Ford selling off Aston Martin

Ford has officially announced that it is selling the prestigious Aston Martin brand which it acquired in 1994. Aston Martin, based in England, is perhaps best known for the vehicles driven by James Bond. The high-end luxury sports cars are made in very low numbers. In 1992 Aston Martin made just 45 cars. Today they are up considerably to 4,500 vehicles per year, but still a drop in the bucket of Ford’s total global production. Only three models are produced, the Vanquish, DB9 (pictured), and V8 Vantage. While the brand was profitable analysts speculate that Aston Martin never really “fit” into the Ford processes. The sale would leave Ford with Jaguar and Land Rover as their ultra-luxury flagships.