The History and Evolution of the Aston Martin Logo
For most people, the name Aston Martin conjures up an ambiguous image of an image of an overpriced vehicle; however, for the car aficionado, the Aston Martin represents the perfect merging of luxury and sports performance in a vehicle that is as powerful as it is prestigious. The Aston Martin name first emerged in 1914 when its founder, Lionel Martin completed a run at the Aston Hill Climb — an event held in Buckinghamshire, England.
The first logo for the company looked nothing like the current logo. It was simplistic and round with an “A: overlayed on an “M.” The company experienced constant financial struggles over the first decade of its existence, and it was actually forced to close in 1925. Fortunately, a group of investors came together to rescue the brand in 1926 — which is when Aston Martin Motors Ltd was formed. In 1927, the original monogram that served as the logo for the company was replaced by the Aston Martin Wings that have become so iconic.
In 1930, the Aston Martin wings underwent a slight modification to give it more sharpness and appeal. The surface was changed from bronze to silver. The slight modification would become a theme as the cars manufactured by the Aston Martin company evolved. It would not be long before the logo would undergo yet another modification. This time the wings would be flattened out, and the silver surface would be replaced with gold and black. See below.
An entire seven-year period would transpire before any new major alteration were made to the company logo. In 1939, the toned downed the surface color while leaving everything else the same. See below.
The year 1947 was a very pivotal point in the history of the company, as English industrialist, David Brown, acquired it. Brown obviously wanted to put his imprint on the company. I guess it is just something with us men. When we take ownership of control of something, we have to put our stamp on it some way. While there were only minor changes made to the logo after the acquisition, with one exception — David Brown added his name to the logo so that it said, David Brown Aston Martin.
Over the course of its evolution, the Aston Martin developed a reputation as being the most beautiful car in the world, which is saying a lot. In 1963, the DB5 entered production. It was one year later that the car would make its indelible mark on pop culture. The DB5 was not James Bond’s vehicle of choice. The car made its film debut in Goldfinger in 1964, with Sean Connery behind the wheel. When it comes to James Bond, the list of actors who have taken on the persona are legendary, but I am still partial to Sean Connery. He set the standard, and I believe that he played a key role in taking the popularity of the DB5 Aston Martin to astronomical levels.
In 1971, the company logo would undergo another slight medication that most people would probably not even notice. See below.
During its run during the 1960s, the Aston Martin company built an immensely impressive product range, and despite the success, ownership of the company would change yet again. This time the company was acquired by Company Developments Ltd, which took over the company in 1972. The acquisition led to another slight modification of the logo as viewed in the image below.
It would be another 12 years before the Aston Martin logo would undergo any modifications. In 1984, the designers sensed a need for a change. By this time, the company had undergone two more ownership changes. The logo unveiled in 1984 can be viewed below. Again, you will see that the changes to the logo are very subtle as not to disturb the familiarity of the brand while adjusting to the current style and fashion of the cars that were being manufactured.
In 1993, the company resurrected the DB model, introducing the DB7. The logo would get its final update to date in 2003, and this update seems to have been able to stand the test of time. See below.
