The computer company Amstrad was founded in 1968 by Alan Sugar. 
The name Amstrad stands for Alan Michael Sugar Trading.

Sales in Germany were handled by the Schneider Computer Division in Türkheim. Schneider later produced the Schneider Euro PC independently of Amstrad. The CPC and Joyce are therefore not manufactured or developed by Schneider, but were "only" sold by Schneider.

In 1986, Amstrad bought Sinclair Research LTD and continued its Spectrum home computer series (ZX80, ZX81, Spectrum 16/48k, Spectrum128) with the types Spectrum +2A, +2B and 3.

In 1992 followed in-house developments (Notepad): NC-100, NC 150 and NC-200, which resembled the Cambridge Z88. Amstrad then manufactured IBM compatible PCs as complete systems, in addition to products from consumer electronics and household electrics, e-mail-enabled videophones and TV satellite technology.

On 31 July 2007, Amstrad was fully acquired by the British pay-TV provider BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting)

Since 2005, Alan Sugar has hosted the reality show "The Apprentice" in the UK, a British version of the AMERICAN show of the same name.