I'm surprised they got rid of the most "prestigious" brand they own.
They need the money. The entire automotive industry is in a dire state (GM are in real danger of becoming bankrupt and Chrysler aren't far behind) and Aston have never really fitted into Ford's portfolio. It makes much more sense for them to be set free and provide an essentially risk-free investment income stream for Ford if they do well - and very limited exposure if it goes pear-shaped.
The Daimler-Chrysler divorce will be much bigger news... And somehow Porsche effectively acquiring VW went almost unreported in the mainstream press.
We are getting slightly off-topic mind...