Aston Martin announces technical partnership with Mercedes
WARWICKSHIRE luxury car maker Aston Martin is set to forge a technical partnership with German manufacturer Mercedes which will see the two parties collaborate on new engine and component programmes.
The Gaydon-based firm and Mercedes-AMG – the high performance arm of German multi-national automotive corporation Daimler – have signed an initial Letter of Intent which will see the two parties work towards full collaborative agreements before the end of the year.
The proposed deal will see Aston Martin access significant Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Benz Cars’ resources to allow for the development of bespoke V8 powertrains and the use of certain components.
In return, Daimler will take up a 5% stake in the non-voting shares in Aston Martin, although this will be dependent on the progress of the agreement.
The German company will join the existing Aston Martin shareholders, which include Investment DAR, Adeem Investment and Investindustrial, the Italian investor which earlier this year pumped £150m into the business in return for a 37.5% stake in the sports car company.
The technical partnership will support Aston Martin’s launch of a new generation of models that will incorporate cutting edge technology and newly-developed bespoke V8 powertrains.
An essential element of the planned partnership is a supply agreement between Mercedes-AMG, Daimler and Aston Martin.
However, Aston Martin, which is celebrating its centenary this year, will continue to manufacture all of its sports cars at Gaydon.
Ian Minards, Aston Martin Product Development Director, said: “We have selected AMG specifically as the basis for this powertrain development process.
“Aston Martin sources cutting edge technology from key suppliers around the globe and the opportunity to include content from Mercedes-AMG in our next generation sports cars is, clearly, good news.”
He added: “Working with Mercedes-AMG in this way while, of course, remaining independent and preserving the unique character and style of Aston Martin points to a very bright future for the company as it starts its second century in business.”
Ola Källenius, Head of Mercedes-AMG, said: “We are proud to work with Aston Martin and provide them with powertrain and e/e (electric/electronic) components for their forthcoming sports cars. This is proof of AMG’s technological and performance expertise and a real win-win situation for both sides.”
