| The Aston Martin is a car manufacturer well known | | | | halted with Word War II. During the war the factory |
| for producing luxury sports cars well loved by fictional | | | | produced aircraft components. |
| cars from James Bond to Edward Cullen from the | | | | In 1947 David Brown Limited bought the company |
| Twilight books. It may be a surprise though to find | | | | and produced the classic series of cars with the |
| out that instead of originating in Italy or Germany, | | | | initials DB. The DB4 established the company's |
| the Aston Martin is a British sports car. | | | | reputation for good racing cars. The company was |
| The Aston Martin name is derived from one of the | | | | often in financial troubles and changed hands many |
| founders and from the speed hillclimb near Aston | | | | times after this. In 1977 the V8 Vantage was |
| Clinton in England. The company was founded in 1913 | | | | produced and the convertible Volante in 1978. The |
| when Martin decided to build his own race car | | | | company changed hands again quite a few times due |
| vehicles. The first car produced was in 1915, but the | | | | to bad sales during the 1980s. In 1986 Gauntlett, |
| company disbanded during World War I and | | | | executive chairman, managed to negotiate a return |
| refounded after the war. In 1922 cars were | | | | of James Bond to driving Aston Martin cars. In 1987 |
| produced to compete in the French Grand Prix | | | | Ford took a share holding and with the revived |
| setting world speed and endurance records. The | | | | economy, the car manufacturer launched the Virage |
| company went bankrupt though in 1924, then | | | | range the first new Aston car in 20 years. |
| purchased by Lady Charnwood and went bankrupt | | | | In 1991 full control of the control was handed over to |
| again in 1926 with Lionel Martin a founder finally | | | | Ford and the DB range of cars was renewed with |
| leaving. Later that year a number of investors took | | | | the DB7. Before Ford the cars had been produced by |
| control of the company and renamed it Aston Martin | | | | hand coach building craft methods but now with new |
| Motors. | | | | manufacturing cars were being produced quickly and |
| Between 1926 and 1937 Augustus Bertelli was the | | | | the DB7 exceed production of all previous DB models. |
| technical director and designer of all cars during this | | | | The DB7 range also included the V12 Vantage and |
| period. These cars are known as the Bertelli cars. | | | | Vanquish models. In 2003 the car company |
| Bertelli was a very competent driver and loved to | | | | announced a return to motor racing with the Aston |
| race his cars. These cars were very successful in | | | | Motor Racing division. In March 2007 Aston Martin |
| international motor racing. In 1936 the company | | | | was sold though Ford keeps a stake in the company. |
| decided to focus on road cars but production was | | | | |