Who Makes Aston Martin Cars? Ownership, Factories & Engines
Aston Martin cars are made by Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc, a publicly listed British company headquartered in Gaydon, England — not privately owned outright by any single person, despite common assumptions.
Ford owned Aston Martin for about two decades before selling it in 2007; today Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll leads the largest shareholder group through his Yew Tree Investments consortium, but Aston Martin remains a public company on the London Stock Exchange, not his personal property.
This guide covers who really owns Aston Martin today, where the cars and their engines are actually built, and the current model lineup.
Quick Answer
Aston Martin cars are built by Aston Martin Lagonda, a public British company. Sports cars (DB12, Vantage, DBS) are assembled at Gaydon, England; the DBX SUV is built at St Athan, Wales. V8 engines come from Mercedes-AMG in Germany under a partnership since 2013; V12 engines are still built in-house. Lawrence Stroll’s investment group is the largest shareholder and he serves as executive chairman, not sole owner.
The Heritage Of Aston Martin
Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford in London, England. Over the following century the company built a reputation for handcrafted British sports cars, becoming closely associated with luxury, performance, and the James Bond film franchise.
Ford Motor Company acquired a majority stake in 1987 and owned Aston Martin outright from 1994 until selling it to a consortium in 2007. The brand has changed hands several times since, and today trades publicly as Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc on the London Stock Exchange.
Who Owns Aston Martin Now?
Aston Martin is a publicly traded company, not privately owned by one person. Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll led a consortium called Yew Tree Investments that invested £182 million for a 16.7% stake in 2020, and he now serves as executive chairman — but his stake, while the largest single shareholder position, is a minority of the total company.
Stroll is also the owner of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team. In early 2026, he sold the F1 team’s naming rights to a separately Stroll-controlled entity, AMR GP Holdings, for £50 million, a move aimed at shoring up the wider group’s finances.
Where Are Aston Martin Cars Made?
Every Aston Martin is built in the United Kingdom, but at one of two different sites depending on the model.
| Facility | Location | What’s Built There |
|---|---|---|
| Gaydon | Warwickshire, England | Sports cars: DB12, Vantage, DBS, Valhalla |
| St Athan | Wales | DBX SUV (Aston Martin’s first and only SUV) |
St Athan opened in 2019 on a former Royal Air Force base and became the dedicated home of DBX production, creating hundreds of manufacturing jobs in Wales. Gaydon remains the company’s historic headquarters and main sports car assembly line.
Who Makes Aston Martin’s Engines?
This is where a lot of confusion comes from, since Aston Martin’s engine sourcing has changed significantly in the last decade. Aston Martin does not build its own V8 engines anymore.
Since a 2013 technology-sharing agreement, Aston Martin’s twin-turbo V8 — used in the DB12, Vantage, Valhalla, and DBX — is supplied by Mercedes-AMG and built at AMG’s engine plant in Affalterbach, Germany. In the DB12, this V8 produces 671 horsepower. Aston Martin’s V12 engines, by contrast, are still designed and built in-house by Aston Martin, used in flagship models like the DBS.
📊 Aston Martin’s own Chief Technical Officer has stated the company would face major challenges without the Mercedes-AMG engine and electronics partnership — the AMG-sourced V8 is central to the company’s 2026 profitability plan under CEO Adrian Hallmark. Source: Motor1, Aston Martin/Mercedes Engine Deal
“Aston’s AMG-powered models include the DB12, Vantage, Valhalla, and DBX SUV — the newly optimized twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 sourced from Mercedes-AMG now delivers 671 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque in applications like the DB12.”
The Artisans Behind The Brand
Beyond the engine supply chain, final assembly, trim, and interior work on every Aston Martin is still done by hand at Gaydon and St Athan. Skilled technicians hand-stitch leather interiors and hand-finish paintwork, a labor-intensive process that’s central to the brand’s luxury positioning and part of why Aston Martins carry a premium price versus mass-produced sports cars.
Current Aston Martin Models
| Model | Type | Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Vantage | Sports Car | Mercedes-AMG V8 |
| DB12 | Grand Tourer | Mercedes-AMG V8 |
| DBS | Flagship GT | In-house V12 |
| DBX | SUV | Mercedes-AMG V8 |
| Valhalla | Hybrid Hypercar | Mercedes-AMG V8 + electric motors |
Aston Martin has also produced ultra-limited hypercars like the Valkyrie, developed with Red Bull Racing’s F1 technology division, and continues to offer bespoke special editions and one-off commissions through its Q by Aston Martin personalization program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Owns Aston Martin?
Aston Martin is a publicly traded company (LSE: AML), not owned by one individual. Lawrence Stroll’s Yew Tree Investments consortium is the largest single shareholder group, and Stroll serves as executive chairman, but the majority of shares are held by other institutional and public investors.
Where Are Aston Martin Cars Made?
Aston Martin sports cars (DB12, Vantage, DBS, Valhalla) are built at the company’s Gaydon, England facility. The DBX SUV is built exclusively at St Athan, Wales, a former Royal Air Force base converted into a manufacturing plant in 2019.
Does Aston Martin Make Its Own Engines?
Not entirely. Aston Martin’s V8 engines have been supplied by Mercedes-AMG since 2013 and are built in Affalterbach, Germany. Aston Martin’s V12 engines, however, are still designed and manufactured in-house.
Did Ford Used To Own Aston Martin?
Yes. Ford Motor Company bought a majority stake in Aston Martin in 1987, took full ownership in 1994, and sold the brand to a UK-led investor consortium in 2007. Aston Martin has changed ownership groups several times since then.
Is Aston Martin A British Company?
Yes. Aston Martin has been headquartered and manufactured in England since its 1913 founding, and remains a British public company today, even though its largest shareholder and F1 team owner is Canadian.
Conclusion
Aston Martin is a publicly traded British company built at Gaydon and St Athan, with Mercedes-AMG supplying its V8 engines since 2013 while the V12 stays in-house. Lawrence Stroll’s investment group is the largest shareholder and drives the company’s public direction as executive chairman, but Aston Martin isn’t a single person’s private company. For a look at other manufacturer ownership structures, see our guides on what brands GM owns and what companies Fiat/Stellantis owns.
