Does Ford Own Aston Martin?

What is the Aston Martin-Ford connection? Did Ford copy Aston Martin with the Ford Fusion design elements? Aston Martin shoppers throughout Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens may know that Aston Martin was owned by Ford for 20 years out of its century-long enterprise. But who owns Aston Martin today? Learn more about the Aston Martin-Ford connection with the help of Aston Martin Palm Beach below. 

Is Aston Martin Owned by Ford?

Does Ford own Aston Martin? If you asked 20 years ago, “Is Aston Martin Owned by Ford?” the answer would have been, “Yes!” Aston Martin was owned by Ford for 20 years, but nowadays, that’s not the case.

So what exactly is the history of Aston Martin’s ownership? Well, Aston Martin Palm Beach covers the details below for our Palm Beach Gardens-area customers. 

• 1913: The first actual Aston Martin model was created by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford when they fitted a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine into the chassis of a 1908 Isotta Fraschini. Legitimate production of their vehicles couldn’t begin until 1947 due to the start of the first World War. In between these periods, the company bounced between a variety of owners.
• 1947–1972: In 1947, David Brown Limited, an old and well established business, bought Aston Martin. They released five consecutive models catered to a racing design and shaped the future of Aston Martin. 
• 1972–1975: After paying off debts that they had accumulated, David Brown sold Aston Martin to William Wilson. A number of factors, including a recession, minimal liquidity, changes in vehicle emission standards, led to Aston Martin leaving Wilson’s hands. 
• 1975-1981: The receivership that took over Aston Martin sold the business to three North American owners: Peter Sprague, George Minden, and Jeremy Turner, who developed some of the most iconic Aston Martin vehicles, like the V8 Vantage and Volante. 
• 1981–1991: These years saw another sale to Victor Gauntlett of Pace Patroleum, where another decade of financial struggles were followed by a shareholding from the then vice president of Ford of Europe, Walter Hayes, in 1987. 
• 1987/1991–2007: Ford Motor Company officially owned Aston Martin for almost 20 years, first buying a 75% stake in 1987, and the rest came later. This put the company as part of the Premier Automotive Group.
• 2007–2018: 2007 brought the purchase of Aston Martin by David Richards, the chairman of the Prodrive Motorsport Company. He remained the owner until 2013, when he chose to return to Prodrive, leaving Aston Martin with Dr. Ulrich Bez as a non-executive chairman of the company, and Nissan executive Andy Palmer as the CEO. Also in 2013, Aston Martin signed a deal with Daimler AG. The partnership with Daimler AG still exists today, supplying the current generation of Aston Martin vehicles with Mercedes-AMG engines. 
• 2018–Present: In 2020, Canadian billionaire and investor Lawrence Stroll led a consortium to gain a 25% stake in the company. Today, Stroll is the chairman of Aston Martin, and Tobias Moers of Mercedes-AMG is the CEO. 

Did Ford Copy Aston Martin with the Ford Fusion?

While the now discontinued Ford Fusion grille does bear a passing resemblance to that of the Aston Martin, the similarities end there. Aston Martin is pure elite luxury, and you can see it in every design element, whereas the Ford Fusion is a basic, one-size-fits-all sedan for Wellington shoppers on a budget. 

Test Drive an Aston Martin at Aston Martin Palm Beach Today! 

Now that we’ve answered the questions, “Did Ford copy Aston Martin with the Ford Fusion?” and, “Does Ford Own Aston Martin?” take a moment to learn more about the history of Aston Martin, as well as how to pronounce Aston Martin! Then, contact us to inquire about our newest models in West Palm Beach!