ANDY PALMER AT ASTON

2014

October – Palmer starts work at Gaydon, inheriting a firm selling about 4000 cars a year and losing money. He previously ran Nissan product development, but left after Carlos Ghosn quashed his hopes of running the show.

2015

DBX concept is a statement of intent. ‘What would you rather have: a bankrupt Aston or a crossover in the range?’ Palmer asks CAR.

2016 pt1

DB11 shown at Geneva, the first of seven cars in Palmer’s ‘second century plan’. ‘If this plan works, it will be a greater transformation than the DB9 and Vantage brought,’ he tells us. ‘They didn’t transform Aston into a viable company.’

2016 pt2

Plans are announced for a new factory in St Athan, Wales. A technical partnership is established with Red Bull, one that will yield the Valkyrie hypercar, co-designed with Adrian Newey.

2017

Palmer’s highpoint: record revenue of £876m fuelled by DB11 sales. The company also announces plans to resurrect Lagonda as an EV brand, and mulls becoming an F1 engine supplier.

2018

New Vantage launches, and Palmer begins investigating an Aston Martin IPO. In October, the company floats, with shares priced at £19. Four months later it reports a £68m loss for the year, and shares plummet.

2019

Aston shows two mid-engined concepts, a million-quid rival to LaFerrari and a V6 hybrid junior supercar – though no Valkyrie has yet been delivered.

2020 pt1

Aston raises £500m, with a rights issue and a cash injection from Lawrence Stroll’s consortium. Debt remains high, and the pandemic forces factory closures. With the share price now at 30p, Andy Palmer stands down.

2020 pt2

AMG man Tobias Moers is confirmed as Palmer’s replacement. Share value immediately jumps.