Now Pay Attention 007

Word is coming out that Ford has begun considering selling off the Aston Martin brand which they purchased a few short years ago. If the name Aston Martin sounds somewhat familiar to you non-car people out there that's because James Bond famously drove the DB5 model in "Goldfinger" and the pictured Vanquish in "Die Another Day." Aston Martin had long been among the top British luxury automakers and had built a reputation and image thanks in large part to the British superspy. During the late 90's and early part of this century (that's fun to say isn't it?) the Ford Motor Company began latching on to these British companies in the hope of adding a bit of luxury luster to their image.

During this time, British brands such as Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover came under the control of Ford and the previous marquee of British engineering went the Good 'Ol American Know-How route. Although Jaguar and Land Rover are quite popular the Aston Martin brand has been one that hasn't done as well for the Ford folks. Had one thought about the situation, it would have been obvious from the beginning that this would be the case. That's not to say that Aston Martin's aren't great cars. On the contrary, I'm sure their fabulous cars but they are insanely expensive luxury cars whose sales can be tallied with a few sheets of paper as opposed to spreadsheets to coallate the annual sales of Fords and other such brands.

To give you an idea of just how expensive these brands can be, there are houses in the Washington region (albeit in not-so-chic neighborhoods) that sell for less than what the cost of one Aston Martin. No wonder Q would get upset with James Bond when he wouldn't blow his cars up, that's a lot of tax-payer dollars right there! I remember when I picked up my car at the dealer; his office overlooked the Aston Martin dealership. Sitting in the showroom at that time was a brand new Vanquish. It was a beautiful car and it sounds great when idling or roaring down the roads. Out of curiousity I asked how the cars had been selling as the showroom seemed unusually quiet. The salesman told me that although sales were steady, in the grand scheme of things they weren't selling as well as they should have.

What could be the reason? Well, part of it is the fact that British engineered motor cars are no longer truly "British engineered." I mean sure, the cars are designed in England, but the engines in a lot of these vehicles are manufactured by other companies and not necessarily all by Ford. One of James Bond's other brands of choice, Lotus, released the fast and fun Elise last year to much ballyhoo. However, the engine is a Toyota Celica engine. Fast and reliable, but it isn't truly British is it? I mean it's like a kit car; sure the outside looks like a Lamborghini or Ferrari Testarossa but underneath it's only a Pontiac Fiero or Volkswagen. In the case of Lamborghini that may soon become true too!

Costs for luxury and exotic cars is on the rise and in a big way. These cars aren't the most fuel efficient and in having prices up so high, it isn't surprising that a lot of these companies are having difficulty making sales. I'm sure if the costs were a bit lower, there would be tons of drivers looking to get behind the wheel of these beautiful machines. As it stands, it's just out of the league of the average Joe. But at least there's some silver lining to the situation. In buying an Aston Martin (for a short while longer), Jaguar or Land Rover, you can proudly say that you're buying an American car!