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Ford took the complete control of Aston Martin in 1994, having helped see the Jaguar based DB& into production. However, Aston’s hand built flagship vehicle at the time was the Virage/ V8 series, which had been in production since 1989. So, in the mid 90s and with the global economy to pick up Ford decided it needed to plan a new flagship Aston Martin model. Up until then, the company’s cars had been powerful but very traditional. Ford and Aston decided that it would go down a much more high tech route and build a new car dubbed Project Vantage around an aluminum chassis. Aston Martin received a great deal of engineering help form Lotus, which had just launched the Elise roadster, whose chassis was made of aluninium extrusions and stamped sheets variously glued, welded and riveted together. The new Aston Martin followed the same recipe, though the widescreen pillars were made of carbon fiber. Ian Callum, who styled the DB7, was also responsible for the Vanquish. But unlike feline sister car, the Vanquish was dramatic and not a little brutal, though some argued this was more in keeping with the brand. The Vanquish was first shown as a concept in 1998, before being launched in 2001.

A big, heavy beast, it was powered by a huge V12 engine, driving a new automated six speed manual gearbox. This transmission was often criticized for a lack of smoothness, so Aston eventually offered a factory conversion to a conventional manual gearbox. A modified and more powerful Vanquish S was launched in 2005 and the Vanquish Ultimate Edition marked the end of the car’s life in 2007.

Posted December 30, 2009 Comments(0)

The launch of the 6.0n liter V12 DB9 can be regarded as marking the ground up rebuilding of Aston Martin. In 2000 Aston martin got new chief executive in the shape of Dr Ulrich Bez, who had previously been research and development of Porsche. Bez halted work a new compact, mid engine Aston Martin and on a front engined replacement for the ageing DB7. Instead, Bez instigated a new strategy, which would see all future Aston based on the same aluminum platform. This new chassis was called the VH (vertical/ Horizontal) and was a cheaper version of the Vanquish chassis that could produced in three different lengths. The first fruit of the plan was the DB9, which was unveiled in September 2003 after a gestation of just 36 months. As part of the wider Ford ‘Premier Automotive Group’, Aston was able to tap into engineering expertise form the Ford companies. For example, Volvo was responsible for the DB9’s airbag and safety systems and the car was also crash tested at Volvo’s engineering centre. Ford also invested in a brand new brand new factory (the first in the company’s history) and HQ for the company to the land Rover engineering centre.

The DB9 was initially styled by lan Callum, though Aston’s new chief designer Henrik Fisker influenced the final product. At the launched, Fisker said that Aston’s are not edgy cars…we wanted to the DB9 to look as if was milled form a solid piece of aluminum’. Huge strides were made inside, where the elegant dashboard, aluminum switchgear and the crystal glass starting button were a league ahead of anything Aston had done before.

Posted December 29, 2009 Comments(0)

After standing back and watching the troubled development of the Virage/Vantage and with a recession starting to bite as the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, Ford decided to take Aston Martin under its experience wing. Aston’s new owner felt it needed a ‘cheap’ accessible car that would compete with top range Mercedes models. Despite worries by Aston die hards that Ford would ‘dilute’ the essence of Aston Martin, the owner raided the parts bin of its recently acquired luxury car maker, Jaguar. It started the DB7 project with the remnants of Project XX, a replacement for the ageing XJS, Ford decided that Aston would take over work on redeveloping the XJS running gear, and that Jaguar would start working on a completely new coupe. The result was a remarkable beautiful, flowing car which captured everybody’s ideal of what an Aston Martin should look like. The interior was similarly flowing stylish, extensively wooded but, like the whole car, not oversized and intimidating like the Virage. Aston buyers clearly didn’t care that the DB7 was ridded with borrowed components form the Ford switches to the Mazda 323F rear lights.

The DB7 was hard assembled at the Jaguar XJ220 facility, which was attached to an old farm in Oxfordshire, England. The car was a tremendous success for the company, and even continued to do very well after the arrival of Jaguar’s XK8, a direct competitor that was more modern form stem to stern, as well as considerably.

Posted December 28, 2009 Comments(0)

Aston Martin finally surrendered its independence in 1987 when the giant multi national Ford bought a controlling share of the company. Despite what some loyal followers of the form thought would happen, this takeover actually had little noticeable impact on the often extremely chaotic nature of Aston’s new car development. Sadly, part of this was due to an under funded and ill coordinated development programme. Like the Lagonda, Aston’s new V8 coupe went form being ‘signed off’ to appearing at the 1988 Earl’s Court Motor Show in just two years. The styling was completed by Royal College of Art tutors Ken Greenley and John Heffernan. However, the shaping of the Virage was controversial, as the car’s tail had to be raised to reduce aerodynamic lift at speed, and Aston bosses insisted on retaining the familiar shape of the Aston radiator grille in the new model. Although the first cars were launched with a new 32 valve V8 engine, Aston released the long awaited Vantage development of the car in 1994, bolting an engine good for 550 bhp. To match the pace, the Vantage wore a huge front bumper, six small, square headlights and sported massive wheels, giving it a very aggressive and highly macho overall appearance.

