Week ending 23 November 2025

**Dan from FTP, Editor’s Introduction**

Another week, another chapter in the Aston Martin soap opera – a bit of boardroom drama, a tough night under the lights in Vegas, young talent getting a shot in green, and AMOC still riding high from “Club of the Year” status.
*There’s been a lot of noise about Aston’s financial future, including a really interesting segment on the latest* ***Chris Harris on Cars*** *podcast, so this week’s report mixes hard numbers, paddock news and that wider “unkillable brand” conversation.*
*As always, this is not investment advice – it’s simply a passionate Aston Martin Owner and AMOC member trying to make sense of the last seven days. Let’s dive in.*

Corporate & Brand Developments: PIF rumours, delisting chatter – and an official denial

Mid-November saw a fresh burst of headlines claiming Aston Martin’s chairman Lawrence Stroll had explored a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to take the company private. The Financial Times reported that preliminary buyout talks had taken place as the brand wrestles with heavy debt, widening losses and a share price that’s fallen around 99% since its 2018 IPO. Financial Times

A few days later, Aston issued a very specific rebuttal: the company is “not in talks with PIF about being taken private”, a line repeated in coverage from Reuters affiliates, PlanetF1 and others. TradingView+1

At the same time, PIF itself has been reshaping its portfolio, trimming some overseas positions and talking publicly about letting the private sector do more of the heavy lifting inside Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan. Financial Times+1

What the Chris Harris podcast added

In the latest Chris Harris on Cars podcast episode, the panel dug into exactly this story:

They picked up on the FT reporting and the subsequent PIF denial, noting how carefully worded it was – leaving the door open to “other conversations” even if a full take-private isn’t on the table right now.
Chris Cooper did a good job explaining the basic problem: Aston is still burning cash, needs heavy investment in new product, and is stuck in a “death spiral” if it can’t fund development and marketing properly.
The group also talked about the upside of going private: fewer quarterly reporting headaches, more time to execute a proper product plan, and the possibility of a deep-pocketed owner who can actually see it through.
The phrase that stuck out for me was the idea of Aston as an “unkillable brand” – a marque so powerful that someone will always step in, even when the balance sheet looks grim.

They also made the very blunt point that with the share price down around 99% since IPO, if a buyer like PIF did want to take Aston private, it would be doing so at roughly 1% of the old peak valuation – a rounding error in Saudi sovereign-wealth terms.

Whether you agree with their optimism or not, it was useful context: enthusiasts, not just analysts, care deeply about Aston’s future direction and ownership.

**Stock Watch – AML on the London Stock Exchange**

*(Not investment advice – just context for the story.)*
**Ticker:** AML (London)
**Friday close (21 Nov 2025):** ~61.6p per share
That’s modestly up on roughly 59p a week earlier, but still a world away from the £19–£20 range seen shortly after the 2018 listing. Financial Times
The market clearly hasn’t yet bought into the latest turnaround narrative – but as the Chris Harris discussion underlined, the gap between the *brand* and the *balance sheet* has arguably never been wider.

**Motorsport:**

**Formula 1 – Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team**
**Las Vegas: bright lights, bruising night**
Under the neon glow of Vegas, Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team found themselves battling both the circuit and the unpredictability of post-race rulings. While our focus was firmly elsewhere, it’s worth noting that the official classification saw Fernando Alonso finish **11th** after the double disqualification of McLaren F1 Team — namely Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who had originally crossed the line 2nd and 4th but were both excluded for plank wear infringements. RacingNews365+3Crash.net+3RaceFans+3
**Aston Martin – Driver & Constructors Update**
For Aston Martin, the Las Vegas weekend may not have delivered fireworks, but both drivers continue to fight with trademark grit. Fernando Alonso sits **13th in the Drivers’ Championship with 40 points**, showing flashes of race-craft and experience that continue to anchor the team. Lance Stroll follows closely in **15th on 32 points**, contributing valuable finishes throughout a challenging but determined campaign. Together, their efforts keep Aston Martin **7th in the Constructors’ standings with 72 points**, holding station in an intensely competitive midfield. It’s been a season built on resilience, development and that familiar Aston Martin spirit — steady steps forward, even when the spotlight shines elsewhere.
On the positive side, the team’s long-term vision is starting to show through in other areas…
**Jak Crawford’s next step in green**
Aston has confirmed that **Jak Crawford** will be back in the AMR25 for **FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix**, taking over Lance Stroll’s car, and will also tackle the **post-season Young Driver Test** at Yas Marina. Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website+1
Crawford has already logged **over 2,100 km** in F1 machinery with the team and is currently **second in the Formula 2 standings**. Aston Martin F1+1
He’s been confirmed as **Aston Martin’s Third Driver for 2026**, a clear sign that the Silverstone outfit is serious about building a proper pipeline of young talent. Aston Martin F1+1
For Aston fans, it’s encouraging to see a structured driver-development story running alongside the high-profile Alonso/Stroll line-up.
**“Make A Mark” – racing with a purpose**
Linked from the same announcement was news that the team has completed its **second “Make A Mark” hospital tour**, taking drivers and staff to visit children’s hospitals and community projects. Aston Martin F1
It’s easy to get lost in aero updates and lap times, but programmes like this quietly reinforce why the Aston Martin name still matters to people well beyond the paddock.

