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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  V8 vantage convertible - 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By Wheelman4000 - August 17 - 6:06 pm

  This vehicle makes you proud to own it as soon as you put your hands on the wheel to start driving it. When your about to drive home from a long, bad day at work, the comfort soothes you. The v8 vantage may be Aston Martins most affordable vehicle and may be known as "a poor man Aston Martin" but its technology and luxury design tops many peoples lists and gets them raving, like me.

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  Wonderful car - 2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By Aston Martin Vantage - July 15 - 7:00 am

  I have owned several different model Porsches, but none compare in looks, attention, and driving pleasure and ability than my 2007 AM Vantage. This car is quality and stunning in every way. It exudes the fact that it is hand built from bumper to bumper. The low growl when pressing the start button, and even much more so when reaching 4000 rpm, is exciting. Some say the 380 horse power engine is not enough. They must be on drugs because for a non-racer like me, it has plenty of responsiveness. The amount of positive attention and accolades you receive in driving this car is often downright embarrassing. I could write a book on overwhelming positive public reaction this car draws.

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  Broke the first day. - 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By gvan54 - February 7 - 9:06 pm

  This beauty stranded me the first day I had it. The clutch went out on it and it had to be picked up by a flatbed. Dealer needs it for 10 days, the part has to be ordered from the U.K. How do you ever trust a car again after it strands you. I will sell it as soon as I get it back. In addition, the leather above the speedo / tach is coming off, you could actually see the staples that hold it down on the underside. This is a luxury car??!! Stick with the BMWs and Lexuss of the world, at least they are delivered in one piece and dont strand you on the side of a highway.

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  Expensive, but worth it fun and class! - 2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By K1 - January 26 - 10:13 am

  The AMV8 may not be the class leader in terms of straight-line performance, but it the leader of its class in terms of overall performance, sheer driving enjoyment and élan. The car is a perfect combination of beautifully styled aluminum, state-of-the-art technology and enough HP to raise your blood pressure more than enough for everyday driving. It is a joy to drive as it is a highly responsive and compliant sports car. You will pay a premium to get into an Aston. But, hey, once you go past a four-banger econo-box it’s all a matter of personal preference, isn’t it? The bottom line is that this is an adult sports car that you’ll enjoy driving day after day.

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  Test Drive - 2002 Aston Martin DB7
  By AstonFan - January 13 - 3:13 pm

  I took the DB7 out for a test drive this weekend. With spring creeping up I wanted to get up to speed with a new car for the season and had heard when it comes to superior driving experiences, I shouldnt pass this car by. What a mistake. Cramped in an unforgiving cabin I experienced driving control similiar to that of a Mercedes S class.

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  DB9 2005 - 2005 Aston Martin DB9
  By cliff - October 4 - 8:00 pm

  I have owned most high end cars from maserati gransports 911 turbo, m5, m3, m6, CLS63 AMG benz, and many others some twice and this is in another class by itself. At 150 mph you feel confident this could easily handle 200 mph! just not in the states!

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  The Finest Car Ive Owned - 2006 Aston Martin DB9
  By murrayr1 - September 14 - 4:16 am

  I drive this car everyday and arrive at work and home with a smile on my face. The car is a joy to drive. It is refined, responsive and reliable. Any minor glitches have been quickly attended to by the dealer. I drive the car I love everyday.

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  Beauty only skin deep - 2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By MJW - April 18 - 2:33 am

  AM does not know how to make cars in large quantities and it shows with the V8. Failing gearboxes, lack of torque and smouldering clutches followed by lamentable excuses for the lack of quality from AM technical people were some of the resons why I got rid of the car after eight months. A porsche 911 S with a sports exhaust and the sport chrono option is not as pretty as the V8 but will go quicker, be reliable, make noise, retain its value and is cheaper. Watch AM V8 residual values drop as the quality issues come to light.The car is slow, that is why everyone says it needs more torque.The build quality is not what you would expect. Check warranty history if you are buying a used car.

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  My AM V8 Vantage - 2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  By Sean J - March 12 - 9:06 am

  I have been driving my Vantage since May. I have to say I like it but Im not in love with it. I have been driving Porsches for past few years and I kind of miss driving them. I think this car could have been a bit wider and few inches longer. I think the front exterior is just gorgeous but the back is a bit like japanese cars. Starting price for this car should be $155,000 after improvements. 110K is cheap for this category of car.

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  A real car - 2005 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
  By Jerome Henin - January 16 - 5:30 am

  This car is as comfortable as a class S mercedes, as fun as a Ferrari 575, and much more reliable as most other cars. You can use it again and again. You will always be amused by the behavior of people when they see it. It is definItely the gentlemans supercar.