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Reports are circulating that British-based sports car maker Aston Martin is seeking to contract out production of its first new model since the V8 Vantage to an engineering specialist in mainland Europe.
An article in Financial Times this morning suggested that the firm’s Gaydon-based management board has submitted requests to Italian, German, Austrian and Finnish companies for bids to build the forthcoming Rapide saloon.
The report identifies Pininfarina, Karmann, Magna and Valmet as the...Read the full article

Personally, I don't have a problem with Aston Martin manufacturing cars abroad. Surely long term survival is more important than aficionado snobbery. But hang on a second. Wasn’t the entire point of Aston’s decision to manufacture its cars around one platform (the VH platform) intended to make manufacturing at one establishment the most cost effective solution?

For gawds sake, you'll be telling me the Germans will be taking over Bentley and Rolls Royce next, that James Bond will be played by a blond and that the England football team will be managed by a Swede.

Now that would be bridge to far.................