Aston Martin fans in seventh heaven at Leeds event

HUNDREDS of car enthusiasts gathered to celebrate a West Leeds village’s links to the iconic Aston Martin sports car brand.
Three-year-old  Finnan Seddon, of Farsley, inspecting  a well-known number plate.Three-year-old  Finnan Seddon, of Farsley, inspecting  a well-known number plate.
Three-year-old Finnan Seddon, of Farsley, inspecting a well-known number plate.

A stone plinth was unveiled in Farsley on Saturday to mark the area where the old Aston Martin Newlands Works factory one stood in the 1950s.

Event organiser Coun Rod Wood (Cons/Calverley and Farsley), said 35 Aston Martin owners drove their beloved cars from across the country to be at the event.

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Every Aston Martin model from across the decades was represented, including an extremely rare and priceless Aston Martin DBR4 Formula One racing car.

David Brown's grandson Adam with the stone plinth at the site of the former Aston Martin Newlands factory.David Brown's grandson Adam with the stone plinth at the site of the former Aston Martin Newlands factory.
David Brown's grandson Adam with the stone plinth at the site of the former Aston Martin Newlands factory.

Coun Wood said: “Everything went according to plan. All the Aston Martins were lined up in date order, from 1962 to this year and the DB9 which is manufactured now.

“One or two of the guests were not aware that the earliest Aston Martins were built at Farsley. There is very little literature that you can read about Farsley being involved.”

Coun Wood added: “It is terrific that Farsley has such a strong connection to Aston Martin.”

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Newlands Works, which was first used to manufacture tractors, was where the Aston Martin DB2/4 was built from 1953 and from 1953 to 1957 it was a main production hub for Aston Martin’s LB6 engine.

Barrie Williams in an Aston Martin DBR4 Formula One racing carBarrie Williams in an Aston Martin DBR4 Formula One racing car
Barrie Williams in an Aston Martin DBR4 Formula One racing car

The factory was owned by Huddersfield-born David Brown.

The iconic Aston Martin DB’ series - immortalised when a DB5 featured in 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger - take their name from Brown’s initials.

David Brown’s grandson Adam Brown unveiled the stone plinth in Westroyd Park off Parkside Road to mark the site of the former Newlands Works factory where the original DB2/4 MKII and MKIII models were built.

After the unveiling, the Aston Martin owners drive their cars in a parae along Town Street to an exhibition area at Sunnybank Mills.