Aston-Martin Lagonda
Type	Private
Founded	1913
Founder	Lionel Martin Robert Bamford
Headquarters	Gaydon, Warwickshire, England
Key people	Dr. Ulrich Bez CEO/Chairman David Richards Non-Executive Chairman
Industry	Automotive
Products	Automobile
Owner	Investment Dar and Adeem Investment
Website	www.astonmartin.com

Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars, whose headquarters are at Gaydon, Warwickshire, England. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire^[1] Image File history File links AstonMartinLogo. ... A private company is a company that is independently owned. ... For the computer game by Peter Molyneux, see The Entrepreneur. ... Lionel Martin (1878)-(1945) a Cornishman who, with Robert Bamford, founded Aston Martin. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Gaydon is a village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. ... A detailed map Stratford-upon-Avon Kenilworth Castle Warwickshire (pronounced // or //) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Dr. Ulrich Bez (b. ... David Richards CBE (born 3 June 1952) is the chairman of Prodrive and the former Team Principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One auto racing teams. ... Industrial robots welding a car body in the white section of a production line. ... Car redirects here. ... A website (alternatively, web site or Web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or more web servers, usually accessible via the Internet. ... 1963 Jaguar E-Type, a classic sports car 1963 Chevrolet Corvette was based upon European sports cars A sports car is an automobile designed for performance driving. ... Car redirects here. ... Gaydon is a village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. ... A detailed map Stratford-upon-Avon Kenilworth Castle Warwickshire (pronounced // or //) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Lionel Martin (1878)-(1945) a Cornishman who, with Robert Bamford, founded Aston Martin. ... A hill ... Hillclimbing (also known as hill climbing, speed hillclimbing or speed hill climbing) is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course. ... dcdc ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ...

From 1994 until 2007 Aston Martin was part of the Premier Automotive Group, a division of the Ford Motor Company. On 12 March 2007, it was purchased for £479 million (US$848 million) ^[2]by two Kuwaiti investment companies in a deal led by David Richards of Prodrive. Ford retained a US$77 million stake in Aston Martin, setting the total value of the company at US$925 million.^[3] The Premier Automotive Group (PAG), is a group within the Ford Motor Company that oversaw the business operations of ip in Energy and Environmental Design]] Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. ... “Ford” redirects here. ... is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... GBP redirects here. ... The State of Kuwait is a small oil-rich monarchy on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia in the south and Iraq in the north. ... David Richards CBE (born 3 June 1952) is the chairman of Prodrive and the former Team Principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One auto racing teams. ... Prodrives logo Prodrive Ltd. ...

Many of the James Bond films feature an Aston Martin as Bond's car. This article is about the spy series. ...

History

Foundation

Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. 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. 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.^[4] They acquired premises at Henniker Place in Kensington and produced their first car in March 1915. Production could not start because of the outbreak of World War I, and Martin joined the Admiralty and Bamford the Royal Army Service Corps. All machinery was sold to the Sopwith Aviation Company. Singer was an automobile marque used by the Rootes Group of the United Kingdom. ... The GWK was a British car made in Maidenhead, Berkshire, between 1911 and 1931. ... Calthorpe cars were made in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, England from 1904 to 1932. ... A hill ... dcdc ... Coventry Climax was a British fork-lift truck, fire pump, and specialty engine manufacturer. ... The Isotta Fraschini logo Isotta Fraschini was know as The Aristocrat of Automobiles. ... For other uses, see Kensington (disambiguation). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The Sopwith Aviation Company was a British aircraft company that designed and manufactured aeroplanes mainly for the British Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and later Royal Air Force in the First World War, most famously the Sopwith Camel. ...

Aston Martin Mk II 1935

Aston Martin 2-Litre 2/4-Seater Sports 1937

Image File history File links Aston_Martin_Mk_II_1935. ... Image File history File links Aston_Martin_Mk_II_1935. ... Image File history File links Aston_Martin_2-Litre_2_4-Seater_Sports_1937. ... Image File history File links Aston_Martin_2-Litre_2_4-Seater_Sports_1937. ...

Inter war years

After the war the company was refunded at Abingdon Road, Kensington and a new car designed to carry the Aston-Martin name. Bamford left in 1920 and the company was revitalised with funding from Count Louis Zborowski. In 1922, Bamford & Martin produced cars to compete in the French Grand Prix, and the cars set world speed and endurance records at Brooklands. Three works Team Cars with 16 valve twin cam engines were built for racing and record breaking: chassis number 1914, later developed as the Green Pea; chassis number 1915, the Razor Blade record car; and chassis number 1916, later developed as the Halford Special. Approximately 55 cars were built for sale in two configurations, long chassis and short chassis. The company went bankrupt in 1924 and was bought by Lady Charnwood, who put her son John Benson on the board. The company failed again in 1925 and the factory closed in 1926, with Lionel Martin leaving. Count Louis Zborowski (20 February 1895 – 19 October 1924) was a pioneer automobile engineer and racing driver. ... The French Grand Prix (Grand Prix de France) is a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de lAutomobiles annual Formula One automobile racing championships. ... Brooklands was a motor racing circuit built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Occams Razor or Hanlons razor A razor is a an edge tool (primarily, used in shaving). ... The Halford Special was a Grand Prix racing car of the 1920s, built by Frank Halford. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

