Ford Looks for an Ejector Seat on Aston Martin Brand

In the movies, James Bond never had to worry about the bad guys because Aston Martin had his back with a slick, fitted-out ride. But for the Aston Martin brand, there isn't an ejector seat or tire-slashing, rear-mounted water-cannon defense system anywhere that can block a Detroit auto chief on a mission to downsize.

Ford Motor Co., which owns Aston Martin, announced yesterday that it is considering strategic options for the 92-year-old British auto brand, with "particular emphasis on a potential sale of all or a portion of the unit." Ford, which lost $1.4 billion in the first half of the year, has also been shopping its Jaguar and Land Rover brands.

A Ford spokesman said that the automaker has received a lot of behind-the-scenes inquiries about Aston Martin and that the company wanted to make clear that all suitors are welcome. The spokesman, Tom Hoyt, would not divulge the automaker's asking price. As for the cars, an entry-level Vantage starts at $112,000. The top-level Vanquish carries a $270,000 price tag.

In a statement, Ford Chairman Bill Ford said the sale of Aston Martin would represent an attractive opportunity to "raise capital and generate value." He said he wanted Aston Martin to reach its potential while enabling Ford to efficiently raise capital for its other brands. He said Aston Martin has flourished under Ford's ownership.

Bill Ford and other leaders at the company are grappling with questions about how to put the automaker on track for a profitable future. Executives have admitted to making a wrong turn by becoming too dependent on sales of large trucks and sport-utility vehicles. To stem losses, Ford officials are stepping up their overhaul plan. Ford plans to unveil a new plan -- dubbed the Way Forward 2 -- in the middle of the month.

Ford bought a 75 percent stake in Aston Martin in 1987 and the remaining 25 percent in the early 1990s, when fewer than 100 cars were built per year. Ford invested heavily in the brand, bringing out new models and building a new headquarters and assembly plant. Last year, Aston Martin built 4,500 vehicles, and it is targeting 5,000 vehicles this year. Aston Martin has built a total of about 30,000 vehicles. Typically, Ford sells 200,000 to 300,000 cars per month.

Though Aston Martin is a glamorous name, Ford's long-term survival depends on reinvigorating core U.S. brands Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, said Mark Rikess, chief executive of the Rikess Group, an automotive consulting firm in Burbank, Calif.

"Ford is so stretched. It doesn't have enough engineers, designers, enough executives," Rikess said. "Right now, Aston Martin is costing them in focus. Anything that takes their eye off turning around Ford and Lincoln-Mercury really drives up their costs."

Ford, in the statement, said the automaker has made no decision on the fate of the other luxury brands. He said he was encouraged by the "appeal" of Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar.