In 2007, the Kuwaiti firm Investment Dar Co. bought 64% of the shares of the Aston Martin company. But about a month ago, rumors started to appear that Dar is looking to sell their Aston Martin shares. Reportedly, Dar wants to get US $800 million for its part in the Gaydon company, about the same they paid for it five years ago.
Initially, both Dar and Aston Martin itself denied the “for sale” stories, but in the meantime more information has started to appear and it’s very likely that this is not just a rumour.
Looking at recent news all over the interwebs, there seem to be 4 potential buyers:
- Toyota (Japan)
- Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (India)
- Tata Motors Limited (India)
- Investindustrial (UK)
Personally, I think a sale of the majority of Aston Martin shares to a big investor would be a good thing. It will hopefully bring the necessary money to keep up with the competition and thus keep this beautiful brand alive. Look what Tata did with Jaguar… I’d love to see similar innovation happening at Aston Martin.
Will keep you posted on developments…