Picking up speed

Ian Fleming’s character may have been a Bentley man, but car maker Aston Martin’s association with the James Bond movie franchise has done wonders for the brand.

In the real world you may be an ageing executive with a gut like a wok smuggler and a tragic comb-over, but the moment you slip behind the wheel your mundane existence is transformed. It’s goodbye regional accounts manager, hello international man of mystery, saving the world by day and coaxing improbably beautiful women into the horizontal by night with no more than the twitch of a sardonic eyebrow.

And now it seems likely that the retail investor will be able to get a slice of the action for a little less than the £149,000 average selling price of Aston Martin cars in the past six months when the company goes for a stock exchange listing. This is expected in the next two years.

Aston Martin has undergone something of a hand-brake turn after years of losses, with cars sold rising by 67% to 2,439 in the six months, revenues nigh on doubling and profits rising to a record £21.1m.

The numbers were helped by the UK’S calamitous decision to leave the EU, causing a slump in the pound that was good news for a company that exports about 80% of its vehicles.

Plans are afoot to revamp Aston Martin’s line-up of vehicles, following many of its rivals by sticking the brand name on a sports utility vehicle and an electric car, as well as exploring possibilities in boats, real estate and even the terrible prospect of a range of leisure wear.

The moment you slip behind the wheel of an Aston Martin, it’s goodbye regional accounts manager, hello international man of mystery