Aston Martin has been forced by its own success to look for a site abroad to handle manufacture of its forthcoming four-door Rapide saloon, the Telegraph reports.

The company's plant in Gaydon, Warwickshire, simply can't keep up with demand, which saw 7,000 examples of the marque roll off the production line last year - an increase of 2,000 over 2005. Accordingly, it's eyeing Italian design house Pininfarina, Germany's Karmann group, Magna in Austria and Finland's Valmet as possible locations to relieve the pressure.

The company's Kuwaiti owners will make a decision within the next few weeks, the Telegraph notes, meaning an end to 93 years of British production of James Bond's favourite wheels. Aston Martin declined to comment pending confirmation of the move.

Last year, Brit sports car manufacturer TVR announced it would quit the UK, although in that case the problem was a downturn in fortunes provoked by "flagging demand". ®

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