Later that year, Bill Renwick, Augustus (Bert) Bertelli and a number of rich investors, including Lady Charnwood, took control of the company and renamed it Aston Martin Motors, and moved it to the former Whitehead Aircraft Limited works in Feltham. Renwick and Bertelli had been in partnership some years and had developed an overhead cam 4 cylinder engine, using Renwick's patented combustion chamber design, and had tested it in an Enfield Allday chassis. It was the only 'Renwick and Bertelli' motor car made. It was known as 'Buzzbox' and survives to this day.

They had planned to sell this engine to motor manufacturers, but having heard that the Aston Martin car was no longer in production they realised that they could capitalise on the reputation of the Aston Martin name (what we would now call the brand) to give themselves a head start in the production of a completely new car.

Between the years 1926 and 1937 Bertelli was the technical director of Aston Martin, and the designer of all subsequent Aston Martin cars during this period, these being known as the 'Bertelli cars'. They included the 1 1/2 litre 'T-type', the 'International, the 'Le Mans, the 'MKII' its racing derivative the 'Ulster, and the 2 litre 15/98 and its racing derivative the 'Speed Model'.

Mostly open two seater sports cars and mostly bodied by Bert Bertelli's brother Enrico (Harry)a small number of long chassis four seater tourers, dropheads and saloons were also produced.

Bertelli was very keen to race his cars and he was a very competent driver. One of the very few motor manufacturers to actually sit in and race the cars he designed and built , the competition no doubt 'improved the breed' and the 'LM' team cars were very successful in national and international motor racing including at Le Mans and the Mille Miglia.

Financial problems reappeared in 1932 and the company was rescued by L. Prideaux Brune who funded it for the following year before passing the company on to Sir Arthur Sutherland. In 1936, the company decided to concentrate on road cars. Car production had always been on a small scale and until the advent of World War II halted work only about 700 had been made. During the war years aircraft components were made. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The David Brown era

1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III

In 1947, David Brown Limited bought the company under the leadership of managing director Sir David Brown—its "post-war saviour". David Brown also acquired Lagonda that year, and both companies shared resources and workshops. In 1955, David Brown bought the Tickford coachbuilding company and its site at Tickford Street in Newport Pagnell, and that was the beginning of the classic series of cars bearing the initials "DB". In 1950, the company announced the DB2, followed by the racing DB3 in 1957 and the Italian-styled 3.7 L DB4 in 1958. All the cars established a good racing pedigree for the firm, but the DB4 was the key to establishing the company's reputation, which was cemented by the famous DB5 in 1963. The company continued developing the "grand touring" style with the DB6 (1965–70), the DBS, and the DBS V8 (1967–72). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 600 pixel, file size: 91 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III photographed at the Meadow Brook Concours dElegance in Rochester, Michigan, August 7, 2005, by Douglas Wilkinson for www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 600 pixel, file size: 91 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III photographed at the Meadow Brook Concours dElegance in Rochester, Michigan, August 7, 2005, by Douglas Wilkinson for www. ... David Brown Limited was a British engineering company, principally engaged in the manufacture of gears and gearboxes. ... Sir David Brown (May 10, 1904 - September 3, 1993) was a British entrepreneur, managing director of his family firm David Brown Limited and one time owner of shipbuilders Vosper Thornycroft. ... 1937 Lagonda LG45R Rapide Lagonda, the British car maker, was founded in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by the American Wilbur Gunn. ... Tickford is a automobile tuning company most famous for the 140mph Tickford Turbo Capri. ... Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes (traditional Buckinghamshire), England. ... The DB2 was a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1950 through 1953. ... The Aston Martin DB3 and later DB3S were racing cars built in the 1950s. ... The DB4 was a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1958 through 1963. ... The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 was an improved DB4. ... The Aston Martin DB6 was a sports car manufactured by Aston Martin from 1965 to 1970. ... The Aston Martin DBS is a GT car produced by the British manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. ... The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door saloon-type automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1990. ...

1970s - Changing ownership

Despite the cars' appreciation in value, the company was often financially troubled. In 1972, it was sold to a Birmingham-based consortium, owned by William Willson, (MBE), and resold in 1975 to North American businessmen Peter Sprague and George Minden. The new owners pushed the company into modernizing its line, producing the V8 Vantage in 1977, the convertible Volante in 1978, and the one-off William Towns-styled Bulldog in 1980. Towns also styled the futuristic new Lagonda saloon, based on the V8 model. This article is about the British city. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe The original Aston Martin V8 Vantage was hailed at the time of its 1977 introduction as Britains First Supercar for its 170 mph (274 km/h) top speed. ... The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door saloon-type automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1990. ... William (Bill) Towns was a British car designer. ... Bold textBold text The Aston Martin Bulldog, styled by William Towns, was a one-off testbed vehicle produced by Aston Martin in 1979. ... The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1976 and 1989. ...

