Aston Martin: The Entire Story

Aston Martin is the Great British survivor among car manufacturers.

Created as Bamford & Martin in 1913, Aston Martin’s subsequent century-long existence has seen the company go bust seven times, win the Le Mans 24 Hours and become indispensable transport for a certain movie spy. This comprehensive and timely two-volume study by Russell Hayes covers Aston Martin’s adventure from the very beginning, setting the cars in context with the changing automotive world and rivals, and adding insights from contemporary road tests and first-hand accounts from recent company personalities. Fourteen chapters make sense of every Aston Martin for both the cognoscenti and the uninitiated, supported by a lavish array of photographs.

- Beginnings, 1913-26: Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin started producing small sporting cars that showed prowess in racing.
- The Bertelli and Sutherland eras, 1926-39: Under the leadership of Augustus ’Bert’ Bertelli and then investor Gordon Sutherland, Aston Martins became rakish road cars bred through racing endeavor, notably at Le Mans.
- The early David Brown cars, 1948-59: A glorious period unfolded under tractor magnate David Brown, with the fine DB2 family of road cars and a serious racing programme that culminated in victory at Le Mans in 1959, plus Lagondas.
- The new six-cylinder cars, 1958-69: The superb DB4 was followed by the DB5, which shot the company’s image into orbit thanks to James Bond in Goldfinger, then DB6 and DBS completed the line.
- A family tree of V8s, 1969-2000: Despite numerous ups and downs, Aston Martin’s big hand-built V8 engine powered an enduring family of super-exclusive cars with evocative names like Vantage, Volante and Zagato, plus the ’wedge’ Lagonda.
- Into the big time with Ford, 1987-2007: The all-new and very successful DB7 began a revival, leading to a new V12 engine, the mighty Vanquish and then the ’VH’ cars including the DB9, V8 Vantage, Rapide and many specials.
- A successful return to racing with the DBR9 and the Vantage GTE is given a dedicated chapter.
- The rollercoaster continues, 2007 to date: From purchase by a consortium led by Prodrive boss David Richards to Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll’s present-day stewardship, Aston Martin’s activities have been enormously varied, even embracing an SUV (the luxury DBX) and a Formula 1 programme.
- Full specifications are included and appendices cover the James Bond Astons and ’continuation’ cars.

This major book, a labor of love for its author, is the last word on Aston Martin and is presented to the highest standards as two volumes in a cloth-bound slipcase.

Russell Hayes is a motoring journalist in print, television, and online whose clients have included the BBC’s original Top Gear, Channel 4’s Driven, The Times, and London Evening Standard. He’s written an eclectic mix of motoring histories on subjects as diverse as the Earls Court Motor Show, the Volkswagen Golf, and Aston Martin V8 cars. Russell is also the author of Motorbooks’ Volkswagen Beetles and Buses and The Big Book of Tiny Cars. He lives in London, England.