UPDATE 1-Aston Martin's losses grow as sales tumble

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LONDON, July 29 (Reuters) - Carmaker Aston Martin,
which has changed boss and brought in a billionaire investor
this year amid a torrid performance, posted on Wednesday a
first-half loss of 227 million pounds ($293 million) as sales
slumped.

Popular for being James Bond's carmaker of choice, the firm
has had a difficult time since it floated in 2018 as demand
disappointed and it burnt through cash, prompting it to give a
stake to a consortium led by billionaire Lawrence Stroll.

Since then it has announced job cuts, is replacing its chief
executive and has picked a new finance boss among a series of
changes as it also responds to the coronavirus pandemic, which
contributed to a 41% drop in sales.

"It has been a challenging period with our dealers and
factories closed due to COVID-19, in addition to aligning our
sales with inventory with the associated impact on financial
performance as we reposition for future success," said Stroll.

The firm's half-year pre-tax loss of 227 million pounds
compares to a loss of 80 million pounds in the same period last
year.
($1 = 0.7741 pounds)
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Alistair Smout)