ASTON MARTIN

Aston Martin's predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, and the first car to carry the name was created by Martin. The firm became associated with expensive grand touring cars in the 1950s and 1960s.

From 1947 the company was headed by David Brown, and a DB5 appeared in the 1964 film Goldfinger. Aston Martin has held a royal warrant since 1982 and has survived seven bankruptcies in its history.