It seems that the earlier rumors of Ford looking to sell of some of it’s marques is true. The rumors had Jaguar and Land Rover being the targets for sale.

It seems however that Ford believe that there is a better chance of selling on of the premium marques, and as such have put Aston Martin up for sale. The only slight change to the previous rumors, beside the fact that it is Aston for sale, is the fact that Ford are looking to sell part or all of it, where they were looking to keep control of the manufacturing part of the Jaguar/LR deals.

“As part of our ongoing strategic review, we have determined that Aston Martin may be an attractive opportunity to raise capital and generate value,” said chairman and chief executive Bill Ford.

“Aston Martin Lagonda has flourished under Ford ownership, which is why we believe it is prudent to consider a sale of all or part of this prized brand.”

I must admit, that even though I am not the biggest Ford fan in the world, they have done well for the Aston Martin brand, allowing them to retain there own identity, even if the parts and technology share between the companies is high.

Aston is one of the only profitable parts of the Ford PAG (Premier Automotive Group), that also includes, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover. Jaguar and Land Rover have struggled to make money in the recent years, with Volvo not being massively profitable either.

Earlier in the month JCB had said it was interested in taking on the Jaguar brand if it was going to be sold by Ford, so perhaps they will be interested in the Aston sale as well. After all Aston Martin and Jaguar have always had a good working partnership.