Aston Martin gears up for London stock market float

Aston Martin on Wednesday said it plans to float one quarter of the British company on the London stock market, as demand rises worldwide for the luxury brand's cars favoured by fictional spy James Bond.

Full details of the initial public offering will be published on September 20, Aston Martin said in a statement, with reports noting that the company could be valued up to £5.0 billion ($6.4 billion, 5.5 billion euros).

"Today's announcement represents a key milestone in the history of the company, which is reporting strong financial results and increased global demand for its award-winning sports cars," Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer said in the statement.

The century-old carmaker, based in Gaydon in central England, is controlled by Italian private equity fund Investindustrial and Kuwaiti investors.

German carmaker Daimler will meanwhile keep its near 5.0-percent stake in the group, Aston Martin said.