The name Aston Martin is derived from the name of Aston Clinton, a hill climber and Lionel Martin, a co-founder of the company. Aston Martin has a rather intriguing history and it has earned an esteemed recognition of being among the most luxurious selections in the car industry. Aston Martin cars have been shown prominently in James Bond movies and books. An Aston Martin car was first mentioned in the Goldfinger (1964) novel and followed in the movie. It was known as the “company car” in GoldenEye (1995) and James Bond’s private car in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).
Aston Martin Vantage and Volante appeared in The Living Daylights (1987) and the Vanguish made an appearance in Die Another Day (2002). The DBS appeared in the newer series Casino Royale (2006). Aston Martin was established in 1913 and its first car combined the 4-cylinder Coventry Simplex engine and the chassis of 1908 Isotta-Fraschini. Unfortunately, all of the company’s machinery was devoted to war effort and no longer viable for production process when the war ended. Aston Martin was re-established in Kensington with entirely new car designs. In 1922, Aston Martin produced cars that set records in endurance and speed.
Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt twice, before it received financial backing in 1926. The company continued to produce cars for race and competition and it wasn’t until 1936, before Aston Martin decided to offer road cars. Despite slowdowns in production, Aston Martin survived the World War 2 and it introduced the DB signature letters. Aston Martin DB series flourished in the market. In 1950, the company released the DB2 and subsequent models and in the 1970’s, it released the DB V8. It ended in 1988 and superseded by the Virage models in 1988.
The Aston Martin Vantage appeared in 1992 and the V12 Vantage in 1992. The Vanquish with V12 engine was released in 2001, the DB9 Volante with convertible design in 2006 and V8 Vantage sports in 2006. Before the World War 2, the company was already responsible for the release of various high performance cars. The Aston Martin Standard Sports in 1921, Aston Martin International Le Mans in 1932 and the Aston Martin 15/98 in 1937. The Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports was also known as the DB1 and it was released in 1948. The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato appeared in 1961, Aston Martin DB-7 in 1993 and Aston Martin DB9 in 2004.
When Aston Martin V8 Vantage appeared in 1977, it was called as the first real supercar of Britain. It was renowned for the ability to reach the speed of 170mph. In the 1990’s, the most popular Aston Martin models were Virage, Vantage and V8 Coupe/V8 Volante. The Virage introduced a model with improved acceleration, more modern design and sleeked build. The V8 Vantage Roadster was known for its strong design, despite the light chassis. The Vanquish S was able to reach the speed of 200mph. Aston Martin has become an important name in the car industry with the combination of performance and luxury.