The Legacy of Aston Martin
Luxury cars have always been an object of fascination for people everywhere and why not? These slick, expensive vehicles are the zenith of wealth and an example of the success of the American Dream. Who wouldn’t want to own one? That being said, how much do you really know about them? Here is one of the most iconic.
Aston Martin one of the more premier luxury cars that at one point even James Bond drove. Priced affordably at around $150,000 the Vantage is a nice entry level model. However, the DB 9 or stunning and new Vanquish can easily cost you $250,000 to $300,000 but if ever a car was worth it, this would be it. How slick are the Aston Martin models? Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs bought one to be his regular ride.
Aston Martin has a long and distinguished history dating back to its founding in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. They were already selling cars together from a previous venture but their love of racing on Aston Hill inspired they to design their own racers. They took the name Aston from the hill and combined it with Lionel Martin’s last name to create their first venture.
While the Aston Martin name is iconic it has had a rocky past as it was bought and sold several times, once even by the Ford Motor Company (who still own a stake in it.) In the 1950’s it was bought be David Brown Limited and thus begin the modern era of Aston Martin with their “DB” series. As you may have noticed from earlier, the DB line is their signature series and still available today. It is to Aston Martin as the 911 is to Porsche.
The 1980’s did represent a dark time in the company’s history when in 1982 an all-time low of only 30 production models were sold. One very bright note during this time was that in 1982 Aston Martin was given a Royal Warrant of Appointment by the Prince of Wales. These are given to products and services that are officially used by the royal court on monarchy. It allows them to advertise that the royals drive their cars and they still hold the warrant today. Despite the dark time in the 1980’s the company has rebounded well now and has even opened dealerships in China.
Jeff Jordan lives in sunny SoCal. He writes about automobiles, college and pop culture. Buying used cars is a great way to save money.