Aston Martin has defended a contentious £550mn debt financing deal as “important for the company as a whole” after reporting a larger‑than‑expected quarterly loss. The adjusted loss before tax and interest narrowed to £52mn for the quarter ended June, versus a £57mn loss a year earlier, but missed analysts’ £45mn forecast.

Gross profit margin fell to 33 % from an expected 36 % as the firm continued dealer support to clear inventory. The new borrowing from BlackRock‑owned private credit firm HPS lifts pro‑forma liquidity to £340mn from £145mn at June‑end, while net debt stays high at £1.4bn.

Existing creditors and shareholders criticised the structure, arguing it places assets beyond reach of current debt holders and undervalues the £50mn sale of Formula 1 naming rights to a Stroll‑controlled entity. Lawrence Stroll, the billionaire chair, said he is not exiting his investment.

Chief executive Adrian Hallmark said the liquidity injection gives “additional resilience and further flexibility to execute our current and future product plans”. Revenue jumped 62 % to £358mn, driven by higher‑margin Valhalla supercar sales averaging £1.1mn. Aston maintains a 2026 wholesale target of 5,450 vehicles and expects gross margin to improve into the upper 30 % range.