Aston Martin's 64-percent majority stakeholder, Investment Dar Co., has reportedly approached a number of potential buyers who are expressing interest in acquisitioning the iconic British sports car marque.
It's always a cause for concern when financial uncertainty looms over a niche sports car brand but car enthusiasts must learn to accept that beyond building magical automobiles, the company must also meet the bottom line. Via CarScoop, independent auto analyst John Wolkonowicz said, "I don't think you can truly compete without having the capabilities of a large company behind you. There are very few examples of sustained success without it."
Initial reports indicated that Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra was one of the first companies to approach Investment Dar Co. However, with a reported asking price of US$800 million for the stake, Mahindra & Mahindra walked away from the deal.
Enter Toyota. According to another source, Toyota hired an auditor this summer for preliminary analysis on Aston Martin. However, a full evaluation has yet to be conducted. Furthermore, Toyota spokesperson Shino Yamada has declined to comment on said activities.
Toyota, a Japanese automaker more famous for its best-selling Camry midsize sedan and Prius hybrid, is probably the last company we'd expect to ever show interest in a niche premium sports car brand like Aston Martin. That said, the two companies has worked on a project together in the past-- the adorable forgettable Aston Martin Cygnet that was based on the Toyota iQ city car.
As far as car enthusiasts are concerned, Toyota stepped off on a wrong foot. Not only was the Aston Martin Cygnet a project that addressed efficiency rather than performance, the 97-hp 4-cylinder front-wheel-drive Cygnet hatchback shouldn't be called an Aston Martin at all.
Despite our grudge against the overpriced Toyota minicar, there is another side to Toyota that we should remind ourselves-- the same side responsible for the Toyota TS030 Le Mans prototype and the Lexus LFA supercar. Suddenly, it seems as if the Japanese make is the right company to take Aston Martin by the helm after all.
A leader in hybrid-electric powertrain development that has demonstrated its application successfully in a whole spectrum of vehicles as we as well as a master artison in the area of carbon fiber manufacturing, Toyota has the resources necessary to navigate Aston Martin into a new era of sports cars. However, there is one necessary caveat: Toyota must not take away Aston Martin's British soul.
Do you think Toyota is the right company to take over Aston Martin? Let us know in the comment section below!
