Aston Martin: the story in the numbers

Aston Martin was founded on January 15, 1913, in the Year of the Rat — sleek, ambitious, and built for prestige. In 2012 (Dragon year — friend to the Rat), Italian private equity fund Investindustrial injected £150 million into the brand. But in 2014 (Horse year — Rat’s enemy), Aston Martin posted a staggering £72 million pre-tax loss and sold just 3,500 cars — less than half of its 2007 sales peak. Proof that energy matters. Rats, Dragons, Oxen, and Monkeys — Aston Martin is for you. But Horses? Best admire from afar.