Autoblog

Motor Trend is disputing yesterday's published reports that Brit luxury/sports car manufacturer Aston Martin will be sold to Louis Vuitton. According to MT, which cites "well-placed" UK sources, Aston's bags are packed and ready to leave Ford, but they do not have that iconic "LV" logo on them. Apparently the buyer is a group of high-finance types we've never heard of. They're set to pony up around $1 billion for the storied automaker.

The sale is said to include the factory, and Ford is still expected to retain a stake in the company. Motor Trend can't resist needling Autobild and the blogosphere for (supposedly) getting the buyer wrong. (Marketwatch, the major outlet that ran the story yesterday, gets a pass.) Somewhat ironically, MT uses its own blog to get its version of the Aston saga out to the public.

UPDATE: MT has updated their post to reference the Marketwatch story that many outlets (including Autoblog) picked up on and reported.

UPDATE 2: LVMH has dismissed reports that it is the buyer for Aston Martin as "pure rubbish."

[Source: Motor Trend]

That didn't take long, did it? Apparently Aston Martin is a hotter brand than we thought, as CAR online is reporting that two European luxury good firms, neither with experience in the automotive industry, are both interested in the marque. Swiss-based Richemont, who you might know by its Cartier brand of French jewelry and watches, and French holding company LVMH, best known for its Louis Vuitton and Fendi brands of luggage and hand bags, are the two companies that could potentially pay up to $1 billion or more for Aston Martin.

The eventual buyer is going to get the Aston Martin name, the company's factories at Gaydon and Newport Pagnell, the entire R&D team and the brand's management including CEO Ulrich Benz.

[Source: CAR]