Aston Martin had a troubled history after the third quarter of the 20th century but has also enjoyed long periods of success and stability. “In the first century we went bankrupt seven times”, incoming CEO Andy Palmer told Automotive News Europe. “The second century is about making sure that is not the case.” On the back of strong demand for Aston Martin’s DB11, its first all-new model in a decade, the company swung back to a profit in the first quarter of 2017.
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.
They acquired premises at Henniker Mews 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.
