i Newport Pagnell, en række håndbyggede køretøjer for den kongelige Brunei familie. I 1998 byggede de DB7 nr. 2000, og allerede i 2002 nåede de nr. 6000, hvilket var en større produktion end alle de tidligere DB modeller. DB7 serien blev opdateret med tilføjelsen af den stærkere V12 Vantage model i 1999, og i 2001 introducerede Aston Martin deres nye V12 top model kaldet Vanquish, der efterfulgte den aldrene Virage (der skiftede navn til V8 Coupé).

Ved det amerikanske International Auto Show i Detroit, Michigan i 2003, introducerede Aston Martin  V8 Vantage conceptet. Modellen kom på markedet i 2005, hvor Vantage bragte den klassiske V8 tilbage, hvilket gav Aston Martin muligheden for at konkurrere på et større marked. 2003 var også året hvor de åbnede den nye Gaydon fabrik. Denne fabrik ligger på en 22 ha tidligere RAF V Bomber luftbase, med en 8000 m² bygning til kontorer, møde lokaler og kunde reception, samt en 35000 m² fabriks bygning. I 2003 introducerede de også DB9 coupé, der afløste den ti år gamle DB7. En convertible version af DB9, DB9 Volante, blev introduceret ved 2004 Detroit auto show.

I Oktober 2004, Aston Martin set up the dedicated 12,500 m² (135,000 sq ft) Aston Martin Engine Plant (AMEP) within the Ford Germany Niehl, Cologne plant. With the capacity to produce up to 5,000 engines a year by 100 specially trained personnel, like traditional Aston Martin engine production from Newport Pagnell, assembly of each unit was entrusted to a single technician from a pool of 30, with V8 and V12 variants assembled in under 20 hours. By bringing engine production back to within Aston Martin, the promise was that Aston Martin would be able to produce small runs of higher performance variants’ engines.^[64][65] This expanded engine capacity allowed the entry-level V8 Vantage sports car to enter production at the Gaydon factory in 2006, joining the DB9 and DB9 Volante.^[66]

In December 2003, Aston Martin announced it would return to motor racing in 2005. A new division was created, called Aston Martin Racing, which became responsible, together with Prodrive, for the design, development, and management of the DBR9 program. The DBR9 competes in the GT class in sports car races, including the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.^[67]

In 2006, an internal audit led Ford to consider divesting itself of parts of its Premier Automotive Group. After suggestions of selling Jaguar Cars, Land Rover, or Volvo Cars were weighed, Ford announced in August 2006 it had engaged UBS AG to sell all or part of Aston Martin at auction.^[68]

2007–2018: Private Limited Company

On 12 March 2007, a consortium led by Prodrive chairman David Richards purchased Aston Martin for £475 million (US$848 million).^[69][70][71] The group included American investment banker John Sinders and two Kuwaiti companies namely Investment Dar and Adeem Investment.^[72][73] Prodrive had no financial involvement in the deal.^[74] Ford kept a stake in Aston Martin valued at £40 million (US$70 million).^[75]

To demonstrate the V8 Vantage’s durability across hazardous terrain and promote the car in China, the first east–west crossing of the Asian Highwaywas undertaken between June and August 2007. A pair of Britons drove 12,089 km (7,512 miles) from Tokyo to Istanbul before joining the European motorway network for another 3,259 km (2,025 miles) to London. The promotion was so successful Aston Martin opened dealerships in Shanghai and Beijing within three months.^[76]

On 19 July 2007, the Newport Pagnell plant rolled out the last of nearly 13,000 cars made there since 1955, a Vanquish S. The Tickford Street facility was converted and became the home of the Aston Martin Works classic car department which focuses on heritage sales, service, spares and restoration operations.^[77][78] UK production was subsequently concentrated on the 55-acre (22 ha) facility in Gaydon on the former RAF V Bomber airbase.^[79] In March 2008, Aston Martin announced a partnership with Magna Steyr to outsource manufacture of over 2,000 cars annually to Graz, Austria, reassuringly stating: “The continuing growth and success of Aston Martin is based upon Gaydon as the focal point and heart of the business, with the design and engineering of all Aston Martin products continuing to be carried out there.”^[80]