In 1980 Aston-Martin had plans, which did not materialize, to buy MG, which they would have utilized as a sister marque, probably building smaller sports cars. Ideas were plotted to design a new model and they revealed to the press their approach to an 'updated' '1981' model MGB. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The MGB was Britains best-selling sports car model. ...

As worldwide sales of Aston Martin shrank to three per week, chairman Alan Curtis together with fellow shareholders American Peter Sprague and Canadian George Minden, had almost chosen to shut down the production side of the business and concentrate on service and restoration. Curtis attended the 1980 Pace sponsored Stirling Moss benefit day at Brands Hatch, and met fellow Farnham resident Victor Gauntlett. Alan Curtis may refer to: Alan Curtis (American actor) Alan Curtis (British actor) Alan Curtis (Welsh footballer) Alan Curtis (British singer) Category: ... Automobile restoration is the process of returning a car to essentially the same condition that it was in when it left the factory at time of manufacture. ... Sir Stirling Moss OBE (born September 17, 1929 in London) is a British former racing driver from England. ... Brands Hatch is a British motor racing circuit. ... This article is about the English town. ... Malcolm Victor Gauntlett (20 May 1942 - 31 March 2003) was an English petrochemical entrepreneur and car enthusiast, best known for forming the largest independent petrol retail business in the United Kingdom, and for reviving Aston Martin. ...

1980s - Victor Gauntlett

Gauntlett bought a 10% stake in Aston Martin for £500,000 via Pace Petroleum in 1980, with Tim Hearley of CH Industrials taking a similar share. Pace and CHI took over as joint 50/50 owners at the beginning of 1981, with Gauntlett as executive chairman. Gauntlett also led the sales team, and after some development and a lot of publicity when it became the world’s fastest 4-seater production car, was able to sell with success the Aston Martin Lagonda into Persian Gulf states, particularly Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.^[5] Kuwait Petroleum International, often referred to by its trademark Q8, refines and markets fuel, lubricants and other petroleum derivatives in Europe. ... The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1976 and 1989. ...

Understanding it would take some time to develop new Aston Martin products, they bought Tickford to develop automotive products for other companies. Products included a Tickford Austin Metro, a Tickford Ford Capri and even Tickford train interiors, particularly on the Jaguar XJS.^[5] Pace continued sponsoring racing events, and now sponsored all Aston Martin Owners Club events, taking a Tickford engined Nimrod Group C car owned by AMOC President Viscount Downe, which came third in the Manufacturers Championship in both 1982 and 1983. It also finished seventh in the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans race. However, sales of production cars were now at an all time low of 30 cars produced in 1982.^[5] Tickford is a automobile tuning company most famous for the 140mph Tickford Turbo Capri. ... 1989 MG Metro Turbo The Rover Metro was a hatchback automobile of supermini size, originally launched in 1980 as the Austin Mini Metro (miniMETRO to give the official badging), intended to replace the Mini. ... Ford Capri Mk III 1. ... 1988 Jaguar XJ-S 1985 XJ-S 5. ... The title of Viscount Downe was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1680. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... The 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 50th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20, 1982. ...

As trading became tighter in the petroleum market, and Aston Martin was requiring more time and money, Gauntlett agreed to sell Hays/Pace to the Kuwait Investment Office in September 1983. As Aston Martin required greater investment, he also agreed to sell his share holding to American importer and Greek shipping tycoon Peter Livanos, who invested via his joint venture company with Nick and John Papanicalou, ALL Inc. Gauntlett remained chairman of the AML company 55% owned by ALL, with Tickford a 50/50 venture between ALL and CHI. The uneasy relationship was ended when ALL exercised options to buy a larger share in AML; CHI's residual shares were exchanged for CHI's complete ownership of Tickford, which retained development of existing Aston Martin projects. In 1984, Titan the main shipping company of the Papanicolaou’s was in trouble, so Livanos's father George bought out the Papanicolaou's shares in ALL, while Gauntlett again became a shareholder with a 25% holding in AML. The deal valued Aston Martin/AML at £2 million pounds, the year it built its 10,000th car.^[5]

Although as a result Aston Martin had to make 60 members of the workforce redundant, Gauntlett bought a stake in Italian styling house Zagato, and resurrected its collaboration with Aston Martin. Redundancy, in general terms, refers to the quality or state of being redundant, that is: exceeding what is necessary or normal, containing an excess. ... Zagato is a modern design consultancy and engineering services company situated just outside Milan, the hub of Italys world-famous fashion industry. ...

