The Aston Martin was founded by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin back in 1914. The two banded together the year before and created a joint company known as Bamford & Martin. Together they sold cars and serviced the Calthorpe and GWK cars.

Martin was able to race special at and near Aston Clinton and Aston Hill. Because of this the two decided to make their own brand of vehicles. The first Aston Martin was created by Lionel Martin when he fitted a 4-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isoetta-Franschini. In 1915 they set up shop at Henniker Place in Kensington and produced their first car.

In 1947 the company was bought out by David Brown Limited to be its “post-war saviour”. David Brown bought the Tickford coachbuilding company in 1955 and began the classic car line-up known as the DB. In 1950 the company announced the DB2 – which was followed by the DB3 in 1957 and then again the DB4 in 1958.

Each car was able to establishe a good racing pedigree for the firm. However, it was the DB4 that was able to truly establishe the company’s reputation, which was then cemented by the famous DB5 in 1963.