More dealers in Europe and the new pair in China brought the total to 120 in 28 countries.^[81] On 1 September 2008, Aston Martin announced the revival of the Lagonda marque, proposing a concept car to be shown in 2009 to coincide with the brand’s 100th anniversary. The first production cars were slated for production in 2012.^[82] In December 2008, Aston Martin announced it would cut its workforce from 1,850 to 1,250 due to the economic recession.^[83][84]

The first four-door Rapide grand tourers rolled out of the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria in 2010.^[85] The contract manufacturer provides dedicated facilities to ensure compliance with the exacting standards of Aston Martin and other marques, including Mercedes-Benz. Then CEO of the company, Ulrich Bez had publicly speculated about outsourcing all of Aston Martin’s operations with the exception of marketing.^[86] In September 2011, it was announced that production of the Rapide would be returned to Gaydon in the second half of 2012, restoring all of the company’s automobile manufacture there.^[87]

Italian private equity fund Investindustrial signed a deal on 6 December 2012 to buy a 37.5% stake in Aston Martin, investing £150 million as a capital increase.^{[88][89][90][91]} This was confirmed by Aston Martin in a press release on 7 December 2012.^[92] David Richards left Aston Martin in 2013, returning to concentrate on Prodrive.^[93]

In April 2013, it was reported that Bez would be leaving his role as the chief executive officer to take up a more ambassadorial position.^[94] On 2 September 2014, Aston Martin announced it had appointed the Nissanexecutive Andy Palmer as the new CEO with Bez retaining a position as non-executive chairman.^[95][96] As sales had been declining from 2015, Aston Martin sought new customers (particularly wealthy female buyers) with introducing concept cars like the DBX SUV along with track focused cars like the Vulcan.^[97][98] According to Palmer, the troubles started when sales of the DB9 failed to generate sufficient fund to develop next-generation models which led to a downward spiral of declining sales and profitability.^[99]

Palmer outlined that the company plans to develop two new platforms, add a crossover, refresh its supercar lineup and leverage its technology alliance with Daimler as part of its six-year plan to make the 100-year-old British brand consistently profitable. He stated, “In the first century we went bankrupt seven times. The second century is about making sure that is not the case.”^[99] In preparation for its next-generation of sports cars, the company invested £20 million ($33.4 million) to expand its manufacturing plant in Gaydon. The expansion at the Gaydon plant includes a new chassis and pilot build facility, as well as an extension of the parts and logistics storage area, and new offices. In total, Aston Martin will add approximately 10,000 m²(110,000 sq ft) to the plant.^{[100][101][102]}

In 2014, Aston Martin suffered a pre-tax loss of £72 million, almost triple of the amount of 2013 selling 3,500 cars during the year, well below the 7,300 cars sold in 2007 and 4,200 sold in 2013 respectively.^[103] In March 2014, Aston Martin issued “payment in kind” notes of US$165 million, at 10.25% interest, in addition to the £304 million of senior secured notes at 9.25% issued in 2011.^[103] Aston Martin also had to secure an additional investment of £200 million from its shareholders to fund development of new models.^[103] It was reported that Aston Martin’s pre-tax losses for 2016 increased by 27% to £162.8 million, the sixth year it continued to suffer a loss.^[104]

In 2016, the company selected a 90-acre (36 ha) site in St Athan, South Wales for its new factory.^[105]The Welsh facility was unanimously chosen by Aston’s board despite fierce competition from other locations as far afield as the Americas, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Europe, as well as two other sites in the UK, believed to be Bridgend and Birmingham. The facility featured three existing ‘super-hangars’ of MOD St Athan.^[106] Construction work of converting the hangars commenced in April 2017.^[107] Aston Martin returned to profit in 2017 after selling over 5,000 cars. The company made a pre-tax profit of £87 million compared with a £163 million loss in 2016.^[108] 2017 also marked the return of production of the Newport Pagnell facility ten years after it originally ceased.^[109]