Aston Martin Volante from The Living Daylights

In 1986, Gauntlett negotiated the return of fictional British secret agent James Bond to Aston Martin. Cubby Broccoli had chosen to recast the character using actor Timothy Dalton, in an attempt to re-root the Bond-brand back to a more Sean Connery-like feel. Gauntlett supplied his personal pre-production Vantage for use in the filming of "The Living Daylights," and sold a Volante to Broccoli for use at his home in America. Unfortunately, Gauntlett turned down the role of a KGB colonel in the film: "I would have loved to have done it but really could not afford the time."^[6] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1878x1278, 2236 KB) Summary Aston Martin Volante with modifications as seen in The Living Daylights, here at a James Bond convention in 1992. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1878x1278, 2236 KB) Summary Aston Martin Volante with modifications as seen in The Living Daylights, here at a James Bond convention in 1992. ... For other uses, see The Living Daylights (disambiguation). ... This article is about the spy series. ... Albert Romolo Broccoli (April 5, 1909–June 27, 1996) known to millions of movie fans as Cubby Broccoli (a nickname used by a cousin), produced more than forty movies, but will be remembered by most for his contribution to one of the most successful film franchises in history, James Bond. ... Timothy Peter Dalton (born March 21, 1946[1]) is an English actor of stage and screen, best known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989) and in his roles in Shakespearean related films and plays. ... Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25, 1930) is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and BAFTA Award-winning Scottish actor and producer who is perhaps best known as the first actor to portray James Bond in cinema, starring in seven Bond films. ... 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe The original Aston Martin V8 Vantage was hailed at the time of its 1977 introduction as Britains First Supercar for its 170 mph (274 km/h) top speed. ... For other uses, see The Living Daylights (disambiguation). ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ...

Although the company was doing well, Gauntlett knew it needed extra funds to survive in the long term. In May 1987, Gauntlett and Prince Michael of Kent were staying at the home of Contessa Maggi, the wife of the founder of the original Mille Miglia, while watching the revival event. Another house guest was Walter Hayes, vice-President of Ford of Europe. Despite problems over the previous acquisition of AC Cars, Hayes saw the potential of the brand and the discussion resulted in Ford taking a share holding in September 1987.^[7] In 1988, having produced some 5,000 cars in 20 years, a revived economy and successful sales of limited edition Vantage, and 52 Volante Zagato coupes at £86,000 each; the company finally retired the ancient V8 and introduced the Virage range - the first new Aston launched in 20 years. This article is about the year 1987. ... Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO (Michael George Charles Franklin Windsor; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary. ... The Mille Miglia (Thousand Miles - pronounced [mi:lle mi:lja]) was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before the war, eleven from 1947). ... Walter Hayes CBE (12 April 1924 - 26 December 2000) was an English journalist, and later public relations executive for Ford. ... Ford Europe is the European division of the Ford Motor Company that is based in America. ... A.C. Royal Roadster 1924 A.C. 16/70 Sports Drophead Coupé 1935 A.C. ACE 2-Seater Sports A.C. Greyhound Saloon 1962 1999 Cobra Replica 1971 AC Frua AC Cars Group Ltd. ... Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... See also: Aston Martin Vantage (disambiguation) Aston Martin has used the Vantage name on a number of vehicles, normally indicating a high-performance version of another model. ... The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a GT car of the 1980s. ... The Virage was Aston Martins replacement for the decades-old V8 models. ...

Although Gauntlett was contractually to stay as chairman for two years, his racing interests took Aston back into sports car racing in 1989 with limited European success. However, with engine rule changes for the 1990 season and the launch of the new Aston Martin Volante model, Ford provided the limited supply of Cosworth engines to the Jaguar cars racing team. As the "small Aston" DB7 would require a large engineering input, Ford agreed to take full control of Aston Martin, and Gauntlett handed over the company chairmanship to Hayes in 1991.^[8] In 1992, the Vantage version was announced, and the following year the company renewed the DB range by announcing the DB7. Volante is the name given to Aston Martin convertible models from the DB5-Based Short Chassis Volante. ... Cosworth Logo Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing. ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... The Aston Martin DB7 was a grand tourer made by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2003. ... The Virage was Aston Martins replacement for the decades-old V8 models. ... The Aston Martin DB7 was a grand tourer made by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2003. ...

The Ford era

Ford placed Aston in the Premier Automotive Group, substantially invested in new manufacturing and quickly ramped up production. In 1994, Ford opened a new factory at Banbury Road in Bloxham. In 1995, the company produced a record 700 vehicles. In 1998 the 2,000th DB7 was built, and in 2002 the 6,000th, exceeding production of all previous DB models. The DB7 range was boosted by the addition of V12 Vantage models in 1999, and in 2001 the company introduced the V12-engine Vanquish. The Premier Automotive Group (PAG), is a group within the Ford Motor Company that oversaw the business operations of ip in Energy and Environmental Design]] Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. ... , Bloxham is a village located in Oxfordshire on the edge of the Cotswolds in the central part of England. ... The Aston Martin DB7 was a grand tourer made by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2003. ... The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is a supercar manufactured by Aston Martin since 2001. ...

