Aston Martin

Aston Martin Lagonda
Global Holdings PLC
Company typePublic limited company
LSEAML
FTSE 250 component
ISINGB00BFXZC448 Edit this on Wikidata
IndustryAutomotive
Founded15 January 1913 (1913-01-15)
Founders
HeadquartersGaydon, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products
Brands
RevenueIncrease £1,632.8 million (2023)[1]
Increase –£79.7 million (2023)[1]
Increase –£226.8 million (2023)[1]
SubsidiariesAston Martin Racing
Websiteastonmartinlagonda.com

Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC (/ˈæstən/) is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with expensive grand touring cars in the 1950s and 1960s, and with the fictional character James Bond following his use of a DB5 model in the 1964 film Goldfinger.[2] Their grand tourers and sports cars are regarded as a British cultural icon.[3]

Aston Martin has held a Royal Warrant as purveyor of motorcars to Charles III since 1982,[4] and has over 160 car dealerships in 53 countries, making it a global automobile brand.[5] The company is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.[6] In 2003 it received the Queen's Award for Enterprise for outstanding contribution to international trade.[7] The company has survived seven bankruptcies throughout its history.[8]

The headquarters and main production of its sports cars and grand tourers are in a 55-acre (22 ha) facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, England, on the former site of RAF Gaydon, adjacent to the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre.[9] The old 3.6-acre (1.5 ha) facility in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire is the present home of the Aston Martin Works classic car department, which focuses on heritage sales, service, spares and restoration operations.[10][11] The 90-acre (36 ha) factory in St Athan, Wales features three converted 'super-hangars' from MOD St Athan, and serves as the production site of Aston Martin's first-ever SUV, the DBX.[12][13]

Aston Martin has been involved in motorsport at various points in its history, mainly in sports car racing,[14] and also in Formula One.[15] The Aston Martin brand is increasingly being used, mostly through licensing, on other products including a submarine,[16] real estate development,[17] and aircraft.[18]

  1. ^ a b c "Annual Results 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  2. ^ "How Aston Martin Became Integral to James Bond's Screen Legacy". Variety. 16 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Night of Bond Glamour showcases UK's reputation for creativity". Government of the United Kingdom. 4 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Search Members' Directory – Royal Warrant Holders Association". Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Aston Martin – Locations". astonmartin.com.
  6. ^ "Aston Martin shares slide on debut". BBC News. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  7. ^ "No. 56912". The London Gazette (Supplement). April 2003. p. 1.
  8. ^ "British automaker Aston Martin has survived 7 bankruptcies. Now it wants you to invest in it". ABC News. 11 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Aston Martin HQ, Gaydon". Rolton. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Aston Martin opens new Works shop at old Newport Pagnell site". Autoblog. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Aston Martin Works: A Look Into Automotive Paradise". Haute Living. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  12. ^ "New Aston Martin factory opens in St Athan". ITV News. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Aston Martin's new South Wales facility has been officially opened". Business Live. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  14. ^ "How Aston Martin scaled new heights in the Prodrive era". Motorsport.com. 27 April 2021.
  15. ^ "How Aston Martin got back on track in Formula One". GQ. 24 April 2021.
  16. ^ "This is Aston Martin's new submarine". Top Gear. 2 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Aston Martin's First Real Estate Project Is Coming to Miami". Forbes. 28 October 2016.
  18. ^ "Aston Martin launches plane concept aiming to provide 'luxury personal transportation'". The Independent. 3 August 2018.