Gordon Wilkins covers the world of motoring with Michael Frostick.
The Aston Martin is Britain's last bespoke sports car. The chassis is hand-built, the panelled coach-work gets 20 coats of paint, and the car has its own 5-litre V8 engine, unlike the Bristol and Jensen which are Chrysler powered.
The car's survival is due to Sir David Brown, who bought the firm 23 years ago when its fortunes were low. In 1967 he cut 11,000 off the £5,000 list price of the car to keep the orders coming in. Today the factory at Newport Pagnell is making 15 Aston Martins a week and its financial future looks good. This is why, despite millionaire interests in shipping, tractors, and machinery, Sir David Brown is often better known as Mr Aston Martin.
