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Makes › Aston Martin · Car manufacturer · United Kingdom United Kingdom

Aston Martin

Aston Martin is a British sports car maker founded in London in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford and now based in Gaydon, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange as Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc.1

Aston Martin 2 Litre Speed Model
Aston Martin 2 Litre Speed Model
Photo: Terragio67 · CC BY-SA 4.0
183Cars documented
19Individual chassissee each car
1913Founded

Model lines

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V8 23 rare versions · 1972–2016

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DBS 21 rare versions · 1967–2023

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DB5 14 rare versions · 1963–2019

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V12 11 rare versions · 2002–2023

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Vanquish 10 rare versions · 2001–2018

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Vantage 9 rare versions · 1996–2019

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DB7 7 rare versions · 1994–2003

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DB2/4 6 rare versions · 1953–1957

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DB4 6 rare versions · 1958–1961

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Works team 5 rare versions · 1928–1934

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2 Litre 4 rare versions · 1936–1948

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DB6 4 rare versions · 1965–1969

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Lagonda 4 rare versions · 1974–1994

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Valkyrie 4 rare versions · 2021–2025

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Virage 4 rare versions · 1988–2014

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Cygnet 3 rare versions · 2018

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DB9 3 rare versions · 2007–2013

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Rapide 3 rare versions · 2013–2019

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Other cars

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Key facts

Founded
15 January 1913 (Bamford & Martin Ltd, London); first car 19142,1 Independently researched
Founder
Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford2 Independently researched
Headquarters
Gaydon, England (since 2003)2,1 Independently researched

History

Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin set up their business in London on 15 January 1913, in premises previously belonging to Hesse & Savory, and built their first car, nicknamed 'Coal Scuttle', in 1914. The company's own timeline marks 1927 as the year it was sold to new owners and traded under the Aston Martin name. Industrialist David Brown bought the business in February 1947 and acquired Lagonda that September; a car first shown as the 'Two Litre Sports' became known as the DB1, and the DB2 of 1950 set the pattern for later road cars. Brown purchased the coachbuilder Tickford of Newport Pagnell in 1954, and in 1959 the DBR1 took the top two places at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2003 the company moved to its first purpose-built facility and global headquarters in Gaydon.

1

Milestones

  1. 1913
    Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin set up their business in London on 15 January 1913.1,2
  2. 1914
    The company built its first car, a prototype nicknamed 'Coal Scuttle'.1
  3. 1947
    David Brown bought Aston Martin in February and Lagonda in September, bringing the two together.2
  4. 1948
    The car first shown as the 'Two Litre Sports' became known as the DB1.1
  5. 1959
    The DBR1 took first and second places at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.1
  6. 2003
    Aston Martin moved to its global headquarters in Gaydon, its first purpose-built facility.1

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    113 Years in the Making Level A Aston Martin Lagonda
    • 15 January 1913 entry (locator)
    • "Our first car." (1914 entry)
    • becomes known as the DB1
    • the DBR1 takes the top two places in the famous Le Mans 24hours
    • move to our global headquarters in Gaydon
    • 15 January 1913 entry; "Our first car" (1914 entry)
    • set up shop in premises previously belonging to Hesse & Savory
    • 1927 entry: "The name's Martin, Aston Martin."
    • David Brown buys another local car company, Lagonda.
    • David Brown purchases Tickford of Newport Pagnell in 1954
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    About Us Level A Aston Martin Lagonda (corporate)
    • Founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford
    • came together with Aston Martin in 1947 when both were purchased
    • Based in Gaydon, England
    Accessed 2026-11-11

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