The true origins of the Aston Martin name.

[Jon39]

The following was written by Lionel Martin (joint company founder), in an article published during November 1944.
Originally, for a number of years, there was a hyphen between the two words.

'By the way, if you were marketing a car, how would you choose a name for it ? All the best and most attractive names seemed to have been taken, and many a discussion we had and much advice were we given. At last, a period of intensive thought was induced by a walk of some miles behind a car which was being towed behind a farm cart as the result of another steering derangement on a trial ; no, it wasn’t the AM, but a car for which we were agents. After reviewing all the flowers, beasts, birds and fishes that we knew, we got on to place names, and as my Singer had recently scored a point or two at the Herts County AC’s Aston-Clinton hill climb, the first part of that name was adopted with acclamation, and my humble cognomen appended to it.'

[EVR]

Nice. They could also have kept the very first Bamford Martin name. Not too bad, certainly better than some fish name.

[drt30]

Nice to see the original quote. I'd been told the same story of the origins of these 'exotic' cars as a boy, by my grandparents who lived close to Aston hill. Lucky enough to be driving my second now!

[Jon39]

Although not mentioned in that description by Mr. Martin, I think I have read that his second wife Kate (following the tragic death of his first wife), was keen for the car name to begin with A, so that it would be shown early in any alphabetical lists. Don't know for sure, which is why it was refreshing to actually read Lionel Martin's own words, but certainly sounds plausible.

Note - at the time that was just the car name. The actual limited company name, did not become Aston Martin until (was it) 1926.

Here is another piece you may find interesting, written by Lionel Martin in his article, about his co-founder Robert Bamford.

[The First World] '... war intervened. Bamford at once volunteered, and at the end of hostilities he decided to give the motor trade a miss, so he was not responsible, for better or for worse, for anything that happened subsequently.' 

[LordBretSinclair]