ASTON MARTIN

What is Aston Martin?

Lionel Martin, Robert Bamford founded Aston Martin in 1913, headquartered in Gaydon, United Kingdom. 35 models tracked (1981–2026).

Data · NHTSA & EPA · 35 models · 1981–2026 · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · 4.5 ★★★★★★★★★★ Brand Score
Quick answer

Aston Martin is a British carmaker founded in 1913. The cars themselves are another matter: across 1 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — the United Kingdom 100%. 35 models are tracked here (1981–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.5 out of 5 across 35 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).

35
Models
1981
Since
1
Vehicle types
United Kingdom
Origin
1913
Founded

Who makes Aston Martin

Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc is a British luxury sports-car manufacturer headquartered in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford in 1913, the company's name combines Martin's surname with the Aston Hill Climb where Lionel Martin frequently raced. Aston Martin has gone bankrupt seven times in its history but has been continuously associated with British performance and James Bond films since 1964's Goldfinger. The DB nameplate (David Brown, who owned the company 1947-1972) has run from the DB1 of 1948 through the current DB12. The Vantage anchors the smaller mid-engine layout, the DBS Superleggera serves as flagship until succeeded by the Vanquish, and the DBX SUV launched in 2020 as Aston's first non-sports-car. Aston Martin's Valkyrie hypercar (2021) was developed in partnership with Red Bull Racing and represents the brand's most extreme road-legal product. Aston Martin Lagonda trades on the London Stock Exchange under AML. Recall data for every Aston Martin VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Aston Martin VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.

Bamford & Martin Ltd. was founded in 1913 in Kensington, London, to sell Singer cars; the partners began modifying their own racers and named the resulting cars Aston Martin after Lionel Martin's success at the Aston Hill Climb. The first Aston Martin, the 1915 Coal Scuttle, was followed by a succession of bankruptcies and ownership changes (Renwick & Bertelli, David Brown, Ford, Investindustrial, Lawrence Stroll). The 1964 DB5 in Goldfinger established Aston Martin as the iconic British luxury sports car, with subsequent appearances in 18 James Bond films.

FIG.01·About Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Founded1913
Founded byLionel Martin, Robert Bamford
HeadquartersGaydon, United Kingdom
Slogan«Power, Beauty, Soul»
Models tracked here15 (1981–2026)
Assembled in1 countries
ROWS 6·SOURCE ForCar Editorial + NHTSA VIN records

Technology it is known for: AMR (Aston Martin Racing) tuning, Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo V8, Adaptive damping, Dual-personality (GT/Sport) modes, Q by Aston Martin bespoke division.

This page covers Aston Martin Lagonda, the British sports-car manufacturer — not Aston Martin Racing (the separate F1 team co-branded but operating under separate corporate structure) or the original Bamford & Martin precursor company.

Where Aston Martin cars are actually built

A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 11 vehicles on record, 1 distinct manufacturer codes.

FIG.02·Where Aston Martin cars are built
Assembled inShareVIN starts withYears seen
the United Kingdom100%SCF2007–2025
ROWS 1·SOURCE NHTSA records, grouped by VIN manufacturer code

Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Aston Martin beginning SCF was assembled in the United Kingdom.

All Aston Martin models 35

Every Aston Martin model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.

Aston Martin SUVs & crossovers 2

Aston Martin SUVs & crossovers by the numbers
ModelYearsRecallsComplaintsBest MPGForCar score
Aston Martin DBX2021–202614217 mpg4.0/5
Aston Martin DBX7077117 mpg4.5/5
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA + ForCar

Aston Martin Cars & sedans 10

Aston Martin Cars & sedans by the numbers
ModelYearsRecallsComplaintsBest MPGForCar score
Aston Martin Vanquish2001–202610116 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin DB122024–2026417 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin DB92005–201643915 mpg3.5/5
Aston Martin DBS2009–20241817 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Lagonda1981–19949 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin V12718 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Volante516 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Zagato16 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Virage1990–2012515 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Rapide2010–201916117 mpg4.5/5
ROWS 10·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA + ForCar

