 Founded in London in 1913, Aston Martin produced its first car in 1915 but soon faced what was to become a string of financial difficulties. The First World War prevented a strong start to production, though by 1922 the company was producing race cars to compete in the French Grand Prix. Two years later, however, Aston Martin faced bankruptcy and despite being bought out it failed again in 1925 - eventually having to close its factory the following year.
The company was saved again, by a group of investors who renamed it Aston Martin Motors and production was moved to a former Citroen plant. As another war approached the company continued to focus on racing, with few commercial cars being produced. All production would cease during World War II as the factory turned to aircraft manufacture.
Aston Martin again changed hands in 1947 as engineering company David Brown Limited took control. Under managing director David Brown, after whom the "DB" line of cars was named, the company continued to be plagued by financial problems and was sold five times across the 1970s and early 1980s.
In 1986 the Ford Motor Company purchased 75% of Aston Martin before gaining full control in 1993. Massive investment and increased production by Ford led to the opening of new factories and record sales.
Despite the problems Aston Martin has faced it has gained a worldwide reputation for producing premier luxury cars, thanks in part to the appearance of its models in eight James Bond films since 1964. |