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in 2003, Aston Martin introduced the AMV8 Vantage concept car. Expected to have few changes before its introduction in 2005, the Vantage brought back the classic V8 engine to allow the company to compete in a larger market. 2003 also saw the opening of the Gaydon factory, the first purpose-built factory in Aston Martin's history. Also introduced in 2003 was the DB9 coupé, which replaced the ten-year-old DB7. A convertible version of the DB9, the DB9 Volante, was introduced at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. In 2006, the V8 Vantage sports car entered production at the Gaydon factory, joining the DB9 and DB9 Volante. Detroit redirects here. ... // The modern Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a hand built sports car from British manufacturer Aston Martin. ... Gaydon is a village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. ... Aston Martin DB9 Coupé - front view Aston Martin DB9 Coupé - rear view The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer launched by Aston Martin in 2004. ... The Aston Martin DB7 was a grand tourer made by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2003. ... Spyder or Spider is a term for a convertible car body style. ... The DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the Aston Martin DB9. ... The Aston Martin V8 Vantage was first seen at the Geneva motorshow. ...

In December 2003 Aston Martin announced it would return to motor racing in 2005. A new division was created, called Aston Martin Racing, which became responsible, together with Prodrive, for the design, development, and management of the DBR9 program. The DBR9 competes in the GT class in sports car races, including the world-famous 24 hours of Le Mans. Prodrives logo Prodrive Ltd. ... IMSA GTP sports cars racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1991 Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. ... The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is the worlds most famous sports car endurance race, held annually at Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, in the French Sarthe département. ...

Sale by Ford

In 2006, under mounting financial pressure, an internal review of costs and realisable value on investment, led Ford to consider divesting itself of parts of its Premier Automotive Group. After suggestions of selling Jaguar Cars, Land Rover or Volvo Cars, Ford appointed UBS AG to sell Aston Martin by auction. At the end of August 2006, Ford announced that it would be willing to sell all or part of Aston Martin. Bill Ford said: "As part of our on going strategic review, we have determined that Aston Martin may be an attractive opportunity to raise capital and generate value".^[9] The Premier Automotive Group (PAG), is a group within the Ford Motor Company that oversaw the business operations of ip in Energy and Environmental Design]] Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... Land Rover was the name of one of the first British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles, first produced by Rover in 1947. ... Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar, is a well-known Swedish automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden. ... The UBS Tower in Chicago (photo by Krzysztof Makara) UBS AG (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657) is a diversified global financial services company, with its main headquarters in Basel & Zürich, Switzerland. ... An auctioneer and her assistants scan the crowd for bidders An auction is a process of buying and selling goods by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the winning bidder. ...

The first round of the auction closed on 30 November 2006. ^[10] One of the four survivors was Syrian-born billionaire Simon Halabi,^[11] while the Australian bid included James Packer, Australia's second richest man.^[12] The German auto newspaper Autobild reported on 2 February 2007 that the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH had bought the company for an undisclosed sum. The paper cited "anonymous, but well-placed sources" with the information. It was later reported by Autocar magazine that LVMH had denied the news as "rubbish". is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Simon Halabi is a Syrian-born businessman based in the United Kingdom. ... For the Anglican theologian, see J. I. Packer. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. (Euronext: MC), usually shortened to LVMH, is a French holding company and the worlds largest luxury goods conglomerate. ...

2007 - A new era begins

On 12 March 2007 a consortium led by Prodrive chairman David Richards purchased Aston Martin for £475m/USD$848m.^[13] Prodrive has no financial involvement in the deal.^[14] Ford will keep a stake in the company (valued at GBP 40 million / USD 70 million). The consortium also consisted of John Sinders, an Aston Martin collector; and two Kuwaiti investment companies, Investment Dar and Adeem Investment Co. is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Prodrives logo Prodrive Ltd. ... David Richards CBE (born 3 June 1952) is the chairman of Prodrive and the former Team Principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One auto racing teams. ... The symbol £ represents the pound currency which Britain uses. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Prodrives logo Prodrive Ltd. ... GBP redirects here. ... USD redirects here. ...

On 19 July 2007 the last car, a Vanquish S, was produced at the Newport Pagnell plant. Nearly 13,000 cars had been made there since 1955. All production was concentrated at Gaydon, with the old premises in Tickford Road remaining in Aston Martin ownership as the restoration and service department.^[15] Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes (traditional Buckinghamshire), England. ...

Aston Martin has also boosted its worldwide appeal by opening more dealers in Europe, as well as branches in China for the first time in its 93 year history in Beijing and Shanghai. This has brought their dealership programme to 120 dealers in 28 countries.^[16] For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Peking redirects here. ... For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ...

