Ford agrees to sell Aston Martin car firm

LONDON: The Ford Motor Company has agreed to sell its iconic Aston Martin brand for just over 470 million pounds ($908 million) to a British-led consortium, the US firm said on Monday.   

The luxury car maker, famous for its long-running association with the James Bond blockbuster movies, is to be sold to a group of investors led by British motor sport chief Dave Richards, a Ford official announced.   

Ford, which is selling the sports-car brand to free resources to invest more in its core brands, will retain a 15 per cent stake in the company it bought in 1986, press reports have said.