Aston Martin More models 23

Aston Martin More models by the numbers
ModelYearsRecallsComplaintsBest MPGForCar score
Aston Martin Vantage1981–2026521 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Valkyrie24.5/5
Aston Martin Db54.5/5
Aston Martin Valhalla2026–202616 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Dbc Concept4.5/5
Aston Martin Vulcan4.5/5
Aston Martin Valour2024–202614 mpg4.5/5
Aston Martin Riptide4.5/5
Aston Martin Cygnet4.5/5
Aston Martin 77 One4.5/5
Aston Martin DB104.5/5
Aston Martin Valiant2024–20264.5/5
Aston Martin Victor4.5/5
Aston Martin DB44.5/5
Aston Martin Bulldog4.5/5
Aston Martin Db64.5/5
Aston Martin V81981–19894.5/5
Aston Martin Superleggera4.5/5
Aston Martin DB84.5/5
Aston Martin F1 Edition4.5/5
Aston Martin Quantum4.5/5
Aston Martin ONE774.5/5
Aston Martin Le Mans4.5/5
ROWS 23·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA + ForCar

Aston Martin by the numbers

What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.

FIG.03·Aston Martin by the numbers
TopicAston MartinDetail
Recalls136 campaignsMost recalled: Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal
Owner complaints14+ filedMost reported: DB9
Fuel economy21 mpg bestLeader: Vantage
Insurance$6,464/yr typicalCheapest: DB9
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA, EPA and HLDI records
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Aston Martin hybrids & electric models

Aston Martin's electrified lineup — 1 hybrid. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.

Aston Martin hybrids 1

Aston Martin hybrids
ModelYearsBest figureRecallsForCar score
Aston Martin Valhalla2026–2026164.5/5
ROWS 1·SOURCE EPA + NHTSA

Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.

ASTON MARTIN

Get a Aston Martin window sticker by VIN

Recreate any Aston Martin's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.

Aston Martin window stickers →

How to read a Aston Martin VIN

Every Aston Martin built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:

FIG.05·How to Read a Aston Martin VIN
1–3 · WMISCF
4–8 · VDSCM826
9 · Check5
10 · YearR
11 · PlantA
12–17 · Serial004352
  • WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Aston Martin and the country it was built in (real Aston Martin codes below).
  • VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
  • Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
  • Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
  • Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
  • Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
Real Aston Martin WMIs — the first 3 VIN digits by build country
  • UKSCF · SD7
17 CHARS·SOURCE SAE / ISO 3779 · NHTSA vPIC

The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. The whole position-by-position breakdown — year codes 2001–2026, country codes, stamping locations — lives in our VIN decoder tool.

Who owns Aston Martin, and what you get

Aston Martin is independent, British-owned. Aston Martin competes in luxury grand-touring, sports cars and (since 2020) ultra-luxury SUVs against Bentley, Ferrari (for performance variants), Porsche 911 (for Vantage) and Maserati. The brand has been less commercially stable than competitors, with seven bankruptcies in 110 years; Lawrence Stroll's 2020 financial rescue and 2025 EV commitments mark the latest turnaround attempt.

FIG.04·Aston Martin ownership and warranty
Aston Martin
Country of originthe United Kingdom
OwnershipIndependent
Basic warranty3 years / 36,000 miles
Powertrain warranty5 years / 60,000 miles
Assembly countriesUnited Kingdom
ROWS 5·SOURCE Manufacturer terms + NHTSA VIN records

⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Aston Martin models actually start to break →

Aston Martin — frequently asked

Is Aston Martin british?

Aston Martin is a British company, headquartered in Gaydon and founded in 1913. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Aston Martin vehicles in our records were assembled in the United Kingdom.

Where are Aston Martin cars made?

Across 1 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United Kingdom (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.

Who owns Aston Martin?

Aston Martin is independent.

How many Aston Martin models are there?

We track 35 Aston Martin models spanning 1981–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.

What is the Aston Martin warranty?

New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.

Is Aston Martin reliable?

It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Aston Martin model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.

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ROWS 6·SOURCE ForCar catalogue
Model data and search demand from ForCar's catalog of 35 Aston Martin models. Recalls, complaints and safety ratings sourced from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Brand facts compiled by ForCar Editorial. Last updated Sep 2026. Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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