Aston Martin turns 100

On a 15th of January like today, but exactly 100 years ago, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford founded the company that would, over the years, become Aston Martin. A company with an unmistakably British flavour, which has gone bankrupt and changed hands many times, but which has produced cars that have remained in the memory of the great models in automotive history and which continues to offer enviable models today.

Aston Martin has chosen to begin its centenary celebrations with a video that sums up very well everything the brand has offered throughout its history. Cars that were originally designed for British gentleman drivers, but that could just as well take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans or tackle the darkest hill climb in the British countryside and be driven home afterwards. Cars that became world-famous thanks to the James Bond films, but that stagnated compared with competing brands when financial problems took priority over new models.

And the road Aston Martin has travelled has not been easy, but that does not mean it has not been exciting. It may be an elitist brand, but every new model from the traditional British house (well, not entirely British), every image from a new press release, stirs something special among those of us who believe a car is something more than a gadget, a luxury item or a means of transport.

Aston Martin has chosen to celebrate its centenary with a video that will surely not leave you indifferent. We share this video today with our readers and hope that Aston will keep us company for another hundred years. Happy first 100 years, Aston Martin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4BED-tXpvpQ#!