Aston Martin, the epitome of automotive “Britishness”, is well advanced with a feasibility study almost certain to lead to a new model being built outside the UK for the first time in the company’s 93-year history.

Documents seen by the Financial Times relating to a bid by one of the potential partners in the project show it to be one of several specialist independent car manufacturing and design groups in continental Europe that has been approached to build the Rapide, Aston Martin’s eagerly awaited four-door saloon scheduled for launch in late 2009.