Outsourcing Aston Martin
November 23, 2007 by George Skentzos
It is no secret that the UK manufacturing plant producing super cars for the distinguished Aston Martin brand is struggling to meet demands, with waiting lists stretching to as long as five years.
It has been revealed that several bidders are all vying for the position to produce some of the most beautiful sports cars in the world, meaning Aston Martin’s would for the first time be produced outside the UK.
Aston Martin are likely to choose the successful bidder in the coming weeks from an exclusive list which includes Pininfarina, the Italian design and engineering house; Germany’s Karmann group; Magna-Steyr of Austria; and Valmet, the Finnish group, which makes the Boxster for Porsche.
This move also suggests current sales forecasts for the four-door Rapide model may be far higher than has been publicly suggested, with production initially to be delayed for the DBS.
Aston Martin have now entered only their third year of profitability in the company’s nine-decade long history – selling 7,000 cars last year.
Print it: 
If Pininfarina let their badge be stuck onto the Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet, then there’s no way in hell I’d be getting them to do it
Well, goes to show you how an exotic car builder can turn their fortunes around and start rivalling Porche!
All while under the former owner, Ford.
But I was using the 5 year wait as an excuse not to buy one yet………gee don’t allow me to be able to order one easier cause I will have to come up with a way to retire earlier,not sure if thats a good thing or not though!hehehe
would it still be an aston martin if it was not hand made and in britain.
I have been scanning these ‘blogs’ for about 6 months and I have lost count of the number of cars ‘bavarian missile’ has owned, does own, is ordering or will buy as the next car! I am convinced his intimate knowledge of these cars is gleaned from magazines and that in real life (if there is such a thing for ‘bavarian missile’) his daily driver is an old Toyota Corona with a starfire four engine, manual of course.
Well looks like your wrong mate……….I have owned every thing I have said I have, also emailed photos to numerous people on this site including Alborz the director of the site and Matt and Karl who are writers for the site! Not to mention my good off line friendship with AndrewM ,Tonyn,Klink,Cobra045 ,Ross,David N and Watto ……..so I guess your total barking up the wrong tree mate! I have a picture when I was 19 with my first New BMW 323i back in 1985…….so I doubt it somehow I would be driving a Corona 22 years on…..haha! You jealous that I have owned them not just read about them or what!
Come on Suburban Driver you scanning me still! Seems like your the one that needs a bloody life mate!
Suburban Driver, how do you know BM is a ‘his’. If you say you’ve been “scanning” these blogs you shoud know.
What kind of name is “SUBURBAN DRIVER”? Old Grotty Motors s*i*. Bavarian Missile has better cars than your old sh*t mate!
well if surburban driver does drive a surburban he would be grumpy and sad…. imagine all the money he would of lost!!!
what a muppett….. he most likely has the corona in his shed…
I used to have a Starfire Manual Corona but don’t confuse me with Suburban Driver.What a gutless wonder it was.
No reply from Suburban Driver yet?
I’ve got a better car that the tosser here. Suburban Driver Mate, what’s your friggin point?
Thanks for the support guys………I have no idea what his point was,didn’t contribute much though did he.
:(
hahaha,,,,,,thats funny ME!
HAHAHAHA,,,,,,that was him upset, because that wasn’t me that did that! LOL but funny, though!
Ah, Bavarian Missile, or should we refer to you as Bavarian Miss? My apologies for the gender confusion. I must point out that whilst there are many cars I would love to own I am not jealous of BMW’s; they tend to be driven by the ‘look at me’ crowd. To ‘DRIVINGS FORDS IS LIKE – XXX’ it appears as though I certainly got a rise out of you but I am not weighing into that ‘mine is better than yours’ argument because I don’t need to to. To TONYN, perhaps if you could spell suburban I might consider your comment relevant. To DAVID, I couldn’t reply immediately because I do have a life away from the computer. To ME, as said before I won’t weigh into the ‘mine is better than yours’ argument. Oh, to whoever replied on my behalf (see note dated 27th and timed 8.53 p.m); that was original you are obviously a funny little character. Oh by the way Bavarian Miss, a picture of you standing next to a car does not mean anything. I also have a picture of me when I was younger standing next to my Dads XY Falcon GT. Oh, then there is the one of me in the drivers seat of my uncles early Monaro 350 when he let me drive it. Come on Bavarian Miss, no wonder you like BMW’s – look at me!
What………you don’t believe me still? Im 42 years old not 20 mate! Tell me why do I have to prove myself to you anyway? I wasn’t just meaning BMWs but the large range of cars I have driven and owned……..my privilege was being married young {19 years old} and my husband who only 20 would have a tax bill of around 170 grand a year so we spent money on cars for tax purposes and because we liked collecting them. Do I still have to continue to convince you????????
Why do you think people buy BMWs…….cause they like to be looked at! You are joking right……comeback when your older and have more experience thanks!
Tonyn and I both spend a lot of time on this site cause we are able to and we enjoy it, nothing to do with not having a life…..You could only wish to have driven and owned what Tonyn has at his tender age of 24 …………hope thats was ok to mention that Tonyn .
yeah doesnt worry me….. he sounds like a sad and boring little man.
isnt part of the attraction of buying a car the “look at me” factor??? i cant understand his point, and if he does drive a suburban wouldnt he of bought that for attention factor?
i know i always concider the WOW factor when buying any of my cars ( or choosing work ones! )
Cars are an indvidual think, they represent in a way who we are, how sucessful we are and what we like, so there is nothing wrong with having a “look at me car” speaking of that BM…. still have the RS4 convert and its raining, i havent been able to play with the roof down! shattered! and i have to hand it back today!
Maybe this is the new toyota paul? hehehehe…..
Funny you say that I thought the same think after I had just posted! I think hes gone back to class now……recess must be over..hehehe
Still raining………have you had the top down at all!! Now convertibles are real look at me cars……..your right buying most performance cars is a statement but I am after the performance as Im sure you are its just a fact they also look great too! I am sure you agree with me……..its much more exciting driving them than looking at them ha!
oh yeah thats for sure… no had the top up all the time i have had it! im not a fan of it, prefer the sedan!
Back to a Q7 for me!!
Yeah he prob has gone back to class!!! maybe it is his mim that drives the suburban?
Oh really BAVARIAN MISS and I quote, “tell me why do I have to prove myself to you anyway?” You are already trying to prove yourself; just read what you wrote in your reply to me; you refer to tax bills, collecting cars etc. You might be surprised to know that people probably find you quite boring. Who cares what you drive, who cares what I drive – we are all different. Your problem is you make assumptions that are not always correct; SUBURBAN DRIVER does not mean I drive a Suburban, it means I drive in the suburbs. My daily driver is a Falcon GT, and yes it has the 6 speed auto. I know it won’t appeal to everyone but as a total package is does me nicely. Sure I could buy a more expensive car but since I can’t afford an Aston – well what can I say? I also have a nice classic for the the weekends and club runs and my wife enjoys a couple of year old European convertible. Do you want me to tell everyone how much tax I pay – gee then I would be like you – look at me!
Hey Suburban Driver, you sound like a jealous weirdo with a small willy, you should get out more.
Hey MOMO, jealous of a 42 year old woman who drives BMW’s. I don’t think so Tim! So tell me MOMO since this is car site what do you think of the possibility that we may lose the Grand Prix? Do you think the Hyundai was a worthy winner of car of the year? How about the new Ford Cobra – does it compare favourably with the HSV equivalent? Do you have an opinion on anything or did you vote FAMILY FIRST? Oh sorry, are you of voting age?
if you didnt want people to look at you why do you own a GT falcon, a classic and a convertable? dont you buy these because in a way they are status symbols??
i think you should think about what your saying!
Gee, he really is a wierdo :D
To TONYN, I didn’y buy the cars for people to look at me, I bought them because I like them. If status was as important to me as it obviously is to you I would not have bought a Ford. As said before I think it represents a good package, locally hand assembled quad cam V8, 6 speed auto many manufacturers can only dream of and Brembo brakes to mention only a few appealing aspects. Certainly many parts are sourced from overseas but it is predominantly locally produced and I believe we need to support the local product where merited. Sadly my wifes convertible (note spelling) is European because we don’t have a local equivalent. The classic is of English manufacture, but with all the restoration of body, mechanicals etc it is nearly locally produced now and atleast the work done it helps pay many local people. You see TONYM you are making assumptions again, you must remember that not everyone wants to live their life the way you do. After all who wants to hear people say behind your back “look at that plonker. He sure is full of himself.”
suburban,
i dont get what your trying to prove?
We all spend a bit of time on here, and everyone has there right to disagree, but i think we best all stop the insults, if you can remember someone else who used to come on here and it got out of hand!
i think you have double standards suburban driver, and we all just need to agree to disagree!
and the 6 speed auto is the choice of most falcon GT owners, so why would you get upset about that?
