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Aston Martin considering three new model lines

With a new captain at the helm and flush with development cash, Aston Martin is undertaking an ambitious revitalization. The company provided some new details on that plan at the Shanghai Motor Show this week. Called the Second Century plan, the steps outlined by the company's new chief executive Andy Palmer include replacing every model in Aston's lineup by the end of this decade – now less than five years away. That's a pretty aggressive plan, but one that critics would say is sorely needed for a company with a model line as antiquated as Gaydon's. But that's not the end of the story. In addition to replacing its current models, Aston's revitalization plan also calls for adding "up to three new model lines" to its range. Now we already knew that the British automaker is working on bringing the DBX crossover concept to production, as well as a Lagonda sedan more widely available than the strictly limited Taraf. But just what that third model line would be, we don't know at this point. We could be looking at a new sports car, an additional Lagonda model (perhaps a larger crossover) or something else entirely. One thing's for sure, though: Aston isn't about to reskin one of its current models and call it a day as it has been (to considerable effect, mind you) for much of its recent history. It has a new platform under development, a new deal with Mercedes to provide engines and other technologies, and an influx of R&D funds provided principally by its new stakeholder Investindustrial. All of that adds up to a breath of fresh air being blown into the century-old automaker the likes of which it hasn't seen since Ford rescued it from obscurity in the 1990s and gave most of the building blocks it's still using today. ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LOOKS AHEAD IN CHINA - Asia show debuts for DBX Concept and Lagonda Taraf - Comprehensive product renewal and expansion ahead - Aston Martin underlines commitment to the Chinese market 20 April 2015, Shanghai: Luxury British car brand Aston Martin Lagonda is confidently looking to the future at the 16th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, with CEO Dr Andy Palmer leading the company into an exciting new era reaching far into the next decade. For the first time in China the innovative DBX Concept and exclusive Lagonda Taraf were unveiled, spearheading Aston Martin's display at the show.

Aston launches certification program for historic cars

After 102 years in business, Aston Martin has an in-house program to provide factory certification to the products it has made for more than a century. The Aston Martin Assured Provenance program is a way for owners to have their classic cars examined by the gents at Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell, and then - if successful - be assessed one of four levels of certification. Owners pay a fee to have their car looked over by in-house experts who perform a digital scan and then examine all of the car's visuals and mechanics. Those records are then given to the Sanctioning Committee, another group of experts that decides which level, from Platinum to Bronze, should be awarded to the vehicle. The owner pays another fee if the car get certified, after which said owner gets a photo book of the car, the certificate in a presentation case, two sets of plaques for the instrument panel and door sills, and a USB with the digital record of the car. The program is open to original vehicles and those reworked by Aston Martin. The press release below has more. Related Video: ASTON MARTIN LAUNCHES ASSURED PROVENANCE RATING FOR CLASSIC CARS 11 September 2015, Gaydon - Aston Martin is today unveiling an authoritative new Assured Provenance certification programme which, for the first time in the brand's 102-year history, comprehensively assesses the background of its heritage sports cars. Created to offer a true blue riband service to heritage car owners and collectors, and drawing on the unrivalled knowledge of a committee of authoritative Aston Martin experts, the pioneering Assured Provenance certification programme is administered and run by the brand's world-renowned in-house heritage car facility – Aston Martin Works. The first official authentication programme to be provided in-house by Aston Martin, the new scheme offers four levels of verification to take into account not simply all-original examples, but also sports cars that have been modified by Aston Martin itself over the years. As part of the painstaking procedure of examination and authentication, all cars submitted to the process will undergo a digital scan which will be verified and held in a secure archive for future reference. Every car will be assessed at Aston Martin's internationally renowned heritage restoration, service and repair facility – Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire – where they will undergo a thorough visual and mechanical investigation.

Mercedes increases stake in Aston Martin

As part of an increasingly close partnership, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler is reportedly preparing to increase its stake in Aston Martin by another one percent, bringing the German automaker's shares in the British company up to five percent.
The rapprochement between the two has been in the works for years now, and is finally beginning to take form. Mercedes-AMG is in the midst of developing a new engine with and for Aston Martin in an apparently similar arrangement to that which it has with Pagani. But that's not the extent of it.
Daimler will also furnish Aston Martin with electrical systems and other components, said to lead up to the eventual sharing of platforms: one to underpin future GTs and another to serve as the basis for a long-mooted Aston Martin crossover, now said to be back on the table and slated to launch in 2017. The prospect of using the partnership to reinvigorate both the Lagonda and Maybach luxury brands, however, has since been taken off the table, with both parties continuing those projects independently.