Ford may announce Aston Martin sale this week

Ford Motor Co. could announce the sale of its Aston Martin luxury division for about $865 million as early as this week, according to a report by Reuters.

The report sites Naeem, an Egyptian investment bank, as a front-runner to purchase the brand. Other potential buyers include the British takeover firm Doughty Hanson, it said. Aston Martin has been part of the Dearborn automaker’s Premier Automotive Group since 1994. Along with Aston Martin, the PAG stable includes Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Lincoln.

Ford officials wouldn’t comment on the speculation.

“Generally when we talk about Aston Martin, there has been a lot of interest from many parties since August when Ford announced the possibility of a partial or complete sale of the business," said Tom Hoyt, a spokesman for Ford, told the Detroit Free Press. “The process is ongoing, but we have no comment on rumor or speculation."