The History of Aston Martin

ASTON Martin’s ride has been anything but smooth — the brand has changed ownership multiple times during the automobile’s long history, occasionally experiencing tough financial times.
Founded in 1914 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin began its rocky history at the start of World War I. The full name of the business comes from Martin’s last name and a stretch of road in Herfordshire, England, used for racing called the Aston Hillclimb. After World War I briefly halted production, Aston Martin sustained to produce cars specifically for the racetrack, focusing on speed more than luxury. Competition cars proved to be a strain on finances, however, and Aston Martin changed hands several times until World War II.
In 1947, however, tractor manufacturer David Brown purchased the company. Models under Brown’s ownership took on his initials — DB — and Aston Martin soon achieved worldwide recognition. The DB5, for example, gained instant notoriety when it appeared in the 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger.”
Featured in six films (Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, a small appearance in Tomorrow Never Dies,Casino Royale and Skyfall). In the novelisation of GoldenEye it is assured that Bond purchased the DB5 as his own personal vehicle, even though the 2006 version of Casino Royale, which reboots Bond film continuity, shows Bond winning it in a game of poker in The Bahamas; as such the Casino Royale version of the vehicle is the only one that is not outfitted with special.
The Goldfinger DB5 with gadgets was sold on October 27, 2010 for $4.6m (£2.9m) to the car collector Harry Yeaggy.[21][22] It features the pop out gun barrels behind the front indicators, the bullet shield behind the rear window and a 3-way revolving front number plate showing “GOLD FINGER” or “JB007” or “BMT216A”.
Fitted with high-tech gadgets and weaponry, the rockets and oil slick buttons were just a spy fan’s daydream, but the car looked cool enough to catch the notice of moviegoers and attain iconic status.
Brown’s leaving in the 1970s marked a return to hard times, and the 1980s weren’t smooth, either — the unfortunately named Aston Martin Nimrod, a disappointing return to the racetrack, didn’t help. The company was saved yet again in 1987, when Ford Motors bought up 75 percent of Aston Martin, later acquiring the remaining 25 percent in 1994. The latest instalment in Aston Martin’s history occurred in March 2007, when Ford sold it to a small group of Aston Martin devotees.
Fortunately for sports car enthusiasts, Aston Martin is still here — the brand refuses to disappear, and it’s for good reason. Although the company has experienced several financial setbacks over the course of its history, the spirit and design of each new model along with a loyal curiosity in their cars have kept Aston Martin up and running. Read the next page to see how the Rapide carries on the tradition.
Aston Martin may have dropped a hint or two about its plans for the future, but new reports talk about the “biggest product offensive” in the sports car manufacturer’s history.
Helped by a new platform and a fresh design language, Aston Martin’s new model lineup will look considerably different from today’s range, with the new models to be significantly differentiated from each other as the business wants to become a supercar manufacturer that can rival Ferrari.
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