According to a study by independent brand research firm Superbrands, Aston Martin is absolutely the "coolest".

Superbrands questioned over than 2,000 consumers to come up with its list of UK''s coolest brands, which saw Apple''s iPod in second place, followed by video website YouTube in the third, and Danish hi-fi firm Bang and Olufsen in fourth place.

Computer-maker Apple secured three slots for its products in the top 20 list - the second with the iPod, the seventh by Apple, and the 19th by iTunes.

According to Stephen Cheliotis, chairman of the Coolbrands Council, the top 20 reflects contemporary changing needs, wants and interests. He said Coolbrands are two, pretty distinct, subcategories, the first comprising brands that became "cool" by virtue of their necessity or prevalence in an individual''s life, such as online companies Google and Amazon, and the second made up of a list of things people really want, but know they''ll most likely never get, such as a Rolex or a Ferrari.

The clear winner of the coolest title, Aston Martin, is back in British hands, where it is thought to rightfully belong, with its sale to a UK consortium led by racing mogul David Richards and a pair of Kuwaiti companies, who bought it from US auto giant Ford for £479 million. (See: Ford to sell Aston Martin stake for $848 million: report)

Aston Martin was founded in the UK in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. In 1975 it passed in to American hands, before Ford acquired a 75-per cent stake in it in 1987. In 1994, Ford took full control of the company.

Aston Martin is based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Its current line up includes models such as the Vantage and DB9. The company is showcasing its new flagship, the DBS, at the Frankfurt motor show.

The car is part of legendary James Bond films. The first Bond movie to feature an Aston Martin was Goldfinger, in 1964.

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