... and become the lucky owner of a stock of brand new Mondeo engines?
Apparently the Koweiti investors have put for sale 50% of the shares and have offers from an Italian fund (the one which just sold Ducati to Audi) and India's Mahindra (owner of Korea's SSangyong

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Pilouil
Citroen C3 1.4 HDI 69.0424 bhp

Who knows? But whoever does buy Aston needs to be serious and invest heavily in order for them to keep pace with respective rivals. They could do away with the Cygnet for starters

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You're a big man, but you're in bad shape. With me it's a full time job. Now behave yourself.

I don't mind the Cygnet, I see it as the ultimate two-fingered salute to the stupid emissions regs. Without it, the "real" Astons would have to pump out less of whatever it is people are supposed to care about these days.

I'd prefer it if the slapped an Aston badge on some old Ford Puma shells... Hang on, I have an idea

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You're a big man, but you're in bad shape. With me it's a full time job. Now behave yourself.

JL said...

I don't mind the Cygnet,

JLINC

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If there is an emergency, please call 999.

I did try to explain why

Possible AMG link? - Pistonheads thinks so Click

Updated November 26, 2012 at 1:02 PM

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You're a big man, but you're in bad shape. With me it's a full time job. Now behave yourself.

27Gilles said...

Possible AMG link? - Pistonheads thinks so Click

AM AMG?

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If there is an emergency, please call 999.

JL said...

I don't mind the Cygnet, I see it as the ultimate two-fingered salute to the stupid emissions regs. Without it, the "real" Astons would have to pump out less of whatever it is people are supposed to care about these days.

Apparently:

a) It is still a Toyota, so Toyota get the CO2 emissions, not that they need them.
b) A manufacturer must produce 10,000 total units per year in order to be constrained by the average CO2 regs. Does not apply to AML, they produce half that.

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This ^

240PP said...

JL said...

I don't mind the Cygnet, I see it as the ultimate two-fingered salute to the stupid emissions regs. Without it, the "real" Astons would have to pump out less of whatever it is people are supposed to care about these days.

Apparently:

a) It is still a Toyota, so Toyota get the CO2 emissions, not that they need them.
b) A manufacturer must produce 10,000 total units per year in order to be constrained by the average CO2 regs. Does not apply to AML, they produce half that.

I am dubious about point A. Could someone pop out and buy a Cygnet just to see what manufacter is listed on the V5?

Thanks in advance.

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How are you doing? Is you good becos' I want to know.

if i had the money, i would be tempted to stuff the biggest lump i could fit into a cygnet, to catch people off guard.

27Gilles said...

Possible AMG link? - Pistonheads thinks so Click

Makes a lot of sense, BMW and VW own an English brand, it would be a status thing perhaps.

Does it make sense? Merc/AMG already covers everything AM do up to the SLS/Vanquish, so why would they want a rival with the same running gear, but a (arguably) better looking body? Pagani covers the ridiculous price bracket too.

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Cheers,

Ian

Yes but Merc/AMG aren't "bespoke" which is what AM aims for. Like Bentley to VW the AM brand wouldn't necessarily be the best but more of a statement of wealth and taste.

Yes they're not bespoke, but VW/Bentley and BMW/RR enabled them to enter different price brackets. Same with Lambo and Bugatti, and Seat and Skoda for that matter. AMG already have one guy hand building each engine... Good enough for me!

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Cheers,

Ian

Depends on the nature of the link - my feeling is that they're not talking of Mercedes (or AMG) buying AM, but the Italian investors having secured the possibility to buy / contract running gears from Mercedes/AMG.
For Mercedes it would make sense as they will make more money by both directly selling AMG cars and supplying engines to another manufacturer (even if this one marginally canibalises some AMG sales).

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Pilouil
Citroen C3 1.4 HDI 69.0424 bhp

1anf said...

AMG already have one guy hand building each engine... Good enough for me!

Marketing bollocks ? how else do you think volume car makers assemble their engines ? they are handbuilt, ok albiet not by one person.