No Suburban, I don’t think about any question that you put forward to me. But you are more than welcome to waste your time and ask more, I don’t mind.
However, since you revealed in your questions, that you have an overwhelming technical expertise regarding Hyundai and Family First, I know more about you then you know about me sunshine.
To TONYN, couldn’t agree with you more. After all we don’t want the editor getting upset with us and ‘chucking us of the site’ because then what we do all day! Believe me when I say I am not upset about the 6 speed, I should have typed “and YES, I have the speed auto!” It is a superb transmission and considering 90% of the driving I do is in daily traffic around the suburbs I can’t get over how flexible that transmission is. I drove the HSV for 2 days prior to making the choice and sadly the HSV misses badly in that area; actually it seems to miss in a number of ways. I must admit though if you are looking for sports type handling you would want to buy the HSV.
Hey MOMO, I think you are right, you don’t think about anything. If you aren’t going to contribute just read but don’t respond. We won’t mind.
Suburban, LMAO, who’s we? Look around, you obviously only speak for yourself here, where are your friends?
So Suburban, do you have any friends at all, I’m just curious.
To MOMO, you are right I should not have made reference to ‘we’ because I am writing for myself. But ’sunshine’, you do need to contribute and since you aren’t I won’t respond to you again.
Then I shall take your answer as a NO to my question.
I Pity you.
Momo……..I think we all pity him
Mate you started this remember….implying I drove nothing and never had nothing! I could have gone on further but couldn’t see the point…….and what is your point by the way! You think some people find me boring …….more find me interesting which is more than I can say about you. Why are you bothering to come on to this site except to degrade people so far you have not made a decent comment about a car at all! Wouldn’t be surprised if your the next to get banned like Toyota Paul did! The rest of us get on so why don’t you stop your little games and let us all know how much you do know…..still sounds to me your jealous and now you know Im female I guess thats embaressed you more……you one of those blokes that have a problem with women knowing more about cars than yourself…..met your kind before!
So its my comment on the Aston thats pissed you off ha……..so what if its my dream car! The last dream car I had 10 years ago I know own so Im thinking as I wish to retire young that would be my next! If you don’t have goals to work towards you wont achieve!
Me throwing what I have owned and driven shows I have experience in the cars……I therefor have a real right to comment on comparisons don’t you think……better than making an opinion based on hearsay and magazines all the time …..! 6 speed auto……..yawn…….real performance cars in my opinion have clutches!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look how many friends you have made since you have made an appearance in the last 24 hours,you normally this popular!
i dont quite know how to take that comment suburban? were you taking the p#ss out of me or are you agreeing?
i think there is plenty of un needed insults and posts on here, not needed, i really dont know your point, just seems like your trying to cause unrest?
No more from the NEW Toyota Paul!!!!! You know he will be back guys!
He’s definitely jealous of people driving better cars than his, thats why he tried so hard to justify his own car and degrade others.
Unfortunately he chose to take the piss out of you BM, since you owned more interesting cars than most do here.
He tried to project a powerful know-it-all demeanor that is all invincible, but deep inside he’s a very lonely and insecure man.
Good luck to him, he really needs help.
At least I don’t drive the truck every day like suburban driver.
SUBURBAN DRIVER(akaBenjie,foolball head, Toyota paul, GhisGt, Harry)
Why is your name in caps lock? Is it to make people scared the way you drive an un-practial SUV? F-250s bigger than your crapy daily drive and I don’t drive the F-Truck every day.
I would rather own an old Corona with a starfire four engine with a manual for a daily drive than a crap SUV.
Thanks guys…….but I think he needs more than help!
Gee Bavarian,I don’t think I can take the put downs!!
LOL
David……….I don’t take in personally ,I just think he has issues! Pity I was at the doctors when he came back!
I am quite honestly surprised you all bother. People like you amuse immensely, you just don’t know when to stop which is why I have now stopped.
thankyou Suburban cause you added nothing to the post other than to upset everyone. i find it irritating that you blame all the other posters on here yet you added nothing about the cars, just tryed to pick on the other posters.
Talk about cars all you want but dont abuse the other posters.
Here ….here!
Dont know why we bother………cause you come on here from know where…no creditability and start bagging me then others! glad you have stopped don’t bother coming back!
SUBURBAN DRIVER, People(or things) like you amuse me at the way you were so stupid.