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Major Aston Martin shareholder cuts stake in British carmaker

A top Aston Martin shareholder cut its stake in the British carmaker by nearly 5%, a regulatory filing showed on Monday. Italian private-equity firm Investindustrial Advisors Ltd disclosed a stake of 14.99% in Aston Martin as of May 29, compared with its previous stake of 19.92%. It was not immediately clear why the fund cut its stake.  Investindustrial is the company's second-biggest shareholder after Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. The 107-year old luxury carmaker in May posted a deep first-quarter loss after sales dropped by almost a third due to the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Aston Martin and the PE firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) Related Video:

Aston Martin’s Valkyrie looks ready to melt ice in new photos

Aston Martin took to Instagram to release a trio of official images of its forthcoming Valkyrie hypercar bathed in a graduated, nose-to-tail ice blue color scheme befitting its mythological Nordic name and making it look sleek, fast and aggressive. Built from a partnership with Red Bull Racing, the Formula 1-inspired but road-legal car appears to have been further refined since we last saw comprehensive images of a prototype last year. CEO Andy Palmer last month tweeted a 20-second teaser clip to show off the high-revving, F1-like sound of its 6.5-liter V12 engine, which is loosely based on Cosworth's 2.4-liter V8 but rumored to hover above 1,000 horsepower, plus more from a kinetic energy recovery system working the front axle, making it likely the fastest street-legal production car. Taking inspiration from today's #F1 race cars, Aston Martin Valkyrie features a reclined 'feet up' position, ensuring the driver feels at one with the car for the ultimate drive experience #BeautifulToDrive #AstonMartin #AstonMartinValkyrie A post shared by Aston Martin (@astonmartinlagonda) on Nov 1, 2018 at 11:30am PDT The F1 influence is clear from the shot of the cabin, which is swathed in carbon fiber and where the seats are positioned in a reclined "feet up" position. It also features six-point harnesses for driver and passenger, and a steering wheel that will display all information for the driver. There are also two screens visible — one centered on the console, the other positioned near the door jamb, which is likely a camera-monitor replacement for side mirrors, meaning there's almost certainly a third screen on the driver's side that isn't visible in the photo. Motor 1 reports that the Valkyrie is in the final stages of simulation, with an actual car set to begin testing late this year or early in 2019, though the final version will likely weigh a bit more than its targeted 2,204 pounds. All 150 models have been sold out and are scheduled for delivery in 2019. A track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro said to make 1,100 hp and do a top speed of 225 mph is also planned for 2020. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin Valkyrie Image Credit: Aston Martin Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance supercar Red Bull Racing hypercar Aston Martin Valkyrie aston martin valkyrie amr pro

Aston Martin DB5 from ‘GoldenEye’ will be auctioned

Think of an Aston Martin DB5 in a Bond film, and you're likely to think of "Goldfinger" — the film and the car are forever linked in cinema history. But it's not the only Bond film with a DB5 chase, as the producers were eager to establish Pierce Brosnan as a credible Sean Connery equivalent, and put him in a DB5 on a mountain road in 1995's "GoldenEye." There was no white Mustang to chase in "GoldenEye," as Brosnan's Bond played with a red, reportedly rented Ferrari F355 driven by Famke Janssen. A few years after the film's premiere, in 2001, the DB5 was sold for $200,000. That doesn't sound fantastical for a Bond car, but at the time it was the most expensive piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold. At the end of the decade, the actual "Goldfinger" DB5 sold for roughly $4 million, which is unlikely to be topped by the "GoldenEye" car this summer. The car is not a barn-find or a lost cinema classic, either, as it has been on display in several museums such as the National Motor Museum in Britain. Bonhams will be auctioning this DB5 on July 13 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The car's estimated at $1.6 million to $2.14 million, which is still half or less than half of what the "Goldfinger" car brought in. Still, it's a silver Aston Martin with actual cinema history, and it's believably one of the reasons why restored classic Astons still get resprayed in Silver Birch. Related Video: