The ford motor company is expected to close a deal today with ProDrive founder Sir David Richards for just shy of $1 Billion.

According to UK automotive magazine Autocar, the final touches are being rendered to the sale that would place the successful sportscar marque in the hands of the British outfit that already manages the Aston Martin racing team.

If, however, the deal is being set in the UK, chances are that the announcement won't happen until Monday as at 16:57 GMT (when this post published), it's getting late in the day on that side of The Pond.

In nearly 13 years as a divison of Ford's Premier Auto Group (PAG), Aston Martin has thrived. Last year Aston turned a profit for the first time since - World War I, most likely. This has prompted critics to pounce on the fact that if FoMoCo weren't in such a cash strapped position, it would be able to retain this small, but lucrative automaker.

[Source: Autocar]