Aston Martin · 1969–1989

Aston Martin V8

The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt, each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish. Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Aston Martin DBS · Successor: Aston Martin DB7|Aston Martin Virage

All Aston Martin V8 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

DBS V8

From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were "borrowed" from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, it was the first Aston Martin to fit low profile tyres with its 225/70VR15 rubber fitted to alloy wheels - some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloys. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter. A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper. Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show. DBS V8 by Ogle Design. The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were

V8

In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production. AM V8. The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover "DBS V8" badging. Series 3. The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller bonnet scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful "Stage 1" engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS). In Japan, the new catalyzed model's engine was the same as the one sold in the United States. Going on sale in 1977, it met the strict 1976 emissions regulations thanks to the catalytic converter and secondary air injection just after the exhaust valves. Japanese buyers were restricted to the

Production figures

DBS V8: 402 V8 Saloon Series 2: 288 V8 Saloon Series 3: 967 V8 Saloon Series 4: 352 V8 Saloon Series 5: 405 V8 Volante Series 1: 656 V8 Volante Series 2: 245 V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engine V8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engine V8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engine V8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89

James Bond

In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007 now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ("winterised") at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 Saloons with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other "optional extras" such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop. The V8 coupé made a comeback in the James Bond film No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.

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Specifications

name: Aston Martin V8
Manufacturer: Aston Martin
Production: 1969–1989, 4,021 built, (incl. Vantage & Volante)
Assembly: United Kingdom: Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England
Predecessor: Aston Martin DBS V8 (1969–1972)
Successor: Aston Martin Virage
Related: Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin RHAM/1, Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977)
Class: Grand tourer
Body style: 2-door coupé, 2-door convertible
Layout: FR layout
Engine: 5.3 L V8
Wheelbase: 2610 mm
Length: 4585 mm
Width: 1830 mm
Height: 1330 mm
Kerb weight: 1820 kg(approx)
Transmission: 5-speed ZF manual all-synchromesh, 3-speed Chrysler automatic
Designer: William Towns
sp: uk
Top speed: 257 km/h