Where is the birthplace of Aston Martin ?
Discussion
Please can you resolve a little disagreement I'm having over the birthplace of Aston Martin.
My friend maintains it is Aston Hill and I think it's London.
So here's my understanding - Bamford & Martin get together in 1912 and go on to form Aston Martin in 1913 (hence the 100 year celebration) although as I understand the first car to wear the badge wasn't made until 1914.
Martin raced a number of specials at Aston Hill (including the first car) and it was from this event that they partly derived the name for the new company however the business was founded and first car manufactured at their premises in London.
Rather confusingly there's a plaque in the Kensington Mews suggesting that is the birthplace yet from what I can ascertain they only moved there in the 1920's possibly after Bamford left.
My friend maintains it is Aston Hill and I think it's London.
So here's my understanding - Bamford & Martin get together in 1912 and go on to form Aston Martin in 1913 (hence the 100 year celebration) although as I understand the first car to wear the badge wasn't made until 1914.
Martin raced a number of specials at Aston Hill (including the first car) and it was from this event that they partly derived the name for the new company however the business was founded and first car manufactured at their premises in London.
Rather confusingly there's a plaque in the Kensington Mews suggesting that is the birthplace yet from what I can ascertain they only moved there in the 1920's possibly after Bamford left.
This is from the AM website:
Founded in 1913 by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin as 'Bamford & Martin Ltd', the company has developed into an iconic brand synonymous with luxury and elegance. 1914 saw the birth of the name ‘Aston Martin’ following one of Lionel Martin's successful runs at the Aston Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, England. Within a year the first Aston Martin had been built and registered with the name and by 1920 the business had relocated to Kensington.
Founded in 1913 by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin as 'Bamford & Martin Ltd', the company has developed into an iconic brand synonymous with luxury and elegance. 1914 saw the birth of the name ‘Aston Martin’ following one of Lionel Martin's successful runs at the Aston Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, England. Within a year the first Aston Martin had been built and registered with the name and by 1920 the business had relocated to Kensington.
And from Wiki.
Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The two had joined forces as Bamford & Martin the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London where they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton, and the pair decided to make their own vehicles. The first car to be named Aston Martin was created by Martin by fitting a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini.
Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The two had joined forces as Bamford & Martin the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London where they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton, and the pair decided to make their own vehicles. The first car to be named Aston Martin was created by Martin by fitting a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini.
I have recently been collecting some information about this subject, and of course a great deal has been published this year, for the centenary. There are many conflicts in the detail of various articles, which does leave one uncertain about the accuracy.
Presumably the date and address of Bamford and Martin Limited being incorporated, is held in official records.
So, the generally accepted version of events seems to be as follows;
Bamford and Martin Ltd was incorporated on 13 Jan 1913 to formalise a partnership between Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford.
The two had joined forces as Bamford & Martin the previous year to sell and modify cars made by Singer, from premises at 16 Henniker Mews, off Callow St, London, (note some articles quote Henniker Place) where they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton, and the pair decided to make their own vehicles.
The first car to be named Aston Martin was created by March 1915. A four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine was fitted to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini, and named Coal Scuttle. Production could not start because of the outbreak of World War I, and Martin joined the Admiralty and Bamford the Royal Army Service Corps. All machinery was sold to the Sopwith Aviation Company.
More cars were not built until 1920. Following Coal Scuttle, three more prototype cars were built including Bunny (no longer in existence) and the green car. Chassis number A3 which was the third Aston Martin ever built and the oldest in existence. Despite being modified again and again it somehow survived. It is now owned by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust.
- - Can anyone clarify the above reference to prototypes? The article mentions the 'green car'. What was that car? It also refers to three more (ie prototype 2, 3 and 4), but then talks about A3 as being the 3rd built. Most confusing.
- - I was amused by more than one reference in a national broadsheet newspaper this year, to the first Aston Martin having a Coventry Climax engine (instead of Coventry Simplex). That would have put Mr Martin 40 years ahead of his competitors and his business worries might have been over. Thinking about it though, his chassis could have been a problem.
The following is a slightly different description, about the first three prototypes;
'Bamford & Martin started dealing and tuning Singer cars and after racing those with some success at the nearby Aston Clinton hill climb the idea was born to built own cars under the name Aston Martin. The first car was built in 1915 but with the first world war in full swing it took until 1920 to built a second prototype. With these two prototypes not longer in existence the oldest surviving Aston Martin is the third car (Chassis A3) that started the timeline in Kensington Gardens. Like most of the cars of this era it has a four cylinder 1.5 litre engine and was beside two grand prix cars built for the new financier of AM Count Zborowski (as Bamford already left) the only car built in 1922. Today this most important Aston is owned by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust and was restored in recent years back to the original specification by the leading marque experts.'
I hope the two founders would be pleased, probably thrilled, with the beautiful Aston Martins that we drive today.
