Aston Martin has confirmed it has been talking to both Westminster and the Welsh Government over its plans to open a new plant to build its new eco-friendly sports car.
Headquartered in Gaydon, Warwickshire, the company behind James Bond’s prefered car says it has shortlisted two sites, one in Birmingham the other in Bridgend, South Wales. In a short statement, Aston Martin said it was holding “ongoing talks” with the Government and regional funding bodies, including Finance Wales.
It’s believed one Welsh site under consideration is adjacent to Ford’s Bridgend engine plant which employs around 2,200 people. That operation has already attracted mixed feelings after the car giant announced it wanted to increase engine production to 250,000 a year — a third more than current output — while cutting the workforce by 200.
“Aston Martin is such an iconic brand,” admitted local councillor Rob Jones, “that any investment would be welcome. We need the investment and we need the jobs.”
Unveiled at last month’s Geneva Motor Show, the DBX is Aston Martin’s attempt to attract more female, young and Asian drivers while cashing in on the electric or hybrid market.
In Switzerland, chief executive Andy Palmer explained: “The DBX Concept is a challenge to the existing status quo in the high luxury GT segment. It envisages a world, perhaps a world not too far away, when luxury GT travel is not only stylish and luxurious but also more practical, more family friendly and more environmentally responsible.”
More recently a company spokesman added: “We are studying the business case for the DBX and a significant part of that involves how and where we build that vehicle.”
Last year, Aston Martin sold 4,000 cars, almost half of its record-breaking total of 7,300 in 2007. It has now set a new target of 16,000 cars a year.
And while the Aston Martin-James Bond partnership has not always been constant, it remains the most successful automotive collaboration in world cinema history.
Currently in production and due for a November release, the next Bond film, Spectre, will feature a bespoke specially-created Aston Martin DB10, extending the long-running Bond franchise which dates back to the DB5 driven by Sean Connery in the third Bond film, Goldfinger.
