Aston Martin, the manufacturer of James Bond’s cars, could list in London after reporting record results

Aston Martin, the iconic luxury car manufacturer which was made famous by fictional spy James Bond, has said it is considering a float on the public markets.

Any final decision on a float would be down to Aston Martin’s Italian private equity owner Investindustrial, which could choose to sell the company to a private buyer if a willing (and deep-pocketed) party came forward.

London would be the likely venue for such a listing, City A.M. understands, though no firm decisions have yet been made.

Read more: Aston Martin gears up to unveil £600m investment drive in China

“As part of our ongoing development strategy, we continue to consider a range of strategic options for the future of the group, including the potential for an IPO [initial public offering],” said Aston Martin’s chief financial officer Mark Wilson, as the company released results today.

The 2018 results

Under Investindustrial’s oversight, Aston Martin revved up profit by a quarter of a billion pounds year-on-year to £87m – putting the once-struggling British company firmly back in the black.

Read more: Aston Martin just had its best year in a decade

Meanwhile, demand for the new DB11 produced the highest unit sales in nine years. Revenues hit an all-time high of £876m, up 48 per cent year-on-year, as the fourth quarter of 2017 saw the strongest performance in the company’s history.

Investindustrial completed a similar turnaround operation with Italian motorbike brand Ducati, which it sold in 2012 to Audi for around £80m.

Read more: Aston Martin owner Investindustrial grabs Chelsea-based luxury furniture retailer Oka