Aston Martin is famous for its luxurious performance cars and for being the choice of Bond, James Bond. Looking back into Aston Martin history and racing heritage, here are some of its amazing fun facts that every auto enthusiast should know.
From a humble beginning over a century ago to stardom in James Bond movies, the Aston Martin history has been filled with some astonishing fun facts. In this article we will drive into some of its amazing fun facts highlighting its legacy, innovation, and prestige. So whether you are a die-hard auto enthusiast or just wanting to know more about this iconic brand, you will surely find this article on Aston Martin facts both interesting and informative.
Table of Contents
- Aston Martin history started as Bamford & Martin Ltd.
- So how did Bamford & Martin become Aston Martin?
- The first British car to win the World Sportscar Championship.
- First British supercar.
- The most expensive British car ever sold.
- A cat has nine lives—Aston Martin has already survived seven bankruptcies so far.
- Who can forget Bond, James Bond?
- James Bond—For your eyes only.
- Aston Martin had flopped in its first attempt at Formula 1.
- The Aston Martin logo is inspired by Ancient Egypt.
- Aston Martin was once taken over by a tractor company.
- Lagonda’s story.
- World’s first all-digital instrument panel in a car.
- In Dubai, a Vanquish model was airlifted onto a helipad of the famous Burj Al Arab Hotel.
- Aston Martin Victor—One of a kind Aston Martin Facts.
- Aston Martin powerboat.
- Finally an interesting Aston Martin facts: Yes, an Aston Martin bicycle.
Aston Martin history started as Bamford & Martin Ltd.
In 1913, the company was founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Back in those days it was not known as Aston Martin but rather Bamford & Martin Ltd. In 1914, Bamford & Martin hand-built their first car, code-named A1 but commonly known as “Coal Scuttle” due to its resemblance to it.
So how did Bamford & Martin become Aston Martin?
Lionel Martin used to race their prototype models at the Aston Clinton Hill Climb race in the UK. That’s how the name Aston Martin emerged, and the first car to be named Aston Martin was a 1908 Isotta Fraschini fitted with a Coventry-Simplex 4-cylinder engine. The company was also later named Aston Martin.
The first British car to win the World Sportscar Championship.
In 1959, an Aston Martin DBR1 won the World Sportscar Championship title (now known as the FIA World Endurance Championship) by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, the Nürburgring 1,000 km race, and the RAC Tourist Trophy. This was the first time a British automaker had done so.
During that time, Aston Martin’s were driven by legendry race drivers like Stirling Moss and Carroll Shelby.
First British supercar.
The 1977 Aston Martin Vantage was a 5.3 L V8 that could produce 380 HP, a top speed of 275 km/h (170 mph), and a 0–100 in 5.2 sec. It is considered the first British supercar and was also the fastest production 4-seater at that time.
The most expensive British car ever sold.
A 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 was sold for $22.55 million in 2017, making it the most expensive British car ever sold to this date. It had a 2.5-liter, 6-cylinder, all-aluminum racing engine and was the first of the only 5 units that were ever built. The car had won the 1,000 km Nürburgring race in 1959 being driven by legendary Stirling Moss.
The Aston Martin DBR1 vehicles had completed a hat-trick at Nürburgring by 1959.
A cat has nine lives—Aston Martin has already survived seven bankruptcies so far.
This definitely makes one of the most amazing fun facts in Aston Martin history having survived bankruptcies seven times so far. Soon after the company’s foundation in 1913, the world war started. After the war, Bamford & Martin Ltd. experienced financial difficulties and was sold in 1925 after producing just 55 vehicles. In 1932, it again faced problems and was sold again. Later it was even held by Ford for some time.
Who can forget Bond, James Bond?
No doubt, one of the most famous Aston Martin facts includes the DB5 used by James Bond in the 1964 movie Goldfinger. The success of James Bond movies gave star appeal not only to DB5 but also to Aston Martin. Only 1,000 units of this model were produced between 1963 and 1965.
James Bond—For your eyes only.
Aston Martin had built the DB10 model based on the Vantage, exclusively for the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre. This was the first time when a car was built exclusively for a movie. Only 10 units were built, and all were either used for the movie’s promotion or in the movie.
Aston Martin had flopped in its first attempt at Formula 1.
Aston Martin first entered Formula 1 in the 1959 season with the DBR4 model and withdrew after just 5 races. It finally got back into Formula 1 after a gap of 61 years with their Aston Martin AMR21 model.
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The Aston Martin logo is inspired by Ancient Egypt.
The logo started with the Aston Martin initials AM in a circle. Later, wings were added, inspired by the scarab beetle’s open wings, whose influence can be seen in Ancient Egyptian history.
Aston Martin was once taken over by a tractor company.
In 1947, Aston Martin was bought by David Brown Limited, which used to make tractors and gearboxes. The first car built under the new owner, Sir David Brown, was called the DB1. He finally sold Aston Martin in 1972. In fact, Aston Martin’s best time period could be said to be under him. Many more models were named DB in his honor.
Lagonda’s story.
Aston Martin (David Brown) had purchased the Lagonda Company in 1947. Ever since then, Aston Martin has tried to establish Lagonda as a separate luxury brand. In fact, Aston Martin is also presently known as Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC. However, in 1974, Aston Martin introduced the Lagonda as its own model. Its wedge shape became so popular, the production ran till 1990, a total of 16 years. Maybe in the future, the Lagonda name will emerge again.
World’s first all-digital instrument panel in a car.
The 1976 Aston Martin Lagonda was probably the first production car to have a fully all-digital instrument panel. Among the fun facts to remember as the world moves to a digital future.
In Dubai, a Vanquish model was airlifted onto a helipad of the famous Burj Al Arab Hotel.
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Aston Martin airlifted the Vanquish model to the helipad of the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. It’s the world’s first time when a car has been airlifted onto a helipad that is located 1,000 ft above the ground.
Aston Martin Victor—One of a kind Aston Martin Facts.
Another amazing Aston Martin facts is this one-of-a-kind bespoke unit was built by Aston Martin in 2020. Based on the One-77, it has a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12, 836 HP engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Definitely, this one off piece makes for a perfect possession in any auto enthusiast’s collection.
Aston Martin powerboat.
In 2016, Aston Martin unveiled the AM37, a 37-foot powerboat that can reach a speed of 50 knots. The boat was developed in collaboration with Quintessence Yachts and marked its entry into the maritime world.
Finally an interesting Aston Martin facts: Yes, an Aston Martin bicycle.
In 2017, Aston Martin had collaborated with bicycle manufacturer Storck to develop the “Storck Fascenario.3 Aston Martin Edition’ bicycle. It was a bespoke limited edition bicycle with only 107, with a nano-carbon frame weighing only 5.9 kg.
These amazing fun facts from Aston Martin history shows why it’s such an iconic brand admired by all auto enthusiasts. Whether it’s a thrilling chase scene from a bond movie or the roaring of racing circuits, the Aston Martin’s legacy is nothing short of extraordinary.
From its rich past to an exciting future, Aston Martin continues to captivate the world with its innovations, design and performance.
