Aston Martin Little Known Facts

Overview Models Reviews Little Known Facts Common Issues Famous People

Aston Martin was founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford in 1913 as Bamford & Martin Ltd.
The company's name is derived from the Aston Hill racing circuit in England where Martin drove his cars.
In 1926, Aston Martin became part of the Lagonda Motor Company, which also manufactured luxury cars.
During World War II, Aston Martin produced some 1,500 aircraft parts per day at its factory in Feltham, Surrey.
The iconic DB series of cars was launched in 1948 and is named after David Brown, who purchased a majority stake in the company in 1947.
The first James Bond car to feature Aston Martin's vehicle was the 1964 Goldfinger film, where Sean Connery drove an Aston Martin DB5.
In 1980, Aston Martin became part of the Chrysler Group after Ford Motor Company sold its shares in the company.
In 1991, Tim Keen, a former Lotus executive, joined Aston Martin as CEO, marking a significant turning point for the brand's revival.
The Vanquish model was first launched in 2001 and is notable for being the fastest production car in the world at its launch.
Aston Martin has produced an estimated 12 DB5 cars between 1964 and 1967 for special customers, including Prince Philip and a Saudi Arabian royal.
In 1993, Aston Martin unveiled the concept car called the Project VVL (Very Voluptuous Luxury), which would eventually become the Vanquish model.
The One-77 supercar was first shown in 2010 at the Geneva Motor Show and is notable for being the last of a generation of high-performance V12 engines built by Aston Martin.
In 2002, the company celebrated its 90th anniversary with a special edition DB7 Vantage model called the 'Vantage Special Edition'.
The Lagonda model was relaunched in 2009 after a nearly quarter-century absence and is based on a shared platform with the Mercedes-Benz CLS.
Aston Martin has a strong connection to the motorsport world, having won several championships including the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012.
The Rapide model was launched in 2010 as a four-door coupe and marked a significant shift in design language for the brand.
In 2017, Aston Martin acquired a controlling stake in Zagato, the Italian coachbuilder responsible for some of the most iconic car designs.
The Valkyrie hypercar is a collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing, and is scheduled to enter production in 2023.
The DBS Superleggera was launched in 2018 as the fastest-accelerating series-production Aston Martin ever built at its launch.
In 2019, Aston Martin celebrated its centenary anniversary with a special edition DBS GT Zagato model created in collaboration with Zagato and Italian coachbuilder R-Reforged.
The AM-RB 001 hypercar was first unveiled in 2017 as a joint project between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing.
In 2020, the company marked its centenary by revealing an anniversary edition of the DBS Superleggera called the 'Centennial Edition'.
The Vantage model has been produced with several special editions over the years, including the limited-edition GT12 model from 2016.
In 1988, Aston Martin built a single unit of the Bulldog supercar for a Saudi Arabian royal family member.
The company has also produced a single example of the Cygnet city car, which was based on the Ford KA platform and sold in limited numbers between 2011 and 2012.
In 1967, Aston Martin acquired the assets of Enfield Rotary Corporation, which had manufactured aircraft engines during World War II.
The DBS Superleggera Volante is a convertible version of the DBS Superleggera model launched in 2018.
Aston Martin has produced several limited-edition models over the years, including the special edition Vantage 'AMR Black Edition' from 2020.
In 1995, Aston Martin partnered with Italian coachbuilder Zagato to produce a limited-edition DB7 Zagato model.
The Vulcan is a one-off supercar produced in collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing, and sold at an auction in 2018 for £17.6 million.