Aston Martin confirms new platform development; sales up 11 percent in 2013

Completely new architecture to underpin Aston\'s next-generation sports cars.

Aston Martin is celebrating strong sales for 2013 -- its 100th year in business -- and has confirmed that a new platform is under development.

The luxury brand shipped 4,200 cars in its fiscal year, an 11-percent increase. The sales boost contributed to revenue of £519 million (~$874 million USD) and a 22-percent jump in profit before taxes and other charges, reaching £85 million (~$143 million USD).

"We will, in the next few years, be implementing the biggest investment programme in our 101-year history, preparing the ground for new and exciting products in the future," said Aston Martin CFO Hanno Kirner.

The investment will be used to engineer a "completely new architecture" that will underpin the company's next-generation sports cars, some of which will also benefit from engines co-developed through a partnership with Mercedes-Benz' AMG division.

"The strategic partnership with Daimler AG will bring with it cutting edge electrical and electronic architecture expertise, and the shared development of world-class bespoke V8 powertrains," Kirner added.

The platform development project does not come as a surprise, as the VH architecture -- utilized by all current models -- was first introduced more than a decade ago.

The CFO's comments appear to contradict recent reports suggesting the British automaker had inked a deal to source its next-generation car platform from Daimler. Mercedes-Benz' GL-Class platform is separately viewed as a likely candidate for an Aston Martin SUV, however.

A launch time-frame for the next-generation platform remains unclear.