Ulrich Bez
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While Aston Martin is among the most storied British sports car brands, it's had its share of ups and downs over the decades. Now it appears that the man who helped return Aston Martin to prominence and give it a role as a global player is about to retire. Dr. Ulrich Bez, who has led the brand since 2000, will step down and take a more "ambassadorial" role, according to Autocar. Bez was appointed as CEO of Aston Martin under Ford ownership, and stayed on even after Ford spun it out to private investors in 2007. On his watch, Aston Martin sales rose from a few hundred each year to thousands...
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BMW Celebrates 25th Anniversary Of Its First Z Car, The Z1BMW’s first Z car, the largely unheard of Z1 roadster, has turned 25 and to mark the anniversary BMW, together with the official BMW Z1 Club, will be out and celebrating. The club has organized a special tour, the main highlight of which will be a visit to BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin Cygnet Sales Slow, Supply Problems To Blame
Grand Prix racing legend Sir Stirling Moss might have a shiny new Aston Martin Cygnet parked on his driveway, but he's currently in a minority. Dr. Ulrich Bez, chairman of Aston Martin, has admitted that initial sales have been slow - though rather than disinterest in Aston Martin's controversial...
Antony Ingram -
Aston Martin Presents Proceeds From Rapide Auction To Toyota
You may recall that last month the CEO of Aston Martin, Dr. Ulrich Bez, auctioned off his Rapide company car in order to raise funds for the Japan earthquake relief effort. Bez, and his counterpart at Toyota, Akio Toyoda, are at the Nurburgring 24 Hours race taking place in Germany this weekend...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin Auctioning Rapide To Aid Japan
It’s been two months since the Japan earthquake disaster but the effects, especially on the auto industry, are still being felt all around the world. Aston Martin is showing its full support for the island nation, with its CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez announcing plans to auction his Rapide company car...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin Considering Reviving Straight-Six Engine?
Aston Martin’s engine lineup is currently limited to a range of bespoke V-8 and V-12 powerplants, developing upwards of 750 horsepower in some applications. However, just a few years ago the niche British automaker was selling cars fitted with more mundane six-cylinder engines. Such an engine...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin is hard at work figuring out just what to do with its Lagonda revival plans. The automaker first revealed back in 2008 plans to revive the Lagonda name for a new range of bespoke models, the first of which was originally slated to appear in 2012, but exactly what market segments to enter is shaping up to be a difficult question for executives. The primary goal of reviving the Lagonda brand is to allow Aston Martin to develop cars which can have a different character to a sports car and therefore offer a perfect synergy. Lagonda will use a unique design language; it will take...
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Aston Martin Cygnet Gets Production Green Light
Aston Martin has announced today that its Cygnet minicar based on the Toyota iQ is no longer a concept and is soon to become reality. That reality will be coming as early as next year in fact when full production of the controversial new model is scheduled to start. Described as the luxury solution...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin Hopes Cygnet Can Push Sales Beyond 6,000 Cars Per Year
Love it or loathe it but Aston Martin’s Cygnet luxury minicar based on the Toyota iQ is here to stay. For whatever reasons Aston Martin deemed it necessary to build such a model, be it emissions regulations, demand from brand loyalists for an urban commuter, or a desperate grab for new...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin Rules Out Hybrids, Lagonda A Possibility
While many luxury automakers, including the likes of Rolls-Royce, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, see hybrid technology as a vital part of their future, Aston Martin is adamant that it will have no part in this area. Part of the reason is that Aston Martin sees itself as a manufacturer of uncompromised...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Boss Bez Says V-12 Vantage Headed To U.S.
Reports of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage's off-limit-ness may be greatly exaggerated.
Nelson Ireson
