ASTON MARTIN
STORY SO FAR
Founded 15 January 1913 in West Kensington, London by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford as Bamford & Martin Ltd. The name combines 'Aston' — from the Aston Hill climb in Buckinghamshire where Martin raced — with Martin's surname. First Aston Martin registered in March 1915; production was delayed by WWI. After bankruptcy in 1924 and a forced sale in 1925, the firm was restructured as Aston Martin Motors under Bert Bertelli at Feltham. Through the 20th century it changed hands multiple times (David Brown 1947, Ford 1987, a private consortium in 2007, and Lawrence Stroll's investment group from 2020). The brand became globally famous through its association with James Bond from Goldfinger (1964) onwards. Today Aston Martin Lagonda builds front-engined GTs and sports cars (Vantage, DB12, Vanquish) and the DBX luxury SUV.
DESIGNED BY
In-house Aston Martin Design team, led by Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman (joined 2005 as Director of Design, promoted to EVP & CCO). Design studio opened at Gaydon HQ in December 2007 — the brand's first independent design studio. UK-based: Yes (Gaydon, Warwickshire).
MADE BY
Assembled in the UK across two sites: Gaydon, Warwickshire (HQ, builds Vantage, DB12, Vanquish) and St Athan, Wales (90-acre former MOD facility, builds the DBX/DBX707). Per Aston Martin's own statements: V8 engines used in the Vantage, DB12 and DBX are supplied by Mercedes-AMG (Affalterbach, Germany) under the strategic partnership announced in 2013. The new Vanquish uses an in-house twin-turbo V12 built in Britain. Aston Martin does not publish a parts-by-percentage breakdown; final assembly and bodywork are 100% UK, while powertrains for V8 models are German-sourced. Holds a Royal Warrant.
TO BUY
FURTHER INFORMATION
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin
Further research reading
https://www.astonmartin.com/en-us/our-world/113-years-in-the-making
https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/margaret-howell
Region Made
