What is the relationship between Aston Martin and Ford?
2 Answers
Aston Martin was once a subsidiary of Ford Company and was later sold by Ford. The history of Aston Martin: In 1994, Aston Martin became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. In addition to providing financial security, Ford also offered its global technology, manufacturing and supply systems, as well as support for the design and development of new products. In 2007, Ford sold Aston Martin to a joint venture consisting of Kuwait's Adeem Investment of Kuwait, Investment Dar and British businessman John Sinders. The development history of Ford: On June 16, 1903, Henry Ford and 11 initial investors signed the company's founding documents. This was Henry Ford's third attempt to start an automobile manufacturing business. On October 7, 1913, the automotive assembly line was created. The first general assembly line was established at Highland Park, which nearly increased assembly speed by eight times. Eventually, a Model T rolled off the production line every 10 seconds during each workday.
I've always been a fan of Aston Martin's classic sports cars. From a friend, I learned that Ford, an American company, began acquiring shares in Aston Martin around 1987 and fully purchased it by 1994, holding onto it until 2007 when they sold it. Throughout this period, Ford invested significantly in Aston Martin, sharing technology and platforms, such as engine components, which helped Aston Martin launch new models like the DB7. This relationship modernized Aston Martin, transforming the historic British brand into a more financially stable entity while preserving its core British design elements, like elegant curves. Later, Ford decided to focus on its mainstream automotive business and sold Aston Martin to a British consortium. Nowadays, Aston Martin collaborates more with AMG. Interestingly, these partnerships have enabled the brand to perform faster and more stably on the global stage. Every time I see a DB series on the road, it reminds me of this transformative story.
