In remberance of World War II
11 November
During WW2, Aston Martin became made a shift in their production of cars to becoming a subcontractor, supplying aircraft manufacturers with parts for famous military aircraft including Spitfire, Mosquito and Wellington amongst others. This change in manufacturing had an impact on the workforce at Aston Martin, increasing their employee numbers to 160.
The factory, based in Feltham, Middlesex was on the outskirts of London. Being close to the city, aerial attacks and bombing raids meant employees had to work through hard conditions, risking their lives to meet the demands of the war. The factory was bombed in 1941, destroying the offices and records. It wasn’t until after this, that a V1 flying bomb destroyed works buildings. Luckily, there were no casualties as staff received the danger signal in time to take shelter.
Despite the challenges of WW2, the D- Day landings in 1944 eventually brought peacetime, and by 1945, Aston Martin resumed back to designing a new range of cars built around a new two litre engine.
Recently, the AMHT acquired three drawings of the two litre engine, dated from 1945. On the 80 anniversary of the end of WW2, these drawings are a testament to the hard work and bravery of the Aston Martin workforce.