Aston Martins on film and culture

Author Ian Fleming gave his James Bond hero a DB Mark III in the seventh novel, Goldfinger. A long association between 007 and the marque began on screen with the silver DB5 that appears in Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965). This was James Bond's company car, and in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) appeared to have become his private car. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) a metallic-green DBS appears at the beginning and end of the movie. After an interlude with Lotus, Aston Martins were again used: a charcoal-grey V8 Volante and Vantage in The Living Daylights (1987). After switching to BMW for several films, the Vanquish appeared in Die Another Day (2002). In Casino Royale (2006), James Bond drives both the classic DB5 which becomes his personal vehicle after winning a poker game, and the new DBS which is revealed to be his new company car in Quantum of Solace(in theaters November 2008) This article is about the author. ... This article is about the spy series. ... For other uses, see Goldfinger. ... Goldfinger is the third film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Sean Connery as the MI6 agent. ... For other topics with this name, see Thunderball. ... For other uses, see Goldeneye (disambiguation). ... Tomorrow Never Dies, released in 1997, is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as MI6 agent James Bond. ... For the Ian Fleming novel, see On Her Majestys Secret Service. ... Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports cars and racing cars based in Hethel, Norfolk, formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd. ... For other uses, see The Living Daylights (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see BMW (disambiguation). ... For the theme song of the same movie, performed by Madonna, see Die Another Day (song). ... Casino Royale (2006) is the twenty-first film in the James Bond series directed by Martin Campbell and the first to star Daniel Craig as MI6 agent James Bond. ...

In Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (film), a DB2/4 Drophead Coupe (convertible) is driven by male lead Rod Taylor and figures prominently in the final scene. The Birds is a 1963 horror film by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on the short story The Birds by Daphne du Maurier. ... Rod Taylor (born January 11, 1930) is an actor. ...

A black Aston Martin Vanquish appears in The Italian Job (2003 film). The Italian Job is a 2003 action-adventure film, directed by F. Gary Gray. ...

In the film Gorgeous (1999) Jackie Chan drives an Aston Martin. For the Canadian rock band, see The Gorgeous. ...

Rowan Atkinson's own DB7 Vantage was used in Johnny English (2003). Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his title roles in the British television comedies Blackadder and Mr. ... Johnny English is a British comic film parodying the James Bond secret agent genre, released in 2003. ...

In the HBO series Entourage (2006), Vince buys all the guys an Aston Martin DB9 to celebrate the recent success of "Aquaman". Entourage is an Emmy Award-winning HBO original series created by Doug Ellin that chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase — a young A-list movie star — and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood, California. ...

In the TV Series "Las Vegas" James Caan's character Ed Deline drives a DB9 Volante.

In the TV series Desperate Housewives, the character Gabrielle Solis (played by Eva Longoria Parker) drives a Maroon DB9 Volante. Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. ... Gabrielle Solis (pronounced ; née Marquez, previously Lang; born February 11, 1976) is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. ...

On Youtube, there is a clip of Kobe Bryant, an NBA superstar, jumping over a speeding Aston Martin.

In the episode "Driven" from the fourth season of CSI: Miami, an Aston Martin is one of three high-end vehicles stolen from a spa. CSI: Miami is a spinoff of the popular CBS network series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. ...

Models

1967 - 1989 DBS and later V8s Image File history File linksMetadata Aston_Martin_DBS_V8_and_Series_II.jpg Aston Martin DBS V8 (foreground) and Aston Martin V8 Vantage (red) From the Scarsdale Concours Source: Photos by en:Wikipedia user Nrbelex, uploaded by permission File links The following pages link to this file: Aston Martin V8 Metadata This file contains additional information...	2001 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Image File history File links 2001db7. ...	2004 Aston Martin DB9 coupé 2004 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. ...	DB AR1 roadster Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2863x1453, 2661 KB) An Aston Martin DB AR1 at the 2005 Chrysler Concours Grand Prix of Indianapolis Photo by Dan Smith. ...
V12 Vanquish 2003 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Photographed in Greenwich, CT. File links The following pages link to this file: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Categories: Public domain images ...	2003 DB7 Zagato (coupé) and DB AR1 (roadster) Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2230 KB)2003 Zagato Coupe and Roadster Photographed by Jagvar at Aston Martin of Paris in Paris, France in August 2004. ...	2006 Aston Martin DB9 Volante (convertible) Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 102 KB) Summary 2006 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, taken at the Vancouver International Auto Show, on April 8, 2006. ...	Broughtons Aston Martin Showroom, Cheltenham Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 683 pixel, file size: 125 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Broughtons Aston Martin, Cheltenham. ...

Aston Martin's model naming can be confusing to the uninitiated. In general, high performance models use the Vantage name, while convertibles are called Volante. The following Aston Martin vehicles have used the Vantage tag: 1961–1963 DB4 Vantage 1963–1965 DB5 Vantage 1965–1969 DB6 Vantage 1972–1973 Vantage 1977–1989 V8 Vantage 1986–1989 V8 Vantage Volante 1988–1990 V8 Vantage Zagato 1992–1999 V8 Vantage (Virage) 1999–2003 DB7 V12 Vantage 2005...

