Daimler AG’s intentions with Aston Martin appear to be very serious, as the parent company of Mercedes increased its stake in the British manufacturer from 4 to 5 percent on July 31, 2014.
“We didn’t make an announcement, but it is true that Daimler increased its stake in Aston Martin to 5 percent at the end of last month,” a spokeswoman told CAR magazine.
The two companies have already signed a cooperation agreement under which Daimler will supply engines (most likely V8s and V12s made by AMG) for future Aston Martin models.
So why did Daimler increase its stake in Aston Martin by just 1 percent? Well, that implies a welcome (but undisclosed) cash infusion for the UK automaker, which lacks the backing of a major automotive group. Obviously, Daimler could fully buy Aston Martin if it wanted to, but that is not a priority right now for the Germans.
Besides engines, Daimler will also supply electrical architectures to Aston Martin, which lags behind its competitors in the gadgets department. We’ll see what the future holds in store for Daimler and Aston Martin, but there are plenty of areas where the two companies could collaborate.
For instance, Daimler could supply an architecture (most likely from the Mercedes-Benz GL) for a possible Aston Martin SUV, despite the fact that the first product of the reborn Lagonda sub-brand will be a sedan.
By Dan Mihalascu
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