Aston Martin:
Icons. Driven.
The Love Of Beautiful
Evocative. Admired. Exhilarating. It can only be the marque of Aston Martin. A British icon that transcends its emotive sportscars.
UNMISTAKABLE. BEAUTIFUL.
Aston Martin is one of the most evocative names in motoring and Grange is proud of our long-standing association with this iconic, luxury marque. Aston Martin's long-term association with James Bond is no coincidence - strength, sophistication and charisma all define both car and character - it truly is the perfect harmony.
The first Aston Martin was crafted more than one hundred years ago in a small London workshop. Since 1913, Aston Martin has had a passion for creating luxury, high-performance motor cars. Founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin has grown to become an internationally admired luxury marque.
Alongside Aston Martin, Lagonda remains faithful to the forward-thinking, ever-adventurous spirit of Wilbur Gunn, an Anglo-American engineer and entrepreneur who founded Lagonda in a greenhouse at his home in Staines to the west of London in 1904.
Aston Martin has transformed the face of luxury high-performance motoring over the past century, with the marque going from humble beginnings to the phenomenally powerful cars like the new DBX at its factory in Gaydon and the new Aston Martin Vantage.
Join us as we take a journey through the past 100 years and the beautiful Aston Martin story.
The Beginning of Aston Martin
The love of the beautiful has always been Aston Martin's guiding principle.
Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford shared a love for the car because it provided them with the most exhilarating and memorable experiences. That passion drove them to hand build cars that were ever faster, more powerful, thrilling, comfortable – more beautiful – than the previous.
They named Aston Martin after a motoring event in Buckinghamshire, England. It was a moment of pure driving emotion when Lionel Martin took on the Aston Clinton Hill Climb race in their latest creation and won.
Lagonda
Bought by Aston Martin in 1947, Lagonda was founded by Wilbur Gunn who named his company after the Lagonda Creek river that ran through the town of Springfield, Ohio.
Lagonda cars have always been innovative. For example, the 16/18hp model that won the Moscow to St Petersburg trial in 1910 included not only trailing arm rear suspension but a unique form of monocoque construction which proved to be decades ahead of the bulk of the world’s car manufacturers.
In its 1930s heyday Lagonda was capable of producing V12-powered limousines that were fit for royalty, and sports cars strong and quick enough to win Le Mans, which one duly did in 1935. Lagonda went on to become not only one of the most coveted car brands in the world, and one that was among the most versatile too. The electric future of Lagonda promises to stay true to its innovative roots.
David Brown (DB)
The English industrialist, David Brown took the helm between 1947 to 1972 and his impact cannot be understated.
With a burst of dynamism, David Brown set about revolutionising and growing Aston Martin by purchasing the Lagonda marque and introducing a succession of motor cars that continue to set pulses racing today.
Launched in 1947, the Aston Martin DB2 was the first Aston Martin to carry the ‘DB’ nameplate. The DB2 was impressive as it took 2nd and 3rd in its class at Le Mans in 1951. The race-bred DB3 and DB3S were followed by the exquisite DB4, DBR1 and its high-performance sibling the DB4GT, before the now historic collaboration with Zagato produced the DB4GT Zagato.
The Icons Of Luxury Motoring
The origin of the modern Aston Martin legend. Although the company dates back to before the war, it was relatively obscure until the DBR1 won both Le Mans and the World Sports Car Championship. It beat off the mighty Ferrari, a remarkable achievement for a company with such tiny resources. The championship was finally won by a piece of the most amazing sportsmanship, unthinkable today. A factory Aston Martin DBR1 caught fire in the pits during the final race, meaning Aston Martin could no longer use their own pits for refuelling. A privately entered Aston Martin then withdrew from the race, enabling the official team to use the private team's pit and go on to victory.
The very first Zagato Aston Martin, started a near 50 year association between the two companies. It was shorter and 300 lb lighter than the standard car, thanks to its "superleggera" (superlight) aluminium bodywork. Only 20 of the extremely expensive DB4 GT's were made, but they turned into phenomenal investments - an original car is now worth over £1 million.
The DB5 was the real star of Goldfinger, complete with its ejector seat - and proved such an icon that it has made cameo appearances in three other Bond films: Thunderball, GoldenEye, Casino Royale and more recent films. The DB5 is probably the most sought-after of the DB cars and is widely regarded as the most beautiful car ever made.
This was the longest-lived Aston Martin of all time, lasting over 20 years and reborn in many ways with the new DBS Superleggera. The length of time that the original DBS was available is partly due to the fact that it really was an all-new design intended to be a quantum leap over the outgoing DB6. It featured new all-independent suspension and a brand-new 5.3 litre V8 - although the engine was ready later than the rest of the car, so early versions were only available with the 4.0 engine from the DB6. The longevity of the design was also partly down to what can only be described as an accident. The body jigs were six inches wider than originally intended, making the car enormously wide by the standards of the 1960s. Because cars got bigger over the 70s and 80s, the V8 actually still looked modern, while other 1960s designs started to look narrow and outdated.
Grange are extremely proud to be an official dealer for the world-renowned Aston Martin Lagonda marque. See the latest range of the most luxurious cars in the world at our new Aston Martin dealerships today.