Mercedes-Benz, a producer of luxury vehicles and commercial vehicles, agreed to acquire a 17.4% stake in Aston Martin, a British independent manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers, for $373m. “We already have a successful technology partnership in place with Aston Martin that has benefited both companies. With this new expanded partnership we will be able to provide Aston Martin with access to new cutting-edge technologies and components, including next generation hybrid and electric drive systems. The supply arrangements for these new technologies will be on agreed commercial terms. We look forward to continuing to work together with Aston Martin and we wish the company every success in its next stage of growth,” Wolf-Dieter Kurz, Mercedes-Benz Head of Product Strategy.