Chicago auto enthusiasts weighing Ferrari vs. Aston Martin have their work cut out for them. While select Aston Martin models can be compared against Ferraris, they often come up short. Ferrari Lake Forest is here to look at how the legacy, and performance of Aston Martin compares to Ferrari.
Like many would-be Ferrari competitors, Aston Martin has a significant legacy behind it, but much like McLaren and Bugatti, the legacy that defines Aston Martin has been recently redefined while Ferrari has remained consistent for the better part of a century.
Ferrari was founded as Scuderia Ferrari, the racing division of Alfa Romeo in 1929, spinning off into its own brand in 1939 and producing elegant, powerful automobiles since then. All produced in the same Maranello, Italy plant, with hand-assembled engines and designed to pay homage to the past as much as point toward the future.
Aston Martin was founded in 1913, named for co-founder Lionel Martin and his initial races at Aston Hill. Their first models, the Aston Martin Standard Sports, were produced in 1921. Since its inception, Aston Martin has changed owners and focus numerous times. The latest in a long line of potential saviors, Andrew Palmer bought a 37.5% stake in Aston Martin in 2012. He’s partnered with Daimler AG to put Mercedes-Benz engines under the hood of modern Aston Martin vehicles, putting them more in line with a modern luxury sedan than a track-inspired performance machine.
While the latest direction for Aston Martin seems to have helped them out, Bernstein Research analyst Max Warburton has been following Aston Martin’s recent attempts to pivot their brand and praises Ferrari: “Ferrari has a much richer motorsport heritage. It has a much greater number of historically significant cars that sell in greater quantities and much higher prices. The highest price yet achieved by a Ferrari is reputed to be $70 million. The greatest Aston sold for only $22.5 million.”
While we anticipate Aston Martin to produce more powerful engines in the future, they will be catching up to where Ferrari is now, likely to remain in the rearview of each Prancing Horse they meet. Here’s a look at the specs of two of the most recent models:
Aston Martin has an interesting story, but it hasn’t helped the brand in consistency or in performance. While they may compare well to the Mercedes-Benz models that share their engines, they have a long way to go before they can keep pace with a Ferrari. Contact us at Ferrari Lake Forest to learn about getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari to experience Italian automotive excellence firsthand.
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