David Brown (entrepreneur)
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Sir David Brown (May 10, 1904 - September 3, 1993) was a British entrepreneur, managing director of his family firm David Brown Limited.
Born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, he started work as an apprentice in the family business aged 17, becoming managing director in 1931, on his father Percy's death.
A natural adventurer who owned race horses, raced cars and motorcycles, and was a qualified pilot, in 1947, Brown saw a classified advertisement in The Times, offering for sale a High Class Motor Business. Brown acquired Aston Martin for £20,000 and, in the following year, Lagonda.
He was knighted in 1968.
The legendary "DB" series of Aston Martin cars, including the DB5 driven by James Bond and the DB7 - Aston's most successful model ever - were named after David Brown.
He died in Monte Carlo one month before David Brown Ltd was acquired by Textron Inc..
External links
- Facsimile of the advert from The Times (http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3956/)