IN LATE 1946, an affluent northern industrialist was browsing The Times when he came upon a small advert. It was scant on detail, stating merely, ‘HIGH CLASS MOTOR BUSINESS, established 25 years; £30,000; net profits last year £4000. – Write Box V.1362, The Times, EC4’, but intriguing enough for him to make further enquiries. He travelled from Yorkshire to London and ultimately decided to make an offer, albeit with an initial bid less than half of the asking price – just £14,000, for he was a Yorkshireman after all. After some further negotiation, the deal was sealed, early in 1947, for £20,000.
That high class motor business was, of course, Aston Martin and its new owner was gear and tractor manufacturer David Brown. Over the next quarter of a century,…