The Vantage was one of the most powerful road cars were sold, with as much horsepower as some sight seater aircraft. It was not a fundamentally great car, but this kind of sheer speed, distinctive engine noise and unmistakable British character is unlikely to be seen again.

Posted December 27, 2009 Comments(0)

An extensive, 50 off, one chance only supercar, the Aston Martin V8 Zagato had its place in the sun in the mid to late 1980s. it made headlines as the fastest Aston ever at 186 mph (298 km/h), and the company’s first two seater since the DB4 GT. Even at $70,000 each, the whole production run was sold before a single laid Zagato down like fine wine, putting them up for sale at anything up to half a million pounds each on the open market. Flat bottomed and flush glazed, it had a sleeker appearance than the standard Aston Martin Vantage, recording an impression 0.29Cd figure. It also weighed in 10 percent lighter, and had a more powerful 432 bhp version of the quad camshaft, 5.3 liter Vantage engine. Even today it is still in the slingshot league; a French motoring journal timed one at 186 mph (298 km/h), with a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) time of 4.8 seconds. Not everybody liked the Zagato’s shape. The double bubble roof seemed superfluous and the grille unresolved, flanked by mean headlights behind light diffusing glass. In profile, the awkward C-pillar dropped away to a truncated tail, where most of the length 16in. (40.6 cm) less than the standard V8 had been cut. The boot was tiny, but space lost to the sliced off rump was reclaimed behind the seats.

Just two month were built between 1986 and 1988, if you don’t count the prototype and a run of 25 convertibles. Orders worth $7 million were placed on the strength of just a stylish sketch, and once values started to rocket, Aston wasn’t above increasing the retail price to whatever the cars were realizing on the markets. When the investors’ market slumped in the late 1980s, many speculators lost thousands as the value of these cars halved almost overnight. Even so, the V8 Zagato remains one of the most collectable pot-war Aston Martins.

Posted December 26, 2009 Comments(0)

The lagonda saloon, which completely dominated the 1976 Earl’s Court Motor Show, could have been beamed down form another planet. Low and razor edged, it was a show stopper and just the publicity grabber that troubled Aston Martin needed. The 170 deposits that were taken at the show pulled the company back from the brink of oblivion. Buyers weren’t to know that their cars wouldn’t be ready until 1979 because of problems with the high tech electronics. Mechanically the Lagonda was well proven essentially a stretched Aston Martin V8 with a meaty four camshaft, 5.3 liter V8 engine. The suspension came from the same source too, but with self leveling for the de Dion rear end. Weighing in at almost two tons (2000 kg), this was the biggest and most opulent Lagonda since the war. Extras like air conditioning and electric seats were all included in the price. Pundits had nothing but praise for its ride and handling, superb for a large saloon, but some dared to suggest that it could have been quicker. Others raised eyebrows at the lack of rear seat legroom in such a huge car. Aston tried to answer these criticisms with a still born twin turbo version, whilst specialist firm Trickford built a trio of stretched Lagondas with twin color TVs.

By the mid 1980s, interest in the car had waned and the design seemed to age rapidly. Stylist William Towns tried to redeem his rapidly ageing super saloon with more rounded offering in 1987, but it was too late. The dream car that had raised so many pulses back in 1976 died quietly in 1990, with a total of 645 cars having been said.

Posted December 25, 2009 Comments(0)

By 1965 the lithe and elegant Aston Martin DB4, via the more refined and faster DB5, had become the bigger heavier and more brutal DB6. It was a car that almost forced you to admire it instead of charming you with its refined elegance as its predecessor had been renowned for doing, but it was a distinctive vehicle and not one to be forgotten quickly. Its head lights were flared in, its chassis lengthened, and its tail chopped for better aerodynamics at high speed. Little survived of tourings’ original and much loved 1958 shape. Beneath the alloy skin the Superleggera method of construction was abandoned. From this point on, all Aston Martin would have aluminium outer panels on steel inner panels. Power came from a 4 liter twin cam straight six, and was much the same as before. It came as standard with triple Sus but the Vantage version had triple Webers and this gave it significantly better acceleration something not lost on those who were luckily enough to enjoy the visceral pleasure provided by driving the Vantage. Opinions were similar to those of the DB5 but with the addition of a slip differential and, after, 1967, power steering.

You could even order automatic transmission on your Aston Martin and an increasing number of buying did. The Mk II version of 1967 had flared wheelarches and DBS style wire wheels. Some even had Lucas fuel injection systems. There were 140 ‘Volante’ convertibles. Some six of these were converted into shooting brakes by skilled London coachbuilder Harold Radford, making them the ultimate in high speed estate cars.