**Endurance & Valkyrie LMH**

Over in the endurance world, coverage this week has been generally positive about Aston’s first **Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar** season in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
One season review piece summed it up neatly: the car **“outperformed expectations”** in its debut year, with strong pace, improving reliability and a credible foundation to build on for 2026 and beyond.
For a programme that many feared might never actually race, the fact we’re already talking about *optimising* rather than *rescuing* it is quietly impressive.

**AMOC Community: Club of the Year momentum**

The glow from last week’s big news hasn’t faded: the **Aston Martin Owners Club (AMOC)** was officially crowned **“Club of the Year”** at the 2025 International Historic Motoring Awards.
Judges highlighted AMOC’s **90th-anniversary celebrations**, its international reach and the way it blends serious competition with a very human, welcoming club culture.
The award also recognised the club’s events calendar, publications and efforts to bring new, younger members into the fold – something you can really feel at events and in the regional areas.
If you’re reading this as a non-member who loves the marque, now is a brilliant time to join – you’d be stepping into a club that’s just been recognised as *best in the world* at what it does.

To find out more information about the Aston Martin Owners Club (AMOC) or you wish to join **(*I strongly recommend you do!*),** simply click on the image here and we’ll take you straight there!

Heritage Spotlight – DB6 Elegance & a DB4 Given a Second Life at the NEC

This week’s heritage thread comes from two places – a beautifully preserved DB6 story and something much closer to home: my own visit to the NEC Classic Motor Show, which went live on the Fuel the Passion YouTube channel on 21 November.

**A quick nod to the DB6**

Earlier this year, a remarkably original **1967 Aston Martin DB6** resurfaced after decades tucked away – just 37,000 miles from new and still wearing its elegant Superleggera lines.
The DB6 sits at a fascinating crossroads in Aston history: keeping the DB5 charisma but adding that Kamm-tail stability, long-legged GT manners and a big slice of ’60s cool. It’s a reminder that Aston’s “back catalogue” is still very much alive in today’s market and imagination.

NEC Classic Motor Show – finding a DB4 on the brink of rebirth

In this week’s video I swap the FTP Vantage for my wife’s Mini and head to **Birmingham’s NEC** for the 2025 Classic Motor Show – a huge indoor gathering that’s been running since the mid-1980s. After a look around the **Aston Martin Owners Club stand** – including a rare pre-war Aston Martin International and a beautifully elegant Rapide from the Austrian-built era – I go hunting for more Astons across the halls.
That’s where I stumble across something very special: a seriously time-worn but wonderfully atmospheric **Aston Martin DB4** that looks every inch the barn-find.

On camera I chat with **Julian Crossley** of **Aldon Performance and Crossley Motorsport**, who explains that this DB4 is about to become a hands-on restoration project for a small team of **young engineers in their late teens and early twenties**.
Many of them come from a world where focus is on carbon fibre and EV drivetrains; this project deliberately drags them back into the world of **spanners, metal and classic race car preparation**.

**Key points from the interview and project:**

The DB4 was bought at auction with the specific aim of turning it into a **teaching tool** for historic motorsport.
The car still carries lots of its original parts (including an old Aston Martin Owners Club badge) and has strong AMOC links through a former club member owner.
Structurally, the rear of the car has survived well thanks to period rust-proofing, while the front end will need serious metalwork.
The philosophy is **“as original as possible”** – aiming to return the DB4 to near-factory specification, rather than turning it into a restomod.
A professional partner, **Olden Automotive (Aldon Automotive)**, will support the engine and specialist work, but as much of the restoration as possible will be carried out by the students themselves.

Off-camera I set Julian a little challenge: once the car is finished, would they consider entering it into an Aston Martin Owners Club concours? He didn’t say no. The idea of this tired DB4 one day rolling back into an AMOC event under its own power – restored largely by a new generation of engineers – feels like the perfect full-circle moment.

I’ll hopefully be visiting the workshop a few times in 2026 to film progress, so if you’d like to follow that journey from dusty NEC exhibit to freshly restored DB4, keep an eye on the channel.

Watch the full NEC Classic Motor Show film below;

Pulling it together – an “unkillable brand”?

Between the FT stories, the official denials, and enthusiasts like Chris Harris openly talking about Aston as an unkillable brand, this week felt like another reminder of the strange duality at work:

On one side: a fragile balance sheet, share-price pain and constant rumours about delisting and new owners. Financial Times+2PlanetF1+2
On the other: a factory team running in F1 and WEC, a thriving owners’ club, and a heritage line-up that continues to command huge emotional and financial value.

Some brands drift quietly into irrelevance. Aston Martin seems to lurch noisily from crisis to crisis – but somehow always finds a way to keep the story going.

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