Aston Martin

1913: Bamford and Martin Ltd. was founded. The name Aston Martin was coined next year, after the Aston Hill climb.

1947: Aston Martin bought be David Brown Ltd, hence 'DB'.

1950: Aston Martin DB2.

1956-1959: Racing, four DBR1 built.

1957 DBR1

1957: Aston Martin DB3.

1958: Aston Martin DB4.

1959: The DBR1 won at the Nurburgring, Le Mans & the RAC Tourist Trophy, and took the world sportscar championship.

1963: Aston Martin DB5. Aston Martin is said to have built 1021 DB5s.

1964 DB5

1964: Goldfinger starring Sean Connery as James Bond 007, featured an Aston Martin DB5 with certain "extras" -- rotating number plates, rear bullet-proof screen, instant oil-slick and smoke screen (for pursuers), machine guns, extensible Boadicea-style tyre slashers, and passenger-side ejector seat to get rid of unwanted guests. (The then new Ford Mustang also featured in the movie.) Note that the "real" James Bond of Ian Fleming's books drove a DB3 in the novel and a Bentley in the earlier books.

1965-1970: DB6.

1969: DBS V8.

1977: V8 Vantage.

1980: The grandiose Lagonda produced.

1987: Ford bought 75% of Aston Martin (and eventually took control).

1990: Virage.

1993: V8 Vantage.

1994: Ford bought 100% of Aston Martin.

1994-1999: The DB7 started production with a 3228cc straight-6 super-charged engine, also shared with Jaguar, thanks to common-owner Ford.

1999: DB7 Vantage, a 5935cc V12, 6-speed manual or 5-speed auto..

2000 October: The 6.0 litre V12 Aston Martin Vanquish was released.

Specifications: loa 4665mm, width 1923mm, height 1318mm, wheelbase 2690mm, weight 1820kg.

Engine 5935cc, 60° V12, petrol (95RON) 4-valves/cyl, cr 10.5:1,

power 336kW (450bhp) at 6500rpm, torque 556Nm at 5000rpm,

gearbox 6-speed manual/ electronic, limited slip diff' and traction control,

suspension independent by double wishbones & coil springs front & rear, fuel-tank 80L.

2001: Aston Martin Vanquish V12, ~$400,000.

2001 Vanquish V12

5.9-litre V12, 343kW (450hp), 542Nm, aluminium and carbon fibre bonded monocoque, weight 1835kg, tyres 255/40 ZR 19 (front), 285/40 ZR 19 (rear).

DB8, there is no Aston Martin DB8.

2003 Frankfurt Motor Show: The first outing of the DB9, the first Aston Martin developed at the new Gaydon factory, 5.9-litre V12, 335kW, 570Nm, 1710kg, trans-axle gearbox-diff'.
2004: DB9 in production.

2005: V8 Vantage production.

2006: Bond, James Bond, was back in an Aston Martin - a DBS - in Casino Royale. (A classic DB5 got a bit part too, ditto a Range Rover used for some very bad parking, and even a Ford Mondeo hire car!)

March 2007: Ford, having fallen on hard times, sold most of Aston Martin to a consortium of investors for £475 million.

2007: Production DBS.