LONDON: The sale of oven maker Aga Rangemaster to a U.S. owner with global ambitions caps the transformation of a quintessential English country brand created by some of the biggest names in global design, advertising: and espionage. The acquisition of Aga for US$202 million by Middleby Corporation follows a brief bidding war with U.S. rival Whirlpool for the maker of the colourful cast-iron stoves that can weigh as much as a male polar bear, cost US$18,000 and, in older versions, take two days to heat.