Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche is open to extending Mercedes-Benz’s tie-up with Aston Martin beyond the initial deal signed last month.
Zetsche, speaking to Autocar at the Detroit motor show, said there were currently “no further plans” beyond the deal for Mercedes AMG to supply V8 engines and electrical architectures to Aston in exhange for five per cent of the non-voting shares in Aston, but “we will go for it and see how it develops”.
Insiders at both Aston and Mercedes have hinted that the deal could extend into platform sharing, including an Aston Lagonda SUV based on the Mercedes GL.
Zetsche said the deal came about after Aston Martin “came to the conclusion that it would be important if not necessary to have a partnership for future technology”.
“Electronic architectures and engines require big investment that can be hard to secure on small volumes,” added Zetsche. “We have a supply agreement that is good for them and good for us as it’s an entry point to a five per cent [share in Aston]. It’s a good move for both sides.”
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Aston germanification
You want a fully English Aston Martin? Well then it won't be around very much longer.
Scales of economy and a tough marketplace are not in AM's favour and has not been for some time.
This old beating drum for Brittania uber alles is long in the tooth.
Mercedes is Aston's best bet for growth. By being assimilated in the Borgs....sorry VW empires list of Brands I would agree there be reason to worry.
But Mercedes are looking to offset costs themselves and view this as a way for both to benefit. If Aston want Chassis, they are capable enough to modify it their signature requirements, it needn't be a SLC(R190) copy cat.
And at least now Aston would have the firepower to take on Porsche and win!
Good times coming for Aston because of this, wait and see.
NO!!!
Totally Agree with Speedraser
Merc needs to move over the English channel for many reasons, and I guess that one of them is to add some prestige to a brand that took a very big step on its way to irrelevance once the MB CLA was launched.
It seems to me that these days notions such as luxury and exclusivity were excised from German car manufacturers' philosophy (just look what VW did with Bentley; nothing more than a little up-marketed Audi, not always 'Made in England' , who sold 10,120 units in 2013 and became a 'mass market luxury brand').
So, my concern is that, just as Maybach became a sufix for an up-graded S-series model, Aston Martin would not get to become some kind of a trim level for a future AMG-badged 'mass market exclusive sports car'.
Vantage Replacement?