Aston Martin licenced to vroom on Indian roads

When the name’s Bond and the drink is vodka martini (shaken not stirred), the car’s gotta be Aston Martin. Special agent 007’s famed marquee may roll out on Indian roads in 2007. The British luxe brand, known for its oh-so-snooty bespoke positioning, had announced its India intentions in 2005. Although it didn’t stick to the earlier announced 2006 deadline, auto industry experts say it could now debut in 2007. Thanks to vrooming demand, the company simply did not have enough cars to allocate to India in 2006. Hence the delay, say sources to India Times.

When this very British badge finally debuts in India, some of the most celebrated models in the Bond series will be available at a showroom near you. And that would probably include the DBS, new Bond Daniel Craig’s dream wheels in Casino Royale. Experts say the DBS DNA will manifest itself in the Vanquish replacement. So you can look forward to a street version of this screen beauty in the New Year.

The Aston Martin has traditionally been 007’s vehicle of choice. The first time author Ian Fleming gave his whipper snapper spy a British sports car was in 1959 when Bond drove the DB5 in Goldfinger. Before that, it was mostly Bentleys that graced his garage. The DB5 went on to star in a number of Bond flicks including Thunderball (1965), Golden Eye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). The last two, though, were strictly cameos with the BMW Z3 roadster hogging top billing in both. BMW and Pierce Brosnan shared another Bond film when the British actor drove the Z8 in The World Is Not Enough.

The DB5 and DBS aren’t the only Aston Martin models in the agent’s life. Bond drove the V12 Vanquish in Die Another Day and both the DBS and V8 Vantage starred in The Living Daylights. Of course, like the Bond girls, 007 cars offer both beauty and variety. During his Roger Moore avatar, Bond drove several Lotus Esprit stunners including the Esprit Turbo in For Your Eyes Only and the Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Aston Martin, like fellow British luxe badge Jaguar, is owned by Ford. All through 2006, European media has been buzzing with news that Ford may look to divest its stake in both companies. However, auto experts say an entry into India is a strategic decision and will not likely be impacted by any future change in ownership. Incidentally, Jaguar too has indicated its interest in an India debut. Another Ford stable brand, Volvo, is also driving into India in a fully-imported form with the XC90 SUV and the S80 saloon.

Aston Martin has already announced it would bring the DB9, V8 Vantage and Vanquish SV12 to India. When they do roll out, each of these cars would cost upwards of Rs 1 crore. Sources say the India interest is part of Aston Martin’s larger emerging market focus. Aston Martin has just announced its decision to debut in Russia and other new markets, including China, will follow as the brand boosts its global dealership network from 120 to 125. An email query to the Aston Martin corporate communications department in UK went unanswered.

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