Sir David Brown (1904-1993)
Was an English entrepreneur, managing director of his family firm David Brown Limited and one time owner of shipbuilders Vosper Thornycroft and automobile manufacturer Aston Martin. In 1947, Brown saw a classified advertisement in The Times, offering for sale a High Class Motor Business. Brown acquired Aston Martin for £20,500 and, in the following year, Lagonda for £52,500, followed by the coachbuilder Tickford in 1955. He subsequently concentrated all the Aston Martin manufacturing at the Tickford premises in Newport Pagnell.
The legendary ‘DB’ series of Aston Martin cars, including the Atom, the DB2, the DB3, the DB4, the DB5, the DB6, the DB7, DB9 and the DBS were named after Brown using his initials. Aston Martin was sold off in the 1970s when the company was in financial difficulties. He was a natural adventurer who owned race horses, played polo at Ham Polo Club, raced cars and motorcycles, and was a qualified pilot. He was knighted in 1968. Sir David Brown died in September 1993 in Monte Carlo.
