Aston Martin Celebrates Centenary at Brands Hatch

Thousands of motor racing fans gathered to watch the Aston Martin Centenary Festival at Brands Hatch last weekend to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the British luxury carmaker. The spectators enjoyed parades, static displays and 12 thrilling races, including the fourth and fifth rounds of the GT4 Challenge of Great Britain and the 100-minute GT Centenary Race – the pinnacle of the weekend.

Aston Martin Racing works driver Bruno Senna, competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2013, showed off the V8-powered Vantage GT while celebrity chef James Martin competed in a Vantage GT4. More interestingly, a gathering of pre-war Aston Martins and iconic models from the James Bond films added to the list of attractions.

On Sunday, around 44 Aston Martin GT racers competed in the 100-minute GT Centenary Race to cap a weekend of celebrations. The star-studded race included Aston Martin Racing works drivers Jonny Adam and Stuart Hall, Aston Martin Chairman David Richards while James Martin and Tom Onslow-Cole returned for a second day of racing.

The event included ten historic races, reflecting Aston Martins enduring involvement in motorsport that reaches back to the 1930s. The 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning DBR1 was on display to mark the luxury sports car manufacturer’s famous victory at La Sarthe. A one minute silence was also held for Allan Simonsen, the Aston Martin Racing works driver who lost his life in the famous 24-hour race a fortnight ago, ahead of Sunday's 100-minute GT Centenary Race.

Aston Martin will continue its centenary celebrations in a week of events starting on 15 July, concluding with the largest gathering of the marque’s cars in the history of the brand at Kensington Gardens on Sunday 21 July. Aston Martin Racing will continue its campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Six Hours of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday 1 September.