Aston Martin is a British cultural icon. Founded in 1913, the manufacturer is rich in heritage, style, and craftsmanship. Its cars are as cool as a certain spy who's often handed one or two.

From their beautiful designs to effortless performance, it's easy to fall in love with Aston Martin's sports cars and grand tourers. But despite the brand's presence in pop culture, there are many facts gearheads still don't know about Aston Martin and its sports cars. Here are ten cool facts, some of which you may have forgotten, about the suave brand.

10 The Company's Famous 5.9-liter V12 Is Made From Two Ford V6s

Red Aston Martin V12 Vantage S.
Via: Aston Martin

Under the hood of Aston Martins such as the DB9 and V12 Vantage S (pictured above) resides a 5.9-liter V12. The company will make you think it's a 6.0-liter, however, don't be fooled. One other aspect of this engine AM doesn't shout about is what it starts out as.

An Aston Martin V12 Vantage S engine.
Via: Aston Martin

This is because it's essentially a pair of Ford Duratec V6s stuck together. Sure, quite a few components have been substituted in the pursuit of horsepower and torque – 565bhp and 457lb-ft in the V12 Vantage S – but some humble Ford sedan engine parts remain present.

9 Ford Owned Aston Martin From 1991 To 2007

Aston Martin Vanquish S parked.
Via: Aston Martin

The 5.9-liter V12 was actually used for many Aston Martin cars during Ford's ownership of the manufacturer from 1991 to 2007. Throughout AM's time with Ford, it brought out models such as the Vanquish (pictured above), DB7, DB9, and previous V8 Vantage.

A silver Vanquish S.
Via: Aston Martin

The ownership also resulted in some Ford-derived switchgear featuring in Aston Martin interiors, as well as James Bond driving a Mondeo in 2006's Casino Royale. Ford managed to sell Aston Martin in 2007 and it became a Private Limited Company, with the American brand retaining a stake.

RELATED: This Is Aston Martin's Million Dollar Hatchback

8 DB Stands For David Brown

A blue Aston Martin DB7 GT.
Via: Aston Martin

There have, as of writing, been eleven main entries into Aston Martin's DB series – the latest being the DB11. Many will recognize the DB name, however, few will be able to tell you what it stands for.

A blue Aston Martin DB7 GT.
Via: Aston Martin

Well, it stands for David Brown. While it may not be the most exciting name ever given to a car, it is the name of Aston Martin's owner from 1947 to 1972. For reference, the first DB car went on sale in 1948.

7 All Aston Martin Cars Are Made By Hand

Aston Martin Gaydon Manfuacturing
Via: Aston Martin

Rather than relying on a production line, Aston Martin employs people to put together various parts of its cars by hand. This includes doing the stitching on the seats, as well as other components, with every car being produced this way.

Aston Martin Gaydon picture.
Via: Aston Martin

Though this may not be as efficient and cost-effective as what other car manufacturers are doing, it adds a personal touch to every vehicle Aston Martin makes, an aspect customers enjoy. Plus, how cool is it to tell people your car is handcrafted.

RELATED: 10 Rarest Aston Martins Ever Made

6 The First Aston Martin Was Named After A 1990's Household Item

The first Aston Martin car ever made.
Via: Aston Martin

The first Aston Martin car (pictured above) was built in 1915 and nicknamed the Coal Scuttle. This, as you can probably guess, is a rather odd name, even more so considering the much better titles newer Astons have been given.

Aston Martin badge old.
Via: Aston Martin

What makes the name even stranger is that a coal-scuttle was a metal container that carried small amounts of coal to coal-powered ovens and heaters – a household item popular in the 1900s.

5 Its Subcompact Cygnet Flopped

Two Aston Martin Cygnets.
Via: Aston Martin

The Cygnet is certainly one of the weirder cars to come from Aston Martin. The manufacturer created it for the sole purpose of meeting European emission standards – and it was, unsurprisingly, a failure.

A black Aston Martin Cygnet.
Via: Aston Martin

Based on the Toyota IQ, the Cygnet sold incredibly poorly and cost almost triple what the IQ did. It may be considered somewhat of a cool, quirky city car nowadays, however, back in 2011 when it came out, nobody wanted to buy a Cygnet. Fewer than 150 were sold in the two years it was in production.

RELATED: 10 Cheapest Aston Martins On The Used Car Market

4 A 1956 DBR1 Sold At Auction For £17.5M

Green 1950s Aston Martin DBR1 parked.
Aston Martin

Now, onto a car that wasn't a flop for Aston Martin – quite the opposite. This is the DBR1: a racing car from the '50s. Only five were ever built and it was rather successful in motorsport.

An Aston Martin DBR1 being driven.
Via: Aston Martin

In 2017, the first of these five cars – an example-driven by the likes of Carroll Shelby and Sir Stirling Moss – sold at an auction for £17.5M. This made it the most expensive British car ever sold at auction.

3 Aston Martins Have Appeared In 12 Out Of 24 Bond Films

007 Aston Martins cruise London.
Via: Aston Martin

Aston Martins and James Bond go together like two peas in a pod. Ever since Sean Connery got behind the wheel of the iconic DB5 in 1964's Goldfinger, the carmaker has been synonymous with the famous British secret agent.

Aston Martin DB5 on the street.
Via: Aston Martin

This has lead to Aston Martins appearing in 12 out of 24 Bond films. Soon it shall be 13 with the release of No Time To Die, which is set to star a total of four Astons: the DB5, V8 Vantage, DBS Superleggera, and Valhalla.

RELATED: 10 Bond Cars That Aren't Aston Martins

2 It Has Collaborated With Zagato For Over 60 Years

An Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato in blue.
Via: Aston Martin

Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company located in Rho, Italy. The company, founded in 1910, has designed many cars and has collaborated with Aston Martin for over 60 years, beginning with the DB4 GT Zagato (seen above) in 1960.

A group of Aston Martin Zagatos.
Via: Aston Martin

Zagato versions of Aston Martin models such as the Vanquish (pictured above), V12 Vantage, and DB7 exist. Each comes equipped with extravagant styling, extreme exclusivity, and a sky-high price tag.

1 Most Modern Aston Martins Can Reach 200 Mph

Aston Martin DB11 AMR driving.
Via: Aston Martin

While Aston Martins tend to offer plenty of performance, people don't usually associate them with breaking the 200-mph barrier – the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Bugattis of the world spring to mind instead. However, AM deserves credit for how fast its cars can go, such as this DB11 AMR and its top speed of 208 mph.

A red Aston Martin DBS Superleggera driving.
Via: Aston Martin

The DBS Superleggera you see above is even faster, with a top speed of 211 mph. And if we go back to 2017, Aston Martins were still topping 200 mph. Take the Vanquish S, for example. This is a car with a top speed of 201 mph.

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