Aston Martin: The Entire Story (with Russell Hayes)
About this episode
Russell Hayes and host Maurice Merrick dig into Aston Martin’s “entire story” with a focus on why the brand has always lived on the edge—financially, technically, and competitively. Hayes traces the origins from Lionel Martin’s racing obsession and the “Aston Hill” naming, through the Bertelli brothers’ production push, and the company’s constant cash crunch. The conversation highlights key engineering choices like dry-sump lubrication, Le Mans reliability battles, and the postwar David Brown takeover. It culminates in the DB era, Touring Superleggera coachwork, and Aston’s 1959 Le Mans win driven by pit strategy and teamwork.
Aston Martin is a name synonymous with sports cars, and it's a marque that has survived against all odds for over a century. Aston has always teetered on the edge of oblivion only to hang on for yet another chapter, being rescued time after time by wealthy benefactors and brilliant engineers.
Russell Hayes' new book, "Aston Martin: the Entire Story" chronicles the people, the cars, the racing and the seemingly perpetual troubles of this quintessentially British brand.
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