Creditors of Aston Martin move to block branding rights sale

A group of creditors owed about £1.3 billion to Aston Martin have issued a “letter before action” and warned they may seek court intervention to stop the carmaker’s plan to sell a 50.1 % stake in its non‑automotive intellectual property to U.S. brand developer Authentic Brands. The transaction is tied to a £550 million debt financing package secured in July and led by funds managed by BlackRock‑owned HPS Investment Partners, which includes a £450 million secured term loan, a £100 million delayed‑draw term loan and a separate £100 million permitted debt‑incurrence facility. An additional £100 million of the financing is conditional on the branding‑rights deal proceeding. Creditors argue the sale could undermine the assets that back their loans and have threatened to unwind the HPS arrangement. Aston Martin, which has been under cash pressure from weaker vehicle sales, U.S. tariffs and soft demand in China, has not disclosed full details of the agreement. Neither the automaker nor HPS commented at the time of reporting.