Overview & Reviews

Born in England, Aston Martin makes cars that place equal emphasis on high-thrill performance and discreet British elegance. The manufacturer's lineup is small and highly specialized; you'll only find sports cars on the Aston Martin roster. Still, the brand has made an incredible name for itself, and is known worldwide as a purveyor of sleek, top-of-the-line, road-hugging machinery.

Founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford started Aston Martin in 1914. The two had seen some success selling Singer racing cars, but wanted to craft their own vehicles, with an emphasis on sophistication and refinement. The brand took its name from co-founder Martin and the Aston Clinton Hill Climb, where the duo's Singer cars had competed.

Originally, Aston Martin was known chiefly in racing circles. By the 1920s, the brand had made its first appearance overseas, participating in the French Grand Prix; it also participated in the Le Mans 24-hour race. The marque saw its share of financial difficulties during the '20s and '30s, undergoing numerous changes in ownership. Still, it made a name for itself with popular racing cars like the streamlined 1934 Ulster.

The postwar years saw the brand change hands once again. Aston Martin was sold to David Brown, an industrialist with a successful tractor company. After purchasing the company in 1947, he set his sights on developing new models. The first was the DB1 (named after his own initials), introduced in 1948. It was soon followed by the DB2 and DB3.

The 1950s saw Aston Martin establishing itself as a winner on the track, with the DB2 placing in its class at Le Mans. As the decade drew to a close, the brand had launched yet another model -- the DB4 -- and scored wins at the World Sports Car Championship, the Nürburgring and the RAC Tourist Trophy.

During the 1960s, Aston Martin began production on the DB5. The low-slung coupe looked glamorous enough to be in the movies, and soon it was; the DB5 was the vehicle of choice for Sean Connery's James Bond in 1964's Goldfinger. By the time the '60s came to a close, the Aston Martin family had grown to include the DB6 (which stands as the first four-seater produced by the marque) and DBS V8.

The 1970s were a rough decade for Aston Martin. The brand was sold by David Brown in 1972, and then once again was passed from owner to owner. Still, a new model, the V8 Vantage, was launched in 1977. Ten years later, Ford Motor Company purchased Aston Martin and invested millions in research and development in hopes of restoring the brand to its former glory.

By the 1990s, Ford's considerable efforts had begun to pay off. The handsome DB7 debuted mid-decade and was a hit with both critics and buyers. Aston Martin's fortunes continued to soar in the 2000s, with the launch of the successful V12 Vanquish, the DB9 and the V8 Vantage. Still, subsequent financial trouble at Ford led to the sale of Aston Martin in 2007 to a group of investors, which include a pair of Kuwaiti investment companies.

Aston's recent models include the exotic DBS (a more muscular version of the DB9), the four-door, four-seat Rapide, the Virage (which slots in between the DB9 and DBS) and a pair of ultra-low-production sports cars — the V12 Zagato (named after the design house that penned its body) and the One-77 (only 77 produced with a price of nearly $2 million each). As you'd guess by now, the current Aston Martin lineup comprises some of the world's most desirable cars.

User Reviews:

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  AM Vantage V8 is a winner - 2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By Rasscasse - January 14 - 4:50 pm

  I have one of the first US Vantage V8s and it is a brilliant steer. Definitely better than any 911 that I have driven and the looks, build quality and excusivity are spot on. Well done AM!!

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  Love this car - 2003 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
  By Dazdnconfuzed - October 21 - 2:00 am

  This is the greatest car Ive ever had!!! It is a blast to drive! It gives mye tingles ever time I get in it!!!

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  A sports car you can use everyday! - 2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By kpetree - July 12 - 8:16 am

  I have owned this car for about 3 months and have put about 5600 miles on it already! I absolutely love driving it! Putting the top down and listening to the exhaust is pure bliss. Who needs a radio when you have this 4.7L V8 symphony? Its extremely comfortable, Ive driven it hundreds of miles on day trips and never felt tired. The trunk space isnt much but its plenty to fit my golf bag, shoes and backpack at the same time so its good enough for me. The only real complaint I have about the car is the transmission. In auto mode and in normal driving its slow and jerky but in sport with the throttle down its much better.

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  DB 7 Vantage Coupe - 2002 Aston Martin DB7
  By Symonte - May 9 - 10:00 am

  I always thought my 64 Mustang Convertible brought smiles of joy to the faces of people. That was nothing compared to the DB 7. Almost every time you drive it, complete strangers come up to you to talk about the car, sometimes leading to crowds of 4 or 5 people. It is really quite a pleasure in our increasingly cold, impersonal world to see people react with such joy when they see this car.

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  Ashton Martin for 2005 - 2005 Aston Martin DB9
  By NwEnglndRe-l-t - April 11 - 12:16 pm

  We preordered the 05 DB-9, auto-tran so the wife can drive it. I was originally skeptical about ordering an AstonM after their merger with Ford a year or few back and losing their designer to Jaguar. However, AstonM has not lost their edge. Soon as I started the car after its initial delivery, it purred so solidly (the only way to describe it). There was no way to say how getting in the car and whisking away, becoming the center of attention on the mediocre streets of reality feels.This car let loose effortlessly as I took off, tearing up the onramp going from 0-80 in only a few seconds.

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  Constant Transmission Problems - 2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By Ken Jaggers - March 6 - 5:53 pm

  I loved the car for its curb and higway appeal. But both the manual and automatic transmissions were simply not reliable. I first had a 2007 standard transmission Vantage Coupe that stalled on a freeway or highway five times. After being frightened out of my mind, I was able to get the car to limp back to the dealer. It was a lemon, so Aston Martin replaced the car with a 2008 Vantage that was equipped with an Automatic Transmission. That transmission was always rough at the start of the day, with the vehicle shuddering at each stop. The dealer never recognized the problem and said I did not know how to drive the car. At considerable expense, I paid off the lease early and got rid of the car

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  All around Vanquisher - 2006 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
  By DB - February 11 - 12:53 pm

  I have driven several before purchasing this car. The 2006 has a nicer interior with more features than you can learn in a weekend. Starting and driving this exotic muscle car produces the greatest sound. Steering and ride are precise and comfortable. It delivers choice in settings and although a little rough at low speed shifting for my wife. Driving is effortless. The limited edition Mansory kit offers some subtle carbon fiber ground effects and subdued tail lights, as well as the eye-catching double wide mouth grille.

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  Extremely fun but rather expensive - 2008 Aston Martin DBS
  By Joe64 - January 25 - 9:06 am

  I bought the DBS for my wifes birthday and we both absolutely love it. It has excellent handling and its sharp styling turns heads wherever it goes. Compared to other sport coupes it gets excellent mpg and low cost of ownership. My only regret about buying the DBS is that I wish I just got the DB9. Except for some crome accents, rims and sport seats it is the exact same thing...Just a whole lot less!

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  One summer day - 2002 Aston Martin DB7
  By The Pat Master - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Do you like expensive toys? I thought I did too, until I bought an Aston Martin. My Vantage was simply a large money pit for uncomfortable rides in a car that handles like a Ford Escort.

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  Love it - 2003 Aston Martin DB7
  By jilldell - June 15 - 10:00 am

  This car is awesome. I have always dreamt of owning an Aston. When I got out of law school and received an awesome job, this was my first purchase. i do not regret it.