Aston Martin - Russell Hayes

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 c
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