What's all this about?

Aston Martin turns 110 this year, and the brand has a whole year’s worth of celebrations planned. The company is kicking things off by uniting two cutting-edge models from its back catalogue, but the year-long party is set to include the launch of an all-new model.

110 years? That's quite a milestone...

It is indeed. Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin’s founders, first made their partnership official on January 15, 1913, and the company intends to celebrate properly. And so it should. The brand started life in a small workshop in London to become the star of James Bond films and one of the most desirable luxury car brands in the world.

So what are these cutting-edge cars?

First of all, there’s the record-breaking 1923 Razor Blade racer, which was among the first cars to be designed with aerodynamics in mind. With a grand prix engine on board, it took several class records at Brooklands in 1923, just a year after Aston’s first grand prix appearance.

That sits alongside the considerably more modern Valkyrie, the hypercar produced in collaboration with Red Bull Racing Advanced Technologies. Despite the four-figure power output and the shape taken straight from a video game, the limited-production car is road legal, and every example has been sold.

And what about this new model?

Aston Martin has stayed tight-lipped about its celebratory new car, but the company says it will be part of the “next generation of sports cars”, which will “further enhance Aston Martin’s focus on ultra-luxury, high-performance and driving intensity.”

“In 1913 Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford came together with a shared vision of racing cars and using learnings from the racetrack to push the boundaries of automotive innovation,” said Amedeo Felisa, the chief executive officer of Aston Martin Lagonda.

“110 years and little over 110,000 cars later, that spirit continues. Our 110th year promises to be just as exciting as our first, as we turn a new chapter in Aston Martin history with the launch of our next generation of sports cars and the reveal of an extraordinary special model later this year that will celebrate this unique milestone.”

Any other plans?

As it happens, Aston does have some other things in the pipeline. Celebrations are planned for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The company also plans to mark several notable anniversaries in 2023, with the 75th anniversary of the DB nameplate and 60 years of the classic DB5. This year is also the 20th anniversary of Aston Martin’s purpose-built facility at Gaydon, in Warwickshire.