Aston Martin

Aston Martin:

" A quality car of good performance and appearance: a car for the discerning owner driver with fast touring in mind, designed, developed, engineered and built as an individual."-Martin

Lionel Martin turned his passion into a business in 1913, when he joined forces with Robert Bamford to sell Singer cars - adapting them for the tough up-hill challenges that formed an important part of early motorsport. The partners wanted to manufacture cars of their own - and a name was needed. Martin regularly competed in climbs at Aston Hill - and with the simple combination of a hill and a driver, the Aston Martin legend was born. The very first Aston Martin car was registered. Fitted with a Coventry Simplex side-valve engine, built to his own specification, it became known as 'Coal Scuttle'. By 1920 the company was operating from Abingdon Road in Kensington - and motoring pioneer Count Zborowski dug deep into his pockets to fund the construction of two Aston Martin racing cars, which competed in the 1922 French Grand Prix. Now the marquee rapidly established its racing credentials.

 

           Major introductions in 1999 included the launch of the first ever 12 cylinder Aston Martin DB7 Vantage and Vantage Volante, powered by a 6.0 liter 420 horsepower Aston Martin V12 engines designed and developed in close cooperation with Ford RVT and Cosworth. In July 2000 Dr Ulrich Bez joined the company as Chief Executive - and October saw the end of an era with the last delivery of an Aston Martin V8 engine model.