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
• 1936-1938 Aston Martin 2 litre Speed
• 1937-1939 Aston Martin 15/98
• 1939-1939 Aston Martin 2 litre C-Type

Aston Martin’s single-overhead-cam was highly efficient at 70 brake horsepower from 1. ...

Post-war Sports and GT cars

• 1948–1950 Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports (DB1)
• 1950–1953 Aston Martin DB2
• 1953–1957 Aston Martin DB2/4
• 1957–1959 Aston Martin DB Mark III
• 1958–1963 Aston Martin DB4
• 1961–1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
• 1963–1965 Aston Martin DB5
• 1965–1969 Aston Martin DB6
• 1967–1972 Aston Martin DBS
• 1969–1989 Aston Martin V8
• 1977–1989 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
• 1986–1990 Aston Martin V8 Zagato
• 1989–2000 Aston Martin Virage
• 1989–1996 Aston Martin Virage/Virage Volante
• 1993–2000 Aston Martin Vantage
• 1996–2000 Aston Martin V8 Coupe/V8 Volante
• 1993–2003 Aston Martin DB7/DB7 Vantage
• 2002–2004 Aston Martin DB AR1
• 2001–2007 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
• 2004–2007 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S
• 2004– Aston Martin DB9
• 2005– Aston Martin V8 Vantage
• 2007– Aston Martin DBS

The 2-Litre Sports was a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1948 through 1950. ... The DB2 was a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1950 through 1953. ... The DB2/4 was a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1953 through 1957. ... See also Aston Martin DB3 for the racing car often confused with the Mark III The DB Mark III was a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1957 through 1959. ... The DB4 was a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1958 through 1963. ... From 1961 to 1963 only 19 pices of the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato were produced, make it an really rare car. ... The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 was an improved DB4. ... The Aston Martin DB6 was a sports car manufactured by Aston Martin from 1965 to 1970. ... The Aston Martin DBS is a GT car produced by the British manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. ... The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door saloon-type automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1990. ... 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe The original Aston Martin V8 Vantage was hailed at the time of its 1977 introduction as Britains First Supercar for its 170 mph (274 km/h) top speed. ... The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a GT car of the 1980s. ... The Virage was Aston Martins replacement for the decades-old V8 models. ... The Virage was Aston Martins replacement for the decades-old V8 models. ... The Virage was Aston Martins replacement for the decades-old V8 models. ... The Virage was Aston Martins replacement for the decades-old V8 models. ... The Aston Martin DB7 was a grand tourer made by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2003. ... The interior of the DB AR1 The Aston Martin DB AR1 was a limited-edition grand tourer made by Aston Martin for the United States market in 2003. ... The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, often shortened to Vanquish, was designed by Ian Callum, and is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin. ... The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, often shortened to Vanquish, was designed by Ian Callum, and is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin. ... Aston Martin DB9 Coupé - front view Aston Martin DB9 Coupé - rear view The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer launched by Aston Martin in 2004. ... // The modern Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a hand built sports car from British manufacturer Aston Martin. ... This article is about the new Aston Martin DBS V12, for the classic, 1967 to 1972 GT car, see Aston Martin DBS. The Aston Martin DBS is the latest supercar to be announced by the Aston Martin and featured prominently in the James Bond film Casino Royale. ...

Other

• 1944 Aston Martin Atom (concept)
• 1961–1964 Lagonda Rapide
• 1976–1989 Aston Martin Lagonda
• 1980 Aston Martin Bulldog (concept)
• 1993 Lagonda Vignale (concept)
• 2008– Aston Martin Rapide
• 2007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS (concept)

The Lagonda Rapide was a 4-door GT car produced from 1961 through 1964. ... The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1976 and 1989. ... Bold textBold text The Aston Martin Bulldog, styled by William Towns, was a one-off testbed vehicle produced by Aston Martin in 1979. ... The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, four-seat coupe, which British luxury marque Aston Martin plans to introduce in late 2009 to compete with the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class and Maserati Quattroporte. ...

Current models

• V8 Vantage, V8 Vantage Roadster & V12 Vantage RS
• Aston Martin DB9 & DB9 Volante
• Aston Martin DBS V12

// The modern Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a hand built sports car from British manufacturer Aston Martin. ... Aston Martin DB9 Coupé - front view Aston Martin DB9 Coupé - rear view The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer launched by Aston Martin in 2004. ... This article is about the new Aston Martin DBS V12, for the classic, 1967 to 1972 GT car, see Aston Martin DBS. The Aston Martin DBS is the latest supercar to be announced by the Aston Martin and featured prominently in the James Bond film Casino Royale. ...

