Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3 i Aston Martin Driver

IF THERE’S one thing I’ve learned after putting my first issue of Aston Martin Driver together it’s that the company’s past can be best described as eventful. Almost going under several times before being saved by brave but generous benefactors (including Sir David Brown in 1947 – see page 54), it’s amazing the company is still with us. Yet not only has it survived but it’s arguably stronger than ever with a large and critically acclaimed range of cars. It even has the confidence to develop limited edition, high performance models such as the V12 Speedster which we put through its paces in the wilds of Scotland (p76). And then there’s the Formula 1 team. Although good results have so far been few and far between, a crack team of…

Affectionately nicknamed ‘Green Pea’, it made its debut at the road circuit of Strasbourg for a 60-lap, 800 km race as one of two Aston Martin entries. Built by founder Lionel Martin following a commission by wealthy young motor racing driver and pioneer Count Louis Zborowski, two cars – TT1 and TT2 – were originally intended for the 1922 Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) event, but a delay saw them instead make the marque’s international racing debut at the French Grand Prix on the 15 July 1922, with Zborowski piloting TT1. Said Vettel, “It was an incredible honour to drive this car, exactly 100 years on from it last taking to the starting line at the French Grand Prix. “Green Pea holds a very special place in Aston Martin’s…

V8 VANTAGE (2004-2017) IF THERE’S one variety of car that will make your neighbours think that you’ve made it in life, it’s an Aston Martin. With prices for the current range starting in the low six-figure region, you’ll need to be the chairman of a major IT company or a lottery winner to be able to afford one. Then there’s the classic examples whose values are usually telephone number big. When it comes to later models, there is a middle ground, though; the first generation of Vantage. Arriving in 2004, they’ve been around long enough to depreciate heavily but not long enough for them to be seen as highly valuable classics. The critics praised its handsome yet compact design and almost two decades later it still looks contemporary, not ageing…

THERE ARE some important individual cars that represent the long and varied history of the British automobile industry, cars such as Old Number One, the earliest known MG that was made in 1926, the first production Mini from 1959 or the oldest known Range Rover prototype – the Velar – that was made a year before the model’s 1970 debut. But I’d include another on to that list of luminaries; the red V8 Vantage featured here. Not only as an early prototype is it the first of the breed but with the model often considered to be Britain’s first genuine supercar, it’s just as important as Britain’s first true city car or SUV. Yet unlike the others mentioned earlier, the Vantage wasn’t a new car, far from it. A variation…

ARGUABLY ONE of Aston Martin’s most beautiful cars, which given the company’s history is really saying something, it’s incredible to think that the DB9 was introduced way back in 2003. It was the first car to hail from Aston Martin’s Gaydon plant, with all of its predecessors having rolled out of the Newport Pagnell factory, though the last car from there would lend some of its tech to Aston’s then newcomer. The flagship Vanquish model introduced bonded aluminium and composite construction techniques to the company and the DB9 used a development of this technique that was co-developed with Lotus. Dubbed Aston Martin’s VH (vertical/horizontal) platform (or architecture), versions of this structure would feature under all of Aston Martin’s production models including the Vantage, Virage, DBS, 2012 Vanquish and Rapide, before…

THERE’S BEEN some important models in Aston Martin’s long history; the 1915 ‘Coal Scuttle’ for example which was the original car to bear the name, or the first car under (Sir) David Brown’s ownership, the 2-Litre Sports. Then there’s the first V8 from 1969 and the 1994 DB7 that was the first model to be produced in serious numbers. Yet these pale into insignificance compared to the importance of the DB4 Series V Vantage. Not only did it lay the foundations for the company’s most famous model, but it would influence all future designs. Park a current DB11 next to one and the family resemblance would be obvious. It was also one of the first Astons to be built at Newport Pagnell. “Not only did it lay the foundations for…

Aston reveals DBR22 concept At this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August, Aston Martin unveiled the spectacular DBR22, a V12-engined two-seater coach-built design concept which celebrates the marque’s bloodline of sports racers. Clearly influenced by Aston’s world beating two-seater open-cockpit sportscars of the Fifties such as the DBR1 and DB3S, the DBR22 expresses the same dynamic but with a new take on this compelling theme. The concept showcases a completely new body from Aston Martin’s designers. Its coach-built form is created from a minimal number of body panels to create a more sculpted, muscular presence that results in a smooth and effortless blend of exceptional drama and elegance. A particularly noteworthy feature is the entirely new front grille which incorporates a unique carbon fibre design in place of the…

Created by the manufacturer’s design team in collaboration with acclaimed British art director and graphic designer, Peter Saville, it is the first major update to the marque since 2003 and only the eighth time in Aston Martin’s 109-year history that it has been significantly adjusted. The Aston Martin F1 team featured the new wings on its livery for the French Grand Prix in July. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the brand’s first Grand Prix entry, the team also raced with Aston Martin’s original button logo on the nose of its cars, mirroring the marque featured on its first Grand Prix entries in 1922. Said Peter Saville, “The Aston Martin wings update is a classic example of the necessary evolution of logotypes of provenance. “Subtle but necessary enhancements not only keep…

