Aston Martin's Next Century

 James Bond may have put it on the map, but the British marque is determined to stir, not be shaken. 

- Jaclyn Trop

WITH SEVEN BANK RUPTCIES in its first 100 years, you can forgive Aston Martin, the British bespoke carmaker, for wanting to focus on its “Second Century”. That’s the name given to its strategy promising a wholesale reinvention of 007’s favoured marque. With new leadership, the storied luxury brand has been running at breakneck speed, looking to launch seven models in seven years, including electric cars and its first-ever SUV.

“You’re going to see quite a lot of us this year,” marketing chief Simon Sproule said in March at the global launch for Vantage, Aston Martin’s $150,000 (near Rs 1 crore) “entry-level” car and the second model in its turnaround plan.

The brand hasn’t always been a safe financial bet, but after a record performance last year, the carmaker is talking about an IPO, a move that would test investors’ interest in British companies ahead of Brexit next spring.