Aston Martin V8
Encyclopedia
The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door coupé
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 I6 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-6 Vantage
in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for two decades. It was retired in favour of the Virage
in 1989.
). 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
. 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 5.3 L (5340 cc/325 in³) and used Bosch
fuel injection
. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.9 seconds and had a top speed of nearly 160 mph (257 km/h). 402 DBSV8s were built.
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.
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 camshaft
s 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.
", while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler
"Torqueflite" 3-speed automatic transmission
, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4
of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985.
. The compact Weber
/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989.
's car (a series 4 model registered "B549 WUU") in the 1987 film, The Living Daylights
(the first of the two films starring Timothy Dalton
) can cause some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is an 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, ski
s, lasers, and missile
s. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.http://www.astonmartins.com/v8/007_v8.htm
http://www.jamesbondmm.co.uk/vehicles/aston-martin-v8
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
'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
Aston Martin DBS
The Aston Martin DBS is a GT car produced by the British manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda Limited. Originally produced from 1967–72, it featured in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service...
with the I6 Vantage engine from the DB6
Aston Martin DB6
The Aston Martin DB6 is a grand tourer made by British car manufacturer Aston Martin. Produced from September 1965 to January 1971, the DB6 had the longest production run up to that date of any Aston Martin model...
. Two years later, Tadek Marek
Tadek Marek
Tadeusz "Tadek" Marek was a Polish automobile engineer, known for his Aston Martin engines.Marek was from Krakow.He raced and won with a Chevrolet Master sedan in the XII Rally Poland before moving to Great Britain...
's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-6 Vantage
Aston Martin Vantage
Aston Martin has used the Vantage name on a number of vehicles, normally indicating a high-performance version of another model. In one case, during 1972–1973, the Vantage was a distinct model, being a straight-6 powered version of the DBS, a car that had been launched as a straight-6 but was by...
in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for two decades. It was retired in favour of the Virage
Aston Martin Virage
The Virage was Aston Martin's replacement for the decades-old V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and the name of the standard car was changed to V8 in 1996....
in 1989.
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 MustangFord Mustang (first generation)
The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year...
). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam and lack of wire wheels
Wire wheels
The rims of wire wheels are connected to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are generally stiffer than a typical wire rope, they function mechanically the same as tensioned flexible wires, keeping the rim true while supporting applied loads.Wire wheels are used on most bicycles and...
, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter
Hillman Hunter
Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group from 1966 to 1979. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from future owner Chrysler...
.
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
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
. 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 5.3 L (5340 cc/325 in³) and used Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.9 seconds and had a top speed of nearly 160 mph (257 km/h). 402 DBSV8s were built.
A DBS V8 was to be used by Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
in the television show, The Persuaders!
The Persuaders!
The Persuaders! is a 1971 action/adventure series, produced by ITC Entertainment for initial broadcast on ITV and ABC. It has been called "the last major entry in the cycle of adventure series that had begun eleven years earlier with Danger Man in 1960", as well as "the most ambitious and most...
However, no V8 car was ready, so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 for use in the show.
V8
Aston Martin Vantage
Aston Martin has used the Vantage name on a number of vehicles, normally indicating a high-performance version of another model. In one case, during 1972–1973, the Vantage was a distinct model, being a straight-6 powered version of the DBS, a car that had been launched as a straight-6 but was by...
in production. Although David Brown
David Brown (entrepreneur)
Sir David Brown was an English entrepreneur, managing director of his family firm David Brown Limited and one time owner of shipbuilders Vosper Thornycroft and automobile manufacturer Aston Martin....
had left the company, he had overseen development of this model.
AM V8
The V8 became known as the AM V8. Visual differences included twin quartz headlights and a mesh grille. AM V8 cars, produced from 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built.Series 3
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 WeberWeber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
or 5.7 with a manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful "Stage 1" engine with new camshaft
Camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...
s 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.
Series 4 ("Oscar India")
The "Oscar India" specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed "power bulgePower bulge
A power bulge is a raised part of the hood of a car. The reason for a power bulge is to fit for instance a large engine or air filters that otherwise would not fit. Sometimes a power bulge is used to be able to fit a larger engine into a car that originally was not designed for it or it may be a...
", while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
"Torqueflite" 3-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4
Aston Martin DB2/4
The DB2/4 is a grand tourer sold by Aston Martin from 1953 through 1957. It was based on the DB2 it replaced, available as a Drophead coupe and 2+2 hatchback well ahead of the times. Other changes included a wraparound windscreen, larger bumpers, and repositioned headlights...
of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985.
Series 5
The fuel injected Series 5 cars were introduced in 1986 at the New York International Auto ShowNew York International Auto Show
The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in New York City in late March or early April. It is usually held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Sunday after Easter...
. The compact Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989.
| Engine | 5340 cc |
| Horsepower | 380 |
| Acceleration 0–60 mph | 5,2 |
| Speed | 168 mph |
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
James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
's car (a series 4 model registered "B549 WUU") in the 1987 film, The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights is the fifteenth entry in the James Bond series and the first to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent 007. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story, "The Living Daylights"...
(the first of the two films starring Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
) can cause some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is an V8 Volante
Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977)
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage was hailed at its 1977 introduction as "Britain's First Supercar" for its top speed. Its engine was shared with the Lagonda, but it used high-performance camshafts, increased compression ratio, larger inlet valves and bigger carburettors mounted on new manifolds for...
(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, ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
s, lasers, and missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.http://www.astonmartins.com/v8/007_v8.htm
http://www.jamesbondmm.co.uk/vehicles/aston-martin-v8