Posted December 23, 2009 Comments(0)

Tractor tycoon David Brown bought the ailing sports car maker Aston Martin in 1947, but had something of false start with under powered four cylinders Aston Martin DB1 of 1948. He more than redeemed himself, however, with the DB2 of 1950, a car that set the pace for all subsequent Astons. Here was a luxurious upper crust coupe with modern performance and old world charm. It used a smooth, powerful, six cylinder, twin cam 116 bhp engine courtesy of its sister the Lagando 2.6 saloon, Brown had bought Lagando as well in 1947. Clothed in handsome alloy bodywork, these cars could reach more than 120 mph (192 km/h) in high compression Vantage form. Underneath, the cruciform chassis blessed the cars with thoroughbred handling of the highest order. Coil sprung, the live rear axle was located by trailing links, with a Panhard rod for the high side loads the car capable of generating and damped by Armstrong lever arms. The front suspension was unusual: a trailing link design with the main lower locating member running across the front of the car. For the DB2/4, the fast back shape was made more potential but not so pretty, by the addition of rear seats and a side hinged rear hatchback door. By the time evolved into a mouth, and small fins had sprouted on the rear wings.

David Brown supplied the gearbox on all models. This had the option of overdrive on the top gear on the 178 bhp MKIII, giving 28.4 mph (45.4 km/h) per 1000 rpm. Grilling front disc brakes were another innovation on the MKIII. The DB MKIII was replaced by the touring styled DB4 in 1958.

Posted December 22, 2009 Comments(0)

We drove the Aston Martin Vantage on the track after the SL and XK, and it was the first in this group to feel like it belonged there. Unlike the first two, you can imagine a Vantage owner booking himself a trackday, and you can feel the underlying promise for the racing versions Aston Martin has produced. It makes this year’s test because it has been substantially revised, its naturally aspirated V8 growing by 400cc to 4.7 liters and by 40bhp to 420 bhp. Ours was equipped with the Sportshift automated manual transmission and the Sports Pack suspension; stiffer spring, revised Bilstein dampers, revised rear anti-roll bar and light weight, forged 20 inch rims. With that lot, it ought to do well on a track. It looks the same as the old car, and has same disappointing view down the bonnet. The SL and XK leave you no doubt that you are about to drive the brawny, front-engined car, but in Aston Martin all you can see is a pair of artlessly arranged windscreen wipers. Yet there’s no doubting the Vantage’s credentials once you are underway. The noise is still intoxicating over 4000rpm but there is now proper supercar pace. It lapped Anglesey in 1 min 3.9 sec, just seven tenth slower than the lighter 911.

The Vantage feels faster then its claimed 4.9 sec 0-60mph time, perhaps a combination of the noise and the brutally hard upshifts. And the engine isn’t as mannered as the SL’s or XK’s; when it isn’t being drowned out by the bellowing exhaust, a surprising amount of mechanical thrash makes its way back to the cabin.Your first few minutes on the road makes you wonder what price you have to pay for the chassis’ composure on the track. At low speeds and on poor surfaces the Vantage- in Sports Pack trim at least- develops an insufferable jiggle and the steering wheel writhes over every imperfection.

Posted November 5, 2009 Comments(0)

A couple of years ago, I would have said that Aston Martin was the coolest car brand in the world, and a Vanquish was a permanent feature on my list of favorite cars of all time that I’d buy tomorrow if I had the money and a garage the size of an Aircraft Hangar. But now I am not so sure. Part of the problem is that the coolness is beginning to feel contrived and a bit exaggerated, which (of course) isn’t very cool at all. I hate the fact the DBS key is clumsy block of faux glass called an ‘Emotion Control Unit’. That’s trying way, way too hard.And Aston Martin should be beautiful and svelte, but also a bit hard, like a broken-noised street fighter. I am afraid the DBS, despite its wider arches and lower stance, is a bit ‘Pierce Brosnan’ and not enough ‘Daniel “Mr. Potato Head” Caring’ for my liking. I miss the Vanquish sound too. Its true the 6.0 liter V12 barks when you start it, sounding inch of 510bhp; but it does not scare small children any more like the mighty Vanquish; I cant help thinking that 510bhp is only 40bhp more than a standard DB9. Petulant, eh?

But enough complaining, On the road the DBS is a triumph, no matter how you carve it up. I love the way the torque spills out of it lazily, effortlessly; I love the long pedal travel, deep down into the footwell, that allows you to choose precisely how many beans you are going to give it when that next straight opens up. DBS is just too comfortable, too neutral to be our Performance Car of the year. In a way, it sits at the opposite end of the spectrum to the 911GT: 500bhp is 500bhp, but surely there has to be a middle ground somewhere between ‘oh God, please let me survive this lap’ and ‘hmm, what a nice relaxing drive home listening to Radio 4’.

Posted November 3, 2009 Comments(0)