Sir David Brown (1904 – 1993)

Although Sir David Brown’s family owned the machine tool business, a young David was “just another apprentice” at the factory he worked at when leaving school at 17, cycling the six miles from home to be at work by 7.30am. Having a keen interest in motorcycles, his father offered to buy him one to make the journey easier. Not sharing his son’s passion for all things fast, his father brought him a 1,000cc V-twin Reading Standard, which he instantly modified, and at weekends entered hill climb competitions. Such was his success he qualified to ride in the Isle of Man TT race, but such was the race’s fearsome reputation, his father forbade it.

Adventures abroad in South Africa – where he was employed in overseeing the installation of geared machinery in gold mines – and in America, meant that Brown now had management skills as well as gear designing skills, and on his return he diversified the family business, firstly into a steel foundry, and then into tractor manufacturing. With the onset of World War II and increase in the production of gears and gearboxes for military equipment, both ventures proved inspired.

Intrigued by an advert offering for sale a “high class-motor business”, Brown haggled the price down to £20,500 for Aston Martin. With his hand-on approach and gear-designing skills he became instrumental in the production of their Aston-Martin 2 Litre Sports car – or more commonly known at the DB1, a moniker coined after his initials.

A polo player during the summer, he was regularly seen hunting in the winter, and bred racehorses from his Buckinghamshire base. But an Irish point-to-pointer, originally named Floral Tribute, was to be his most well-known representative on the track.

With his name changed to Linwell, the son of Rosewell went into training with Charlie Mannon, a cover for the real trainer Ivor Herbert, who’s position as a journalist was thought to be a conflict of interest for training horses. Herbert had also ridden Linwell in his first point-to-point, an ignominious start as the pair fell. Replaced by Michael Scudamore, the pair progressed through the ranks and won the Anthony Mildmay Memorial at Sandown.

Lining up at Cheltenham for the thirtieth renewal of the race, he faced no other than his close relation Kerstin – their dams being full-sisters. She was made favourite for the 1957 race, which also saw the likes of Grand National-winner ESB and three-time Champion Hurdler Sir Ken line up. Held up at the back of the field, Linwell made progress with Kerstin and Pointsman round the bend. Kerstin made a mistake at the second last and badly impeded Pointsman, leaving cousin Linwell to take the spoils.

His luck was to run out in his other two appearances in the race, as he was brought down by Taxidermist the following year – allowing Kerstin to reap her revenge and become only the second mare to win the Gold Cup. Linwell was then baulked by Pas Seul’s fall at the last in 1959, and just failed to peg back Roddy Owen at the line.

Both Linwell and Kerstin are remembered by residential street names in Cheltenham, whilst Brown went on to be knighted in 1968 for services to Industry. He sold Aston Martin in 1972, but in 1993 and newly purchased by Ford, Brown accepted the position of Honorary Life President of Aston Martin Lagonda and the DB model designation was reintroduced with the DB7.