Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 1 i Aston Martin Driver

Welcome to issue one of a new title dedicated to all things Aston Martin. From the finest classics to the latest production GTs, Aston Martin Driver will focus on everything that makes this iconic marque so great. We’ll be combining top-class writing with stunning photography, all wrapped up in a package that’s high on quality but realistic on price. Aston Martin Driver will feature Aston Martin’s all-time greatest road cars, as well as offering motorsport coverage, technical features, historic profiles and a whole lot more. Each and every issue will contain a minimum of 100 pages, all dedicated to the brand we can’t help but love. In issue one we’re going to look at historic rivalries, modern dreams, the places behind the brand and the history of one of the…

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers commented: “It is an immensely proud moment for us to complete our first ever hypercar. The Aston Martin Valkyrie programme has tested everyone who has worked on it to the limit but the commitment to the dream has produced a truly incredible car, an F1® car for the road. The Valkyrie is born out of the steadfast dedication of a large group of highly skilled engineers and technicians who have worked tirelessly to get Valkyrie to the production stage. I’m sure our customers will be delighted with what they have achieved.” Valkyrie will be built at Aston Martin’s UK headquarters in Gaydon, like all Aston Martin sports cars. A dedicated team manages production in a specially commissioned area, with each of the 150…

Although it might not have quite the cachet of its DB4 and DB5 predecessors, many argue that the DB6 is actually the best of the trio thanks to its extra space, luxury and sophistication. If you’re tempted, what should you check before taking the plunge? One of the many contradictions of the classic car world is that the earlier and lessdeveloped a model it is, the more desirable it seems to be to enthusiasts. That’s especially true of the DB4, DB5 and DB6 ranges which, although distinct types in their own right, are all clearly closely related on Aston Martin’s evolutionary path. The three machines share a commonality of styling and mechanical layout plus, of course, awesome performance and seductive glamour, which echoes down from the first DB4 of 1958…

It’s commonly assumed that the Vantage’s V12 engine is simply two Ford V6s joined together. And although it’s true that the first cutaway display units were created by hand welding two Ford blocks together, the production version was a fully developed powerplant. A useful cost saving was achieved by sharing the piston and valvetrain assemblies with the 3.0-litre Ford Duratec, but the design used an entirely new block, crankshaft and cylinder heads. Where the Duratec block and heads are made from A319 cast aluminium, the Aston engine is A365-T6 aluminium and runs 3mm larger main bearings, with a 15mm shallower offset between the banks. The heads meanwhile use bespoke combustion chambers, a higher compression ratio at 10.3:1 and different intake ports. It’s also popularly assumed that the engine was developed…

DB11 VOLANTE The Aston Martin DB11 is a car that makes you feel like an A-list movie star. The drop-top sister to the DB11 coupe must, of course, be driven everywhere roof-down, with sunglasses on, and as a result you’ll be even more aware of all the people stopping and staring at you. Don’t bother with years of acting classes; simply get one of these instead. That’s the Aston Martin effect. Some sneer at Ferraris, Lamborghinis can be loutish and Porsches are ten-a-penny in places. An Aston Martin is still the supercar that people love – and this DB11 Volante convertible is one of the most attention-grabbing models of recent times. It also comes, of course, with the Mercedes-AMG V8 engine, a unit that Aston Martin considered ideal, enabling it…

Ian Fleming wasn’t exactly precise when it came to the cars used in the literary Goldfinger. Tilly Masterson’s Triumph TR3 was clear enough, as was the evil Auric’s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, replete with canary yellow bodywork and riveted armour plating made of solid white gold. But Bond’s own car was different. He was offered a choice of two cars, neither of which is clear by the form noted in print. He eschewed the Jaguar 3.4 from the motor pool for an Aston Martin DB3, complete with minor gadgets including a sonar tracker. But the DB3 didn’t exist – at least, not as a production model. And while it would be amusing to think of Bond tearing through Northern France and Switzerland in a DB3S Le Mans car, the truth is…

When it was announced at the start of 2020 that Lawrence Stroll had bought a 25% stake of Aston Martin, the doors to top-level motorsport were flung open wide. It wasn’t the Canadian’s first rodeo, after all. His money had come through high-end fashion brands such as Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, but his life was already dedicated to an automotive passion which seemed to inflate as much as his billions in the bank. A Ferrari fan, he used to own the main Ferrari dealer in Canada, based in Quebec – the now 62-year-old has a collection of race Italian machines which is reported to be worth up to £140 million. He also owns and operates the challenging Mont Tremblant circuit in his homeland too. Allied to that existing passion,…

Revealed at the assembly plant at Gaydon, the AMR22 commemorates the centenary of the marque’s first Grand Prix. In attendance were three of the newest high performance road models in the Aston Martin range. The DBX707 was on show alongside the Valkyrie AMR Pro and the plug-in hybrid Valhalla. Data from the last season suggests that brand awareness has grown since Aston Martin re-entered the Formula 1 arena, and website traffic increased by 15% on race weekends when compared with non race weekends. This increased to 25% on weekends where Aston Martin Lagonda supplied the Official Safety & Medical Car of Formula One®, with the Vantage enjoying global exposure during the dramatic season finale in Abu Dhabi. Social media benefited too, with the company’s announcement of the Aston Martin Cognizant…

“Back in the real world, the 535bhp Vantage F1 Edition is a serious supercar, a rival for the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 Turbo” As one of Formula 1’s official safety cars, this Aston Martin was designed to hold up traffic. You’ll have seen it on Sunday afternoons, orange lights ablaze, leading Messrs Hamilton, Verstappen and Bottas in steady single file while an incident is cleared. It seems apt, then, to be driving at Silverstone, acting as a rolling roadblock for something far faster. Once again, the Vantage F1 Edition is the slowest car on the track. In fairness, even a pukka F1 car might struggle to gain ground on a Valkyrie. Wrapped in red and black camouflage, Aston Martin’s £2.2 million hypercar is undergoing final shakedown tests on the…

