One of the most iconic and luxurious marques in the world is that of Aston Martin. Now an F1 team, albeit less than successful at present, they, along with Jaguar and Morgan and Rolls Royce, are the pinnacle of the British motor industry. They are also one of the very few British manufacturers left. How did this prestigious car maker start? The beginning of the company was in 1913.
Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford launched the marquee just before the first world war. However, it was under the guidance of David Brown that it began to hit its stride. In a stroke of marketing genius, he agreed to the marquee forever being associated with a confident British super spy. Kitted out with a speedy DB5, including revolving number plates, bulletproof screen and ejector seat, James Bond was to use the car to significant effect in the film Goldfinger. Due to the success of the film and the car’s beautiful looks and lines, it secured Aston Martin as a cultural icon of British design and flair. This was further confirmed when the Prince of Wales, Charles Windsor, signed a deal so that he always got a new one. A car as prestigious as this needs to be kept safe, and that means in a decent garage. Garage Doors Bristol based company upandoverdoorsltd.co.uk are one of the best providers of this service; they can supply an excellent door for you to keep it secure. However, it’s not all been plain sailing. The company has survived seven bankruptcies in its time but keeps on going.
Starting as a seller of cars made by the sewing machine and bicycle company Singer in London, Martin was a racer at the local circuits of Aston Hill and Aston Clinton. These were hill climb timed races on public roads. Martin and Bamford decided that they should start to manufacture cars of their design, called the company Aston Martin after the races, and Martins participated in them. The first car was the merging of a Coventry Simplex engine into an Isotta Fraschini. This was not strictly their car, so they purchased some land in Kensington, West London and made their first car in 1913, but production was halted as both men went to serve in the First world war a year later.
After the War, Bamford left, and Martin joined forces with notable driver Count Louis Vorow Zborowski. They produced cars for the French Grand Prix and Brooklands. The future vision was assured