Aston Martin expects 2009 sales to slow

British sports car maker Aston Martin expects to sell fewer cars this year compared to last year due to the economic crisis, the company's chief executive told German newspaper Die Welt in an interview.

Aston Martin sold 5,800 sports cars last year, which was the second-best year in the company's 95-year history, Ulrich Bez told the paper in an article published on Saturday.

"In light of the current weakening in consumer spending we expect 4,500 to 5,000 unit sales this year," Bez said.

Islamic investment firm Investment Dar owns a controlling stake in Aston Martin. The fund was part of a consortium that bought the automaker for about $950 million from Ford Motor Co. in March 2007.

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