Future Aston Martin vehicles won’t carry any badges to give away their AMG-sourced engines, Mercedes-Benz’s chief executive officer has revealed.
Late last year Aston Martin completed a deal with Mercedes’ AMG division for engines and other vehicle components, but Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche has revealed there are no plans for future Astons to sport any kind of ‘Powered by AMG’ badges.
“A subtle involvement with Aston Martin is better for us,” Zetsche told Autocar. “Our customers will know about it without us making too much of the link. That is enough for us.”
Zetsche added that Mercedes won’t meddle with Aston Martin’s product plans, but says his company would be open to other collaborations, such as platform development.
“It is up to Aston Martin to make specific product plans. We have only just agreed a deal in which we announced we would share engines and electrical components,” he said.
“It’s for them to decide. But we would listen carefully to them.”
Aston Martin’s VH bonded and riveted alloy chassis is now a decade old, meaning it will need updating in the not-too-distant future.