Aston Martin – 1 Lap for 110 Years
July 10, 2023
How do you celebrate 110 years of being, well, awesome? You could rent out the local village hall and get the lemonade and sausage rolls in. You could invite some friends around for a BBQ (though it’ll probably rain and Phil will moan that the sausages are burned – it’s a BBQ, Phil, deal with it.) Or, if you’re Aston Martin, you could commandeer Silverstone, get 110 cars spanning eleven decades and do a victory lap for the crowds there to see the British Grand Prix. Yes, that sounds much better than listen to Phil (who didn’t bring any food, by the way).
Ahead of Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One® Team’s home race in the F1 World Championship®, the incredible line-up of 110 cars is a new record for the most Aston Martins on track at one time. 2023 marks 110 years since founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford officially formed the partnership that went on to create the first Aston Martin car, igniting more than a century of ultra-luxury high performance sports cars, cutting-edge British innovation, and high-octane racing success.
And what a spectacle it was. Breaking up Saturday’s practice and qualifying, the cars took the track and wowed the crowds. Spanning 11 decades, among the 110 sportscars were the A3, Aston Martin’s oldest surviving car dating back over a century, DB3S, driven by many of the greatest British drivers of the 1950s including Sir Stirling Moss, the unmistakable DB5, synonymous with James Bond, the ultimate hypercar, Aston Martin Valkyrie and the fastest SUV in the world, DBX707, as well as its latest production model, the world’s first Super Tourer, DB12. Keeping a close eye on proceedings, the official Aston Martin Vantage FIA Safety Car and DBX707 Medical Car were also present on the grid, demonstrating the ever-increasing road and track relevance of Aston Martin’s high-performance products.
But it wasn’t just a case of Aston Martin showing off the cars it has in its collection. Oh no, the organisers were more than keen to encourage owners to bring their own cherished Astons along to be part of the celebration. As such, owners came from all around the globe, not just the country, to take part with cars from every year of Aston’s rich, fascinating history. You know you have an evocative brand when people will traverse the planet for one lap of Silverstone!
Coinciding with the celebrations, the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One® Team officially opened its 400,000 square feet (37,000m2) AMR Technology Campus at Silverstone, hosting the 110 cars and enthusiasts to explore the unique collection of Aston Martins, ahead of the celebratory lap.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin said: “We promised that 2023, Aston Martin’s 110th anniversary year, would be a monumental one for the brand. Not only did we set out to introduce our highly anticipated next generation of sports cars, but we also made a pledge to create memorable moments for our owners, enthusiasts, and colleagues across the world, to celebrate this significant moment in Aston Martin’s history.
“In a season where Aston Martin has risen to become a new force in Formula One, there is no place or time more fitting for our celebrations to take centre stage than here at our home race at Silverstone where we’ll receive huge support this weekend.”
Truly this was a celebration for the history books, but it’s worth noting that those books are still being written, as later this month, Aston Martin will be unveiling a special model as part of continuing celebrations. Watch this space.