Edited by Jon39 on Wednesday 18th September 18:31
stimshady said:
This is from the AM website:
Founded in 1913 by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin as 'Bamford & Martin Ltd', the company has developed into an iconic brand synonymous with luxury and elegance. 1914 saw the birth of the name ‘Aston Martin’ following one of Lionel Martin's successful runs at the Aston Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, England. Within a year the first Aston Martin had been built and registered with the name and by 1920 the business had relocated to Kensington.
Further detail about the Henniker Mews and the subsequent Kensington addresses.Founded in 1913 by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin as 'Bamford & Martin Ltd', the company has developed into an iconic brand synonymous with luxury and elegance. 1914 saw the birth of the name ‘Aston Martin’ following one of Lionel Martin's successful runs at the Aston Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, England. Within a year the first Aston Martin had been built and registered with the name and by 1920 the business had relocated to Kensington.
'In 1914, Bamford and Martin Limited bought it's first premises, 16 Henniker Place, off Fulham Road, West London, and by March, 1915 the first Aston Martin race car was registered. Fitted with a Coventry simplex side-valve engine and built to Martin's specifications, it became known as the 'Coal Scuttle'. In 1920, they moved their premises to Abingdon Road, South Kensington and with the financial help of Count Louis Zborowski1, an automobile engineer and early racing driver, they built two racing cars that competed in the 1922 French Grand Prix. The Aston Martin cars were now establishing their racing credentials. On 24 May, 1922 one of the cars, known as a 'Bunny', broke ten world records at the Brooklands track during a sixteen-and-a-half-hour endurance run, averaging a speed of 76.04mph.'
- - Is Henniker Mews in Chelsea?
Edited by Jon39 on Wednesday 18th September 17:49
It maybe a case semantics but I take "birthplace" to being where the company was founded / constructed their first cars. So would it be safe to assume that the incorporation of Aston Martin and the place where the first car was built would be one of the same ie 16 Henniker Place. However the "Aston" element of the name originates from the Aston hillclimb where Martin raced on a number of occasions.
Pedantic I maybe but I can't see how the location from where you derive a name can be considered a birthplace. If that logic were persued the people of Maranello would be mightily p*ssed off to find over the birthplace of the Ferrari California !
Pedantic I maybe but I can't see how the location from where you derive a name can be considered a birthplace. If that logic were persued the people of Maranello would be mightily p*ssed off to find over the birthplace of the Ferrari California !
Bobo W said:
It maybe a case semantics but I take "birthplace" to being where the company was founded / constructed their first cars. So would it be safe to assume that the incorporation of Aston Martin and the place where the first car was built would be one of the same ie 16 Henniker Place. However the "Aston" element of the name originates from the Aston hillclimb where Martin raced on a number of occasions.
Pedantic I maybe but I can't see how the location from where you derive a name can be considered a birthplace. If that logic were persued the people of Maranello would be mightily p*ssed off to find over the birthplace of the Ferrari California !
That would appear to be correct.Pedantic I maybe but I can't see how the location from where you derive a name can be considered a birthplace. If that logic were persued the people of Maranello would be mightily p*ssed off to find over the birthplace of the Ferrari California !
As you like to be precise, remember that the incorporation title of the company, was Bamford and Martin Limited, but they chose Aston Martin as the name for their cars.
What Mr. Bamford thought about his name not being included, I do not know.
[quote=Jon39]
That would appear to be correct.
As you like to be precise, remember that the incorporation title of the company, was Bamford and Martin Limited, but they chose Aston Martin as the name for their cars.
So was the 100 year celebration this year to the forming of Bamford & Martin Limited
That would appear to be correct.
As you like to be precise, remember that the incorporation title of the company, was Bamford and Martin Limited, but they chose Aston Martin as the name for their cars.
So was the 100 year celebration this year to the forming of Bamford & Martin Limited
Bobo W]on39 said:
So was the 100 year celebration this year to the forming of Bamford & Martin Limited.
Yes, you have spotted the discrepancy.However, the 13th January 1913 date of the incorporation, was the start of the Aston Martin story.
The other notable date being;
'by March, 1915 the first Aston Martin race car was registered'.
Perhaps there might be some more celebrations.
Re. the widespread references to Henniker Mews and Henniker Place. From what I find, it would seem that Henniker Mews is correct. It is now a gated mews off Callow Street. Henniker Place does not appear to exist.
Are you hoping Bobo, to become an Aston Martin owner?
Many here have previously owned TVRs.
An unimportant Aston / TVR link... Saturday 14th September 2013 was the TVR - Back Home Event in Blackpool.
There was an Aston Martin DB7 GT on display at the TVR event :-)
The very same Aston was also at the old TVR factory this week ;-)
Totally unrelated TVR connections though.
There was an Aston Martin DB7 GT on display at the TVR event :-)
The very same Aston was also at the old TVR factory this week ;-)
Totally unrelated TVR connections though.
- End of useless trivia
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff