http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/02/...tin/#more-4744

 

That rates up there on the daily news wtf scale.

Not that Ford is selling it, but who is buying it.

 

wtf
ok first why would louis vuitton want to own a car company? Second how can they expect to keep austin martin anywhere near the car that it is today?

 

In the words of Johnny Mac "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS"

This really blows the mind, question is does Dr. Ulrich Bez stay or go?

 

I hope LV can sustain the investment needed to keep Aston's place in the market, otherwise it'll just be... sad.

I'm betting on sad.

- GJ, former owner of a 1977 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

 

Oh man. The french just bought Astro Martin. I cant wait until the next one shows up on top gear.

 

I wonder if Iam Calum went with the brand or did they keep him on to update the XK?

 

He was promoted to running Jaguar styling a few years ago, so I assume he's still with Ford.

 

Well now... that's some serious diversification for LV.

 

It's hard to imagine them going it completely alone. A boutique maker like that usually needs the resources and borrowed components of a volume manufacturer to survive. Perhaps part of the deal is that Ford still helps them out in that area.

 

Pull the designer from Austin Martin aside to Jag. Have Iam make the XK look like an Austin Martin. Sell Austin Martin though really keeping it through the XK and Iam Callum. How is Louis Viton going to keep Austin Martin competitive without Iam, and pretty slick on Fords part if I got this right...

 

What's "Austin Martin"?

Anyhow...if they mess with my beloved V8 Vantage, I'm going to go into convulsions.

 

Apparently Ford will still own 15% of Aston, so there will presumably continue to be technology sharing, parts bin access, etc.

 

I'm calling this one: Louis Vuitton upholstery.

 

If the article is right, they sold it for *only* 1.2 billion? What will that do compared to their losses of 12 billion? That sounds like an unnecessary sale, unless the division was losing money.