Aston Martin may be one of the world’s blue chip sports car brands, but for much of its history the company itself was on fairly shaky financial ground. Indeed, it’s best summed up by ebullient ’80s Aston chairman Victor Gauntlett’s comment, when asked how to make a small fortune out of Aston Martin: “Start with a big one.” A period of relative security began when Ford Motor Company took a 75 per cent stake in the firm in 1987 (later to become full ownership by 1991). But with its tiny volumes, Aston Martin remained a minnow in car manufacturing and lacked the resources to develop all-new models to replace the Lagonda-derived Vantage. Ford went on to acquire Jaguar by early 1990, with both it and Aston Martin eventually being merged…

GTS First off the blocks in the special-edition DB7 race was the GTS, which was produced for Aston Martin Sales of Mayfair in 1996. Based on the straightsix DB7, it featured a vented Zagatostyle double-bulge bonnet, black grille with yellow surround, scuttle panel and window frames, Speedline split rim wheels, sports exhaust and different interior trim. The GTS became the GTSII in 1998, with round-lens Vantage-style rear lights and ‘GTS’ badging on the wheels. Some GTS models were also produced based on the V12 cars. ALFRED DUNHILL The Dunhill edition remains one of the rarest of the special DB7s and was produced in coupe and Volante form in 1998-99. Finished in a special Dunhill Silver, the cars were trimmed in charcoal leather with grey piping and the interior featured brushed…

The small but attractive market town of Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire has three claims to fame. In 1959, it lent its name to the first services to open on Britain’s fledgling motorway network, albeit sharing that honour with Watford Gap a little further up the newborn M1. It’s also the home of Britain’s last remaining vellum manufacturer, William Cowley, which has been family-run in the town since 1870. But eclipsing even the concrete glamour of a Fortes dinner by the M1 or traditional parchment production is the main reason why Newport Pagnell has become internationally renowned. Because, between 1958 and 2007, a somewhat motley collection of buildings of various vintages on the town’s Tickford Street turned out some of the most beautiful and desirable Aston Martins ever, from the DB4…

DB6 (1965-1970) While it’s true to say the DB6 was a predecessor for the DB7, that would be to ignore a gap of 23 years and a whole lot of water under the bridge. And while the DB7 is the cheapest route into Aston ownership, you’ll need much deeper pockets if you want a DB6 on your driveway. Launched in 1965, the DB6 was the first model to be totally engineered at the new works in Newport Pagnell. It carried on the styling traits from its DB4 and DB5 forebears, with the successful 4-litre sixpot engine carried over from the latter, but with a trendy ‘Kamm tail’ rear end to aid high-speed stability and upset the purists. A longer wheelbase and a higher roofline meant space for four proper seats,…

DBX707 will enter full production later this quarter at the ultra-luxury manufacturer’s plant in South Wales, with more than 100 new skilled automotive technicians required to support it. Tobias Moers, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda said: “As we ramp-up production of DBX707, we are delighted to have the opportunity to increase our team at St Athan and create more employment opportunities for the local community. “Our DBX SUV is the first Welsh-built production car for nearly 50 years and these new positions are an opportunity to join a team delivering our truly incredible new DBX707 derivative which is setting new benchmarks for performance in the luxury segment.” Simon Hart, Secretary of State for Wales said: “The creation of more than 100 jobs working with a world-class and globally-recognised…

It also features cross-hatching, inspired by the quilted upholstery found in many of the marque’s products. Three counters grace the dial, including two chronograph registers and a seconds display. There is an octagonal bezel, honouring the Laureato of 1975. Its satin finished and polished edges collaborate, creating a wonderful play with light. Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, added: ‘As Aston Martin and Girard-Perregaux strengthen our partnership, the same is happening with our common design ethos, geared towards discreet luxury. Evidence of it continues to appear in subtle touches throughout the watch, for instance, in its partially openworked hour and minute hands, which have been purposely designed to evoke thoughts of racing cars, eschewing extraneous material to deliver superior performance. Likewise, the central chronograph seconds…

HOW TO BUY YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 1. DIGITAL EDITION: shop.kelsey.co.uk/AMD OFFER 2. PRINT EDITION: COMPLETE THE ORDER FORM BELOW We may wish to contact you regarding our special offers that we believe would be of relevance to you. Please tick the boxes to tell us all the ways you would prefertohearfromus Email Post Phone Text Message. We will not pass your details onto third party companies. BEST UK DEAL SAVE 25% PAY BY CHEQUE/DEBIT/CREDIT CARD PLEASE SEND COMPLETED FORM TO: Subscriptions, Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL, UK PHONE TOLL FREE FROM USA:1-888-777-0275 (7am-3pm EST) INTERNATIONAL ONLY PLEASE CALL: 0044 (0)1959 543 747 Here at Kelsey Publishing we take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to administer your account…

Italian carrozeria Zagato had enjoyed a long association with Aston Martin from the days of the classic DB cars – and in 2001, a chance meeting between then Aston CEO Ulrich Bez and Andrea Zagato resulted in an agreement to renew that association. Less than a year later, a prototype Zagato-bodied DB7 was displayed at Gieves and Hawkes in Savile Row, with the intention being to produce the car if sufficient orders were received. In the end demand was so high that production was limited to 99 customer cars, with Aston Martin retaining the 100th. Modified DB7 Vantage chassis were shipped from Bloxham to Turin, where the outer panels were added by Zagato and the cars shipped back to the UK. The Zagato cars were noticeably shorter than the regular…