The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door coupe-type automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.
Aston Martin's customers had been clamouring for an eight-cylinder car for years, so Aston Martin designed a larger 2-door saloon for V8 applications. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-6 Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the 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 (though some consider the styling derivative of the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. 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-6.[2] 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.[
A DBS V8 was to be used by Roger Moore in the television show, The Persuaders!. However, no V8 car was ready, so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 for use in the show.
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 Vantage in production. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model.
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's car ("B549 WUU") in the 1987 film, The Living Daylights (the first of the two films starring Timothy Dalton) is somewhat confusing. At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Vantage Volante (convertible), complete with Vantage badges. The actual car used in these scenes was a preproduction Vantage Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is supposedly fitted with a hardtop ("winterised") at Q Branch.
Series 2
The V8 became known as the Series 2. Visual differences included twin quartz headlights and a mesh grille. Series 2 cars, produced from 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built.
The car switched back to carburettors for Series 3 in 1973. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW) 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) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful "Stage 1" engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it back up to 304 hp (227 kW).
Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time.
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