Aston Martin 'set for British takeover'
Aston Martin, the favourite car of James Bond, may soon be under British ownership once more.
The sport car company, currently owned by giant American company Ford, is likely to be bought next week by a consortium led by motor sport entrepreneur Dave Richards.
Mr Richards is the head of performance car specialists Prodrive and helps run Aston Martin's own racing team.
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Sean Connery with the ultimate 'British' Bond car
Ford would not confirm any sale today but a motor industry source said: "It's pretty likely that this deal will go ahead next week and will be around £400 million to £500 million."
Now based at Gaydon in Warwickshire, Aston Martin has been 100% owned by Ford since the early 1990s. Aston Martin and James Bond have had a long association. The first 007 - Sean Connery - drove an Aston Martin DB5 in the 1964 Bond movie Goldfinger.
Versions of the car also appeared in a number of other 007 films, including Thunderball, The Living Daylights, Goldeneye and Die Another Day, while the latest Bond - Daniel Craig - drove an Aston Martin in Casino Royale.
A Ford spokesman said today: "We have had a lot of interest in Aston Martin. The sale process is continuing and it would be inappropriate to say anything more at the moment."
