Born in England, Aston Martin makes cars that place equal emphasis on high-thrill performance and discreet British elegance. Founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford started Aston Martin in 1914. Astons recent models include the exotic DBS (a more muscular version of the DB9), the four-door, four-seat Rapide, the Virage (which slots in between the DB9 and DBS) and a pair of ultra-low-production sports cars — the V12 Zagato (named after the design house that penned its body) and the One-77 (only 77 produced with a price of nearly $2 million each).