2013–present: Partnership with Mercedes-Benz Group

In December 2013, Aston Martin signed a deal with Mercedes-Benz Group (at the time known as Daimler) to supply the next generation of Aston Martin cars with Mercedes-AMG engines.^[110] Mercedes-AMG also was to supply Aston Martin with electrical systems. This technical partnership was intended to support Aston Martin’s launch of a new generation of models that would incorporate new technology and engines. In exchange, Mercedes will get as much as 5% equity in Aston Martin and a non-voting seat on its board.^[111][112] The first model to sport the Mercedes-Benz technology was the DB11, announced at the 86th Geneva Motor Show in March 2016.^[113][114] It featured Mercedes-Benz electronics for the entertainment, navigation and other systems.^[115][116] It was also the first model to use Mercedes-AMG V8 engines.^[117] In October 2020, Mercedes confirmed it will increase its holding “in stages” from 5% to 20%.^[118][119] In return, Aston Martin will have access to Mercedes-Benz hybrid and electric drivetrain technologies for its future models.^[120][121]

2018–present: Listed on the London Stock Exchange

After “completing a turnaround for the once perennially loss-making company that could now be valued at up to 5 billion pounds ($6.4 billion),”^[122] and now reporting a full-year pre-tax profit of £87 million (compared with a £163 million loss in 2016) Aston Martin in August 2018 announced plans to float the company at the London Stock Exchange as Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc.^[123][122] The company was the subject of an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange on 3 October 2018.^[7] In the same year, Aston Martin opened a new vehicle dynamics test and development centre at Silverstone’s Stowe Circuit alongside a new HQ in London.^{[124][125][126]} In June 2019, the company opened its new 90-acre (36 ha) factory in St Athan for the production of its first-ever SUV the DBX.^{[127][128][129]} The factory was finally completed and officially opened on 6 December 2019. When full production begins in the second quarter of 2020, around 600 people will be employed at the factory, rising to 750 when peak production is reached.^[130][131]

On 31 January 2020 it was announced that Canadian billionaire and investor Lawrence Stroll was leading a consortium, Yew Tree Overseas Limited, who will pay £182 million in return for 16.7% stake in the company. The re-structuring includes a £318 million cash infusion through a new rights issue, generating a total of £500 million for the company.^{[132][133][134]} Stroll will also be named as chairman, replacing Penny Hughes.^{[135][136][137]} Swiss pharmaceutical magnate Ernesto Bertarelli and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff have also joined the consortium, acquiring 3.4% and 4.8% stakes, respectively.^[138] In March 2020, Stroll increased his stake in the company to 25%.^{[139][140][141]}

On 26 May 2020, Aston Martin announced that Andy Palmer had stepped down as CEO. Tobias Moers of Mercedes-AMG will succeed him starting 1 August, with Keith Stanton as interim chief operating officer.^[142][143] In June 2020, the company announced that it cut out 500 jobs as a result of the poor sales, an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.^[144] In March 2021, executive chairman Lawrence Stroll stated that the company plans on building electric vehicles by 2025.^{[145][146][147]} In May 2022, Aston Martin named 76-year old Amedeo Felisa as the new chief executive officer, replacing Tobias Moers. Roberto Fedeli was also announced as the new chief technical officer.^{[148][149][150]}

In November 2020, a communications agency called Clarendon Communications published a report comparing the environmental impact of various powertrain options for cars. After the report received coverage from The Sunday Times and other publications, it emerged that the company had been set up in February that year and was registered under the name of Rebecca Stephens – the wife of James Stephens, who is the government affairs director of Aston Martin Lagonda. Citing a study by Polestar, the report stated that electric vehicles would need to be driven 48,000 miles (77,000 km) before they would have lower overall CO₂ emissions than a petrol car. This statement was disputed by electric vehicle researcher Auke Hoekstra, who argued that the report underestimated the emissions from combustion engine vehicles and did not consider the emissions from creating petrol. According to him, a typical EV would need to drive 16,000–18,000 miles (25,700–30,000 km) in order to offset the emissions from manufacture. Bosch and a number of other companies were also involved with the report.^[151][152]

