Over the years, classic car brands have developed certain reputations. Lamborghini is famous for luxury cars, while Mustang is favoured for its timeless approach. Aston Martin has established itself as a classy car manufacturer, particularly with its connection to James Bond. The original Aston Martin DB5 that 007 drove has become one of the most iconic cars in popular culture. In honour of the brand, here are six awesome facts that make Aston Martin so good at what they do.
1. The Aston Martin logo is based on a beetle
The Aston Martin logo is a pair of wings, that could easily be taken for the bird variety. But they are actually scarab beetle wings. Racing driver S.C.H Davis was responsible for redesigning the logo and happened to be an enthusiastic Egyptologist. During the 1930s, Egyptology was a popular subject and ancient Egyptians revered the scarab beetle as an extension of the sun god, Ra. Davis created a pair of scarab wings for the new logo.
2. Aston Martin has had many owners through the years
The original owners of the company were Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford who founded it in 1913. They sold it to a group of investors in 1926, who then sold it off to David Brown in 1947. It was then passed on to two men called Peter Sprague and George Minden, who then sold it to Victor Gauntlett in 1981. Ford bought Aston Martin in 1987 and the most recent acquisition came from British businessman David Richards in 2006.
3. The first Aston Martin was named after a 1900s household item
The first Aston Martin car was built in 1915 and nicknamed the Coal Scuttle, after a common household item used in the early 1900s. A coal scuttle was a metal container that carried small amounts of coal to coal-powered ovens and heaters.
4. The Aston Martin DB5 used in James Bond has been missing since 1997
The Aston Martin DB5 was first used in 1964’s Goldfinger, driven by Sir Sean Connery. It was sold at auction in 1986 for $250,000 and was stolen in 1997 from a Florida airport hangar. The thieves broke into the hangar by pulling the doors open with a truck and dragged the car out.
5. The DB models stand for David Brown
The first DB2 was created in 1950 and gets its name from David Brown. Brown was a British industrialist and owned a tractor company. The DBs went into decline until 1994, when the DB7 was created. This was followed by the DB9 and DBS. Aston skipped the DB8 because they didn’t want anyone to think it was equipped with a V8 rather than a V12.
6. Aston Martins have appeared in 12 out of 23 Bond films
After the DB5 appeared in Goldfinger, it was established as Bond’s signature vehicle. Since then it’s appeared in Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Living Daylights, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.