Future models

• Rapide - Addition to the range in 2009 - a long, 4-seater Grand Tourer
• A DBX model was mentioned on the call announcing the sale of Aston Martin to the consortium led by David Richards and CEO, Ulrich Bez. No further details were provided. The DBX was later revealed to be a possible new flagship for Aston Martin based on the Zagato to compete against the Mercedes McLaren SLR, with speed over 205 mph (330 km/h) and a V12 mid engine tuned to produce 700 bhp.^[17]
• Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS (600bhp) - Announced at the official opening of Aston Martin's first-ever dedicated design centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, on Tuesday 11 December 2007.

The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, four-seat coupe, which British luxury marque Aston Martin plans to introduce in late 2009 to compete with the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class and Maserati Quattroporte. ... The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a GT car of the 1980s. ... is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Race cars

See also: List of Formula One constructors, Aston Martin Racing

The following is a list of constructors which have competed or plan to compete in the FIA World Championship. ...

Whole race cars (post-war)

Aston Martin's 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans winning DBR1.

A Group C Nimrod NRA/C2 which used Aston Martin's V8 engines in the 1980s.

• Aston Martin DB3 (1950-1953)
• Aston Martin DB3S (1953-1956)
• Aston Martin DBR1 (1956-1959)
• Aston Martin DBR2 (1957-1958)
• Aston Martin DBR3 (1958)
• Aston Martin DBR4 (1959)
• Aston Martin DBR5 (1960)
• Aston Martin DP212 (1962)
• Aston Martin DP214 (1963)
• Aston Martin DP215 (1963)
• Aston Martin RHAM/1 (1976-1979)
• Aston Martin AMR1 (1989)
• Aston Martin AMR2 (never raced)
• Aston Martin DBR9 (2005-)
• Aston Martin DBRS9 (2005-)
• Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24 (2006-)
• Aston Martin V8 Vantage Rally GT (2006-)
• Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2 (2008-)

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 1. ... The 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 27th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 20 and 21, 1959. ... The Aston Martin DBR1 was a sports racing car built by Aston Martin starting in 1956, intended for the World Sportscar Championship as well as non-championship sportscar races at the time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 499 pixelsFull resolution (1995 × 1245 pixel, file size: 372 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 499 pixelsFull resolution (1995 × 1245 pixel, file size: 372 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Group C was a category of auto racing, and was introduced into sports car racing by the FIA (the governing body of World motor racing) during the early 1980s. ... The Aston Martin DB3 and later DB3S were racing cars built in the 1950s. ... The Aston Martin DB3 and later DB3S were racing cars built in the 1950s. ... The Aston Martin DBR1 was a sports racing car built by Aston Martin starting in 1956, intended for the World Sportscar Championship as well as non-championship sportscar races at the time. ... The Aston Martin DBR2 was a sports racing car built in 1957 as a sibling to the Aston Martin DBR1, yet competing in a larger engine capacity group. ... The Aston Martin DBR3 was a sports racing car built in 1958 as an alternative to the DBR1, using a different engine and front end setup. ... n. ... The Aston Martin DP212 was a prototype sports car developed by Aston Martin for use in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... The Aston Martin DP214 was a prototype sports car developed by Aston Martin for use in grand touring-style racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... The Aston Martin DP215 was a prototype sports car built by Aston Martin for grand touring-style racing in 1963. ... The Aston Martin AMR1 was a Group C formula racing car developed in 1989 for auto manufacturer Aston Martin. ... The Aston Martin AMR2 was a proposed Group C formula racing car intended to be used by Aston Martin and their Proteus Technologies Inc. ... The Aston Martin DBR9 is a new racing car by Aston Martin, first built in 2005. ... Aston Martin DBRS9 can refer to two vehicles: Aston Martin DBRS9 (race car), a racing car built by Prodrive for Aston Martin to be sold to customer racing teams, specifically for use in the FIA GT3 European Championship. ...

Engine supply only

• Cooper-Aston Martin (1963)
• Lola T70-Aston Martin (1967)
• Nimrod NRA/C2-Aston Martin (1982-1984)
• EMKA C84/1-Aston Martin (1984-1985)
• Cheetah G604-Aston Martin
• Lola B08/60-Aston Martin (2008-)

Jack Brabhams 1961 Cooper-Climax, the car that began the rear-engine revolution at the Indianapolis 500 The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1947 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. ... The Lola T70 was built for sports car racing, popular in the mid to late 1960s. ... Steve ORourke (1 October 1940 - 30 October 2003) in London, England. ... The Lola B08/60 is a Le Mans Prototype currently under construction by Lola Cars International. ...

Notes

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ...

See also

• Aston Martin Owners Club

The AMOC is one of the oldest one-make clubs, one of the largest with world-wide membership and one of the leaders. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Aston Martin vehicles

• Aston Martin - Official Aston Martin Site
• Aston Martin Racing - Official Company Site
• Aston Martin Owners Club- Official Aston Martin Owners Club
• AstonMartins.com - Tim Cottingham's Aston Martin site
• AstonMartinDB9.net - Aston Martin DB9 models information