Many of Aston Martin's most beautiful cars have worn a DB model name, starting officially with the DB2 in 1950. With the first all-new DB model, the DB11, now on the market, now is a good time to revisit the DB moniker.

DB stands for David Brown, the English businessman who bought Aston Martin in 1947 and Lagonda in 1948. Before World War II, Aston Martin was very much a low-volume sports car maker, with a pre-war high of 170 cars produced in 1937. Brown aided in Aston's transformation into the big-name it is today.

The early DB series cars earned Aston Martin legitimate sporting credentials and with the James Bond favorite DB5, world recognition. Brown sold the company in 1972, the same year the DBS ended production, but when Aston staged its 1990s comeback under Ford's stewardship, it revived Brown's initials for the DB7.