Daimler Has no Desire to Run Aston Martin
While Aston Martin has been better off than other, say, lower-tier British sportscar makers (cough, cough Lotus), they still struggle at profitability every so often. The company is even ditching in-house engines in its next generation of cars in favor of AMG engines; a partnership that had many wondering if Daimler would buy a controlling stake in the company. Now we have our answer. No.
Speaking at last week’s Paris Motor Show, Dieter Zetsche, Daimler CEO told Autocar that the company has no plans on acquiring a controlling interest in the British nameplate, or even raising its stake past the 5 percent it already has.
The Mercedes CEO said that controlling Aston Martin wouldn’t be in the interest of either Aston or Daimler, and that if Daimler would take up control of Aston, it might become a distraction from their “core business.” Here’s the thing: Aston’s lineup has been super stagnant for the past decade, and Daimler doesn’t really have a sports car segment. Sure, they have AMG, but a not a true sports-car lineup. AMGs are still big heavy tourers and a potential partnership between the two companies should not be overlooked by the group.
In the end, who knows what the future may bring? Daimler could completely go back on its own words and scoop up Aston. Only time will tell, but after these comments, the folks at Gaydon might be a little uneasy.