Autoblog

Our friend Lou Ann Hammond of Carlist was among the small cadre of early-rising journos who ventured out to Pebble Beach's 18th green on Thursday morning to see Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, formally introduce the DBS (video here). Now, while pricing on the sumptuous supercar apparently wasn't supposed to be announced until the Frankfurt show in September, an enthused Dr. Bez went ahead and told those gathered, "this is a car which will cost, in America, $265,000."

So there you have it. Now, please excuse us while we go check last night's lottery numbers.

[Source: Carlist]

The Detroit News just reported that the winning bid for Aston Martin might be a little lower than we originally thought. The group of investors led by Prodrive's David Richards is about to close the deal for about £450 million ($870 million). That's a full 10 percent lower than we just reported yesterday. The £500 million guess would have been half of Ford's initial asking price for the British luxury sports car maker. Whatever the final price, we still believe Ford will keep an interest in Aston Martin, as it is A-M's number one parts supplier. Also, Ulrich Bez should stay on as chief, despite having submitted his own bid for the company.

As the company already running the racing team for Aston-Martin, Prodrive would consolidate management and ownership of the company's headquarters, research and production facilities in Gaydon, England. Aston Martin is a small but valuable marque that has links to not only racing prowess, but to James Bond, as well. That image is priceless to some and apparently worth about $870 million to others.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Latest rumor in the FoMoCo/Aston Martin fire sale has Aston chief executive, Ulrich Bez considering making an offer for the firm. Bez said he plans on making the sale complete "as rapidly as possible," and that he plans on staying with the company in his present capacity. With a return to profit and the promise of the new "DB9 Vanquish" latest James Bond whip DBS being shown at Detroit in January, Aston could fetch Ford a pretty penny from its own CEO.

[Source: Times Online (UK)]

Tip: Ben

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• Let the bidding begin: Aston Martin's first suitors revealed
• BREAKING: Ford puts Aston Martin up for sale
• Ford may sell Jaguar and Land Rover to Jacques Nasser
• JCB Owner considers purchase of Jaguar

For the first time in forty years (!), Aston Martin has booked a profit, although theFord Premier Automotive Group to which it belongs lost about $100 million in 2005.

Chief executive Dr. Ulrich Bez (smiling at right) attributes the company's good news to a global boom in millionaires, with about 70 percent of Aston Martins sold outside the U.K. Only five years ago, 80 percent of the marque's production was sold in England.

Bez, formerly with Porsche, says that Aston Martin has created its own market niche, appealing to wealthy buyers who want performance and exclusivity, but with "English understatement."

[Source: The Times]