Car Articles

Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford started the Aston Martin Car Company in 1914 in a small West London workshop. In the beginning the company was known only in racing circles, eventually extending itself to Gran Touring cars, mostly under the DB nomenclature. Aston Martin has never been bothered about quantity, its chief concern has been quality. In its ninety-six years of existence, it has built little over 16,000 cars, each hand-crafted of the finest materials. Though the brand is not as widely known in popular culture as Ferraris and Lamborghinis, Aston Martins are mostly associated with British entities such as royal families and James Bond movies.

After a series of bankruptcies and exchanges of ownership throughout its history, Aston Martin was acquired in 1987 by Ford Motor Company and has been a part of Premier Automotive Group until 2007. On 12 March 2007, it was purchased for £479 Million by a joint venture company, co-owned by Investment Dar and Adeem Investment of Kuwait and English businessman John Sinders. Ford retained a US$77 Million stake in Aston Martin, valuing the company at US$925 million.

Audi Automobile Works entered the German car-manufacturing business in 1910 and remained independent until the Great Depression of 1920s. As Audi's founder, August Horch, had left a 10-year-old company bearing the name Horch, he was forced to give another name to his new company. He selected the Latin form of his name -- Audi -- for his new company. Early vehicles included the 1921 14/50 model, which sported an aluminum cylinder block and four-wheel brakes, and the 1923 Type M, a six-cylinder vehicle that stayed in production until 1928. Audi, in 1932, joined with three other auto manufacturers to form the Auto Union. Audi, the only surviving nameplate from that union, is now a luxury division of Volkswagen that specializes in all-wheel-drive cars.

Munich-based Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) was founded in the early 1910s as an aircraft and motorcycle-engine manufacturer. It wasn't until 1928 that production began on the first BMW car, the Dixi. BMW's best-known pre-World War II vehicle was the two-seat Type 328 roadster with its cutaway doors, while postwar BMWs, such as the 507, went on to win several racing, rallying and hill climb victories. As of the early 21st century, BMW has become the standard for performance and luxury in most of the "over $30,000" segments. Wild popularity among the high class buyers in India buyers has prompted the company to expand the line-up to include several cars. It is currently India's number one luxury car maker.