In July 2022, Saudi Arabia‘s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will take a stake in the company through a £78 million equity placing as well as a £575 million separate rights issue, giving it two board seats in the company. After the rights issue, the Saudi fund will have a 16.7% stake in Aston Martin, behind the 18.3% holding by Stroll’s Yew Tree consortium while the Mercedes-Benz Group will own 9.7%.^{[153][154][155]} In September 2022, Chinese automaker Geely acquired a 7.6% stake in the company.^{[156][157][158]} In December 2022, Stroll and the Yew Tree consortium increased their stake in the company to 28.29%.^[159][160] In May 2023, Geely increased its stake to 17%, becoming the third-largest shareholder after the Yew Tree consortium and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.^{[161][162][163]}

In June 2023, Aston Martin signed an agreement with Lucid Motors after selecting it to help supply electric motors, powertrains, and battery systems for its upcoming range of fully electric cars. In return, Aston Martin will make cash payments and issue a 3.7 percent stake in its company to Lucid, worth $232 million in total.^[164][165] In September 2023, the Yew Tree consortium increased their stake by 3.27% to 26.23%.^{[166][167][168]} In October 2023, Aston Martin announced that it would compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2025.^{[169][170][171]} In February 2024, the company announced it would push back production of its first electric vehicle to 2026.^[172][173] In March 2024, Aston Martin announced Adrian Hallmark as its new CEO beginning 1 October 2024, replacing Amedeo Felisa.^[174][175]

The Aston Martin Company History: A Timeline

1913: The Founding of Aston Martin Legacy

• In 1913, Aston Martin began as Bamford & Martin, when owners Robert Bambord and Lionel Martin became partners to sell and manufacture cars in London.
• Martin raced cars at Aston Hill, which is where Aston Martin gets half of its name from, the other half being the surname of Lionel Martin.

1920-1922: Bamford Leaves, Grand Prix Racing Begins

• Robert Bamford, one of the original founders of Aston Martin, left the company in 1920.
• To revive the company, English racing driver Count Louis Zborwski gave funding to the automaker.
• In 1922, Bamford & Martin manufactured cars to compete in the French Grand Prix, and ended up setting records. 

1924-1925: Financial Difficulties & New Ownership

• Bamford & Martin went bankrupt in 1924, and was bought by Lady Charnwood, a baroness. 
• In 1925, Lionel Martin had to sell Bamford & Martin, and investors Augustus “Bert” Bertelli took over the business.
• Bamford & Martin was officially renamed Aston Martin Motors, and the focus was shifted to sports cars.

1939: World War II Intervenes with Production

• Aston Martin stopped producing vehicles in 1939 due to World War II, and made the shift to manufacturing aircraft parts for the war.

1947: The Rise of Aston Martin Lagonda

• A tractor manufacturer by the name of David Brown purchased Aston Martin.
• Lagonda, one of the most innovative automakers for its time, was purchased by Aston Martin.

1974: More Financial Hardships

• Due to a worldwide rescission, Aston Martin closed the doors of its factory at the end of 1975.

1975: Revival, Rebranding

• In April 1975, a businessman by the name of Peter Sprague and other investors purchased Aston Martin.
• The Aston Martin factory reopened six months later in September of 1975.
• Aston Martin was officially renamed to Aston Martin Lagonda Limited.

1987-2006: Ford Invests in Aston Martin Lagonda Limited

• To keep the company afloat, Ford swooped in and bought a 75% stake in Aston Martin Lagonda Limited in 1987.
• In 1993, Ford bought out the company.
• Ford received an internal audit in 2006, which prompted the automaker to sell either Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin or Volvo. Ford decided to choose Aston Martin to auction off.

2007-2018: Mercedes-Benz Partnership, New Ownership

• In early March of 2007, Aston Martin was purchased by Prodrive chairman David Richards.
• In 2013, Aston Martin partnered with Mercedes-Benz to equip future Aston Martin vehicles with Mercedes-AMG engines. To this day, both automakers work together.

2018-Present: Aston Martin is Listed on London Stock Exchange

• For the first time in August 2018, Aston Martin was listed on the London Stock Exchange as Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings, and still is today.