British Manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is known around the world as one of the leading manufacturers of high performance touring cars. The brand is also known for being the car of choice for fictional secret agent James Bond. The company headquarters is currently located in Gaydon, Warwickshire, England.
In 1913, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford founded the company that became Aston Martin. The company was named Bamford and Martin Limited and sold cars made by Singer as well as servicing other British made vehicles out of a shop in London. The name “Aston Martin” was the name of the car that Lionel Martin made. The car was named after Aston Hill where races were held and Lionel Martin, who was the driver of the vehicle. The car also gained the nickname of Coal Scuttle as it was shaped like one.
The first Aston Martin car, the DB1. Photo source
Following World War I, the company was struggling to make ends meet and Bamford left the company. A number of investors revitalised the often bankrupt company. Lionel Martin left the company in 1925 and was renamed Aston Martin by the stakeholders in honour of the first car that was made. There was another round of financial difficulties and during World War II, the company focused on building aeroplane parts.
After the war, a well-known tractor manufacturer by the name of Sir David Brown and his company, David Brown Limited, purchased Aston Martin. The company also acquired Lagonda, another United Kingdom-based luxury car manufacturer. With the combined resources of Aston Martin and Lagonda, the company produced the “DB” series cars. The DB car designation is in honour of Sir David Brown.
The first car in the DB series is the Aston Martin 2-Liter Sports or more commonly known as the “DB1”. As its original name suggests, the DB1 had a 2-liter inline four engine under the bonnet. The engine could produce 90bhp and could accelerate the car to a top speed of 93mph. The car had a roadster design and a soft top roof. As a test of the durability of the DB1, it was entered, and ultimately won the 24-hour race at Spa, Belgium in 1948. A total of fifteen DB1s were made and a restored example can be found in an automotive museum in the United Kingdom.
The James Bond film, Goldfinger, made Aston Martin a household name with the DB5 as the main vehicle of the secret agent. The secret agent movie franchise has made the Aston Martin the car of choice for its protagonist for the last 50 years. The most recent James Bond film, Spectre, featured the Aston Martin DB10, which was specifically made for the movie.
A majority stake in Aston Martin is currently owned by an Italian equity fund Investindustrial. A number of other shareholders including Daimler-AG hold stakes in the British company. Aston Martin has had a lot of success in motorsports with a number of wins in the Le Mans 24 Hour race.
Aston Martin celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2012.
Leave a reply