Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Headed from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with expensive grand touring cars in the 1950s and 1960s, and with the fictional character James Bond following his use of a DB5 model in the 1964 film Goldfinger.[5][6][7] Their grand tourers and sports cars are regarded as a British cultural icon.[8]
Aston Martin has held a royal warrant as purveyor of motorcars to Charles III (as Prince of Wales and later as King) since 1982,[9][10] and has over 160 car dealerships in 53 countries, making it a global automobile brand.[11] The company is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.[12] In 2003 it received the Queen's Award for Enterprise for outstanding contribution to international trade.[13] The company has survived seven bankruptcies throughout its history.[14]
The headquarters and main production of its sports cars and grand tourers are in a 55 acre facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, England, on the former site of RAF Gaydon, adjacent to the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre.[15] The old 3.6 acre facility in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, is the present home of the Aston Martin Works classic car department, which focuses on heritage sales, service, spares and restoration operations.[16][17] The 90 acre factory in St Athan, Wales, features three converted 'super-hangars' from MOD St Athan, and serves as the production site of Aston Martin's SUV, the DBX.[18][19]
Aston Martin has been involved in motorsport at various points in its history, mainly in sports car racing,[20] and also in Formula One.[21] The Aston Martin brand is increasingly being used, mostly through licensing, on other products including a submarine,[22] real estate development,[23] and aircraft.[24]
History
Founding
Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford.[25] The two had joined forces as Bamford & Martin the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London where they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton, and the pair decided to make their own vehicles.[26] The first car to be named Aston Martin was created by Martin by fitting a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta Fraschini.[27][28]
Models
Pre-war cars
- 1921–1925 Aston Martin Standard Sports
- 1927–1932 Aston Martin First Series
- 1929–1932 Aston Martin International
- 1932–1932 Aston Martin International Le Mans
- 1932–1934 Aston Martin Le Mans
- 1933–1934 Aston Martin 12/50 Standard
- 1934–1936 Aston Martin Mk II
- 1934–1936 Aston Martin Ulster
- 1936–1940 Aston Martin 2-litre Speed Models (23 built; the last 8 were fitted with C-type bodywork)
- 1937–1939 Aston Martin 15/98
Post-war cars
Gallery
Brand expansion
Since 2015, Aston Martin has sought to increase its appeal to women as a luxury lifestyle brand.[220] A female advisory panel was established to adapt the design of the cars to the taste of women.[221] In September 2016, a 37-foot-long Aston Martin speedboat was unveiled called the Aston Martin AM37 powerboat.[222] In May 2018, Aston Martin launched a submersible called Project Neptune in partnership with submarine building company Triton Submarines.[223] Aston Martin has collaborated with the luxury clothing company Hackett London to deliver items of clothing.[224] In November 2017, Aston Martin unveiled a special limited edition bicycle after collaborating with bicycle manufacturer Storck.[225]
Motorsport
Aston Martin is currently associated with two different racing organisations. The Aston Martin Formula One team which competes in the Formula One Championship and Aston Martin Racing which currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Both racing organisations use the Aston Martin brand, but are not directly owned by Aston Martin. The Aston Martin Formula One team is owned by major Aston Martin shareholder Lawrence Stroll and operated by his company AMR GP,[230] while Aston Martin Racing is operated by racing company Prodrive as part of an agreement with Aston Martin.[20]
Sponsorships
Aston Martin sponsors 2. Bundesliga club 1860 Munich.[242]
See also
- Aston Martin Heritage Trust Museum
- Aston Martin Owners Club
- List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom
External links
References
- Incorporation Statement of capital on 2018-07-27 GBP 7 Companies House, 2018-07-27, retrieved 2024-10-21^
- Annual Results 2025 Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC, retrieved 25 February 2026^
- Aston Martin cuts 20% of workforce as losses widen