ALTHOUGH THE William Towns-designed DBS was intended to be a replacement for the DB6 when it arrived in 1967, the two ran concurrently until 1971. Longer, wider and more luxurious than its sibling, the new car still used the same 4.0-litre straight-six as its predecessor which was joined by Aston’s new 5.3-litre V8 in 1969. The DBS was eventually replaced by the updated V8 model in 1972. Despite having starring roles in both the 1969 James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, plus the 1971-1972 British TV show, The Persuaders, the car’s slightly awkward styling has never proved to be quite as popular as the early DB models or the later V8s. This has had a clear impact on the car’s recent values, the straight-six model especially. A very…

JUST AS AMG has come to define faster versions of Mercedes-Benz as the letter M does for BMW, Vantage is the equivalent for Aston Martin. But while the other two are reasonably new monikers, Vantage goes all the way back to 1950 and the first to feature it, the DB2. Even before the car made its official debut at the 1950 New York Motor Show in April, the next three cars that followed what would be the eventual show car on the production line were diverted to Aston’s embryonic Competitions department to be prepared for the toughest test in motor racing; the Le Mans 24 Hours race in France. The 2.6-litre Lagonda-designed engine of all three cars – later registered VMF 63, VMF 64 and VMF 65 – were fitted…

IN LATE 1946, an affluent northern industrialist was browsing The Times when he came upon a small advert. It was scant on detail, stating merely, ‘HIGH CLASS MOTOR BUSINESS, established 25 years; £30,000; net profits last year £4000. – Write Box V.1362, The Times, EC4’, but intriguing enough for him to make further enquiries. He travelled from Yorkshire to London and ultimately decided to make an offer, albeit with an initial bid less than half of the asking price – just £14,000, for he was a Yorkshireman after all. After some further negotiation, the deal was sealed, early in 1947, for £20,000. That high class motor business was, of course, Aston Martin and its new owner was gear and tractor manufacturer David Brown. Over the next quarter of a century,…

IT’S RAINING, heavily, but there’s still a sizeable grin on my face. I don’t care if I’m getting wet, my only concern is that the next town or village has cause to slow me down to a halt, because as long as the V12 Speedster is moving, very little water gets into the cabin. My face is another matter. Scottish rain blast sounds like some sort of facial treatment you’d pay handsomely for at a luxury spa, and it doesn’t come cheap here, with the Aston Martin V12 Speedster starting at £765,000. It’s exclusive, too, with just under 90 being built, and the last time we asked, they had all gone. Why are we here? Why not? Is the most honest answer. Some might mock the V12 Speedster as a…

Delivered to Sir David in January of 1964, the car was built to the highest specification, with a then-new five-speed ZF gearbox, a PowerLok rear axle, chromed wire wheels and a Motorola radio. The factory build sheet, supplied with the car, confirms it was specified in a vibrant Caribbean Pearl, with a Dark Blue interior. It was cherished by Sir David for three years before being acquired by former Aston Martin DB4 GT owner and garage proprietor, John Wilkinson. During Wilkinson’s ownership, maintenance was carried out at Aston Martin in Newport Pagnell, where records confirm a replacement engine block was installed and a newly stamped manufacturer’s identity plate applied in 1969. In 2014, it benefited from a major restoration faithful to its original specifications, which included a rebuild of the…

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BY THE mid-Eighties, Ford had grown into an enormous empire. As one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, it boasted production plants on all continents and sold cars in every country. It also produced an unrivalled array of models. From the popular Fiesta hatchback to the all-conquering F-Series pickup, and the ground-breaking Transit van to a huge range of tractors, there was no market lacking the presence of the famous blue oval. One thing the American giant didn’t have, though, was a great deal of class, especially in the European luxury and sports sector. Although it owned the Lincoln and Mercury brands (the former bought in 1922, the latter created by Edsel Ford in 1938), these were seen as American cars produced for the home market, as was…

ALTHOUGH ASTON Martin has never been far from turmoil, its first post-war car – the 2-Litre Sports – was imbued with its own turbulence. It owed its existence to the one-off, pre-war saloon called the Atom plus the acquisition of a superb new W.O. Bentley-designed straight-six. The Atom was itself created to resolve the dilemma of what sort of cars should be made after the second world war. Its incumbent manager, Gordon Sutherland, had gained control of Aston Martin on behalf of his family, who were its owners and biggest investor, in 1936, after Augustus Bertelli, Sutherland’s opposite number had resigned owing to irreconcilable differences. Ten years earlier, under the newly incumbent Renwick & Bertelli, which established Aston Martin Motors following its purchase of the marque from the Charnwood family,…

FROM THE high detail of its work to the tastefully decorated reception, from the full spray booth to the many beautiful cars it’s currently restoring, after visiting Richards of England’s Lincolnshire premises you’d assume it has been around for some time, perhaps since the Seventies or Eighties. Yet it was actually founded a mere 18 years ago by a then teenager, Paul Richards. Still only 32, he’s quickly built Richards of England into one of the UK’s most established and respected Aston Martin specialists. “It’s a story I should shout about really,” he admits. “A lot of people who don’t know me personally don’t know the story behind the company.” Always interested in cars, Paul started his career by helping at a local bodyshop, while still at school, that unfortunately…