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Aston Martin car models.
Aston Martin began as a company around 1913. Started by two racing enthusiasts and drivers - Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford.
The first car produced was a combination of using a chassis from a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini, and adding a 4-cylinder engine - this took place around 1915.
However, WWI began, with one of the founders going to war in the Royal Army Service Corps.
This put a hold on future business plans. The company's machinery was sold to Sopwith, an aircraft company, making planes for the war effort.
After WWI Aston Martin, with new ideas and car designs, as well as a new partner to help with funding, produced cars around 1922 to compete in Grand Prix racing.
While the cars raced succesfully, and set speed and endurance records, it was not enough to support the company.
Unfortunatey Aston Martin was bankrupt by 1925.
Fortunately, in 1926, Aston Martin was started again and was back in the car business with new owners and new funding.
With a new overhead cam four cylinder engine design, along with other patented upgrades, they were off to a good start.
Cars with these engines were made from around 1926 to 1937. They were known as Bertelli T-Type cars, and were open two seaters.
Aston Martin was by then in financial dire straits, but again recieved new funding and owners. The new owners decided to focus on making road cars and succeded in producing over 700 vehicles.
They would have produced more cars, but WWII halted car production altogether. During the war Aston Martin switched to producing aircraft parts to support the effort.
After the war, a private company, David Brown Limited , bought Aston Martin. This was around 1947.
Uniquely, this put the Aston Martin company under a group that also owned Lagonda. The two car marquis shared many parts and engines between them.
In 1950, Aston Martin introduced the first DB (David Brown) model. The DB2.
Other DB models were followed up to the now highly famous 1963 DB5. Next was the DB6 and a new car series, the DBS in 1967.
Once again, Aston Martin found itself in financial difficulty, and in 1972 was sold to a financial investment group.
Aston Martin was then purchased by several business men / investors. They began modernization of the factory and updating car designs.
In 1977 they launched with their all new car the V8 Vantage. The Volante followed in 1978.
In 1987 the Ford Motor Company took a share in Aston Martin. They invested heavily in new manufacturing, and were able to boost production of the cars.
From 1995 to 2002, the car production went from 700 cars a year to over 6000.
By 2003 Aston Martin was up to their newest model - the DB9.
Soon after that Aston Martin was once again bought by a new set of businessmen / investors, though Ford still had a stake in the company.
The Aston Martin Rapide was introduced as a new model in 2010.
In 2013, Aston Martin signed a deal with Daimler AG. Now the next generation of Aston Martins would have Mercedes components, including their engines.
There are also Aston Martin luxury Condominiums in Miami -
and new Aston Martin Luxury Yachts.
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