Aston Martin was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, inspired by a passion for racing. After a pause during World War I, the company resumed operations and entered competitive racing, including the French Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, gaining recognition with a win in 1933. Financial struggles persisted, but a revival came under industrialist David Brown, leading to the creation of the iconic DB models. The DB5 gained global fame through its appearance in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Despite ownership changes and challenges in the 1970s and '80s, Ford eventually took full control in 1993, before selling most shares to investors in 2007.