Description
I. History of the model In 1972, the Aston Martin acquisition by Company Developments was accompanied by a name change for the V8-powered cars: the DBS V8 disappeared and the V8 made its appearance. This new Series 2 could be easily distinguished by its refreshed front end, which now had two headlights instead of four and recalled the look of the old six-cylinder DBs. Electronic ignition and air conditioning were now standard. When launched in 1969, the Aston Martin DBS V8 possessed an estimated power of 345 bhp from its 5, 340 cm3 eight‑cylinder injection engine and could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/ h in under 6. 3 seconds, with a top speed of 260 km/ h, a staggering performance for the era and fully justifying the claim that it was the fastest production car in the world, the first British Supercar. Large and heavy as it was, the V8 was four-seater and could square up to and easily outpace the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari 512BB. To propel the Aston V8 into the supercar league, a version of the existing 5, 340 cm3 engine was mated to a quartet of Weber carburettors. In the Rolls-Royce manner, the factory chose not to disclose the true power, merely stating that the power was “adequate”. II. Our example Our example is said to be a Pre‑Series or Prototype ‘10500’ from Aston Martin in its V8 Sports Saloon version, also called DBS, Series 2. The first production chassis was ‘10501’. The example is documented by the factory archives, notably by an original letter dated 18 April 2002 and a copy of Roger Stowers’s original logbook, a Historian and Archivist known to Aston Martin. This example is a significant model in Aston Martin’s history. Announced in 1972, the simple “V8” marked the end of the David Brown era, although, as they were stock, 17 sets of DBSV8 badges were used up to chassis V8/ 10519/ RCA. Under the bonnet, the cam covers were branded “Aston Martin Lagonda”. These are present on the model shown. The logbook states that Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd would be the first owner of the car from June 1972 to 1975. In April 1975, it was sold to the first owner outside the factory under registration number ‘JNW 398K’, Michael Walsh. The original colour of the car was Bahama Yellow. In 1999, Mr. Leon Smith acquired it. It was then registered in England. In 2002 and 2003, the bodywork and paint had received particular attention to bring it back to its former state before this collection custodian decided to move to Portugal in 2005, taking his Aston Martin with him. He would sell it a few years later. The last owner was a marque collector. In 2016, the car was sold in an unrestored state at Bonhams during the “The Aston Martin Works Sale” auction. It was subsequently restored at great expense over four years to reveal its current, absolutely extraordinary condition. The bodywork was restored to a very high standard. The chromes likewise were in perfect order. The mechanicals were completely checked and updated. The engine was tuned on a test bench. It runs very well and is perfectly set up. The upholstery condition can be described as near‑new. The dashboard is in good order and the instrumentation has been overhauled. The wiring loom has also been revised. The running gear has been restored. The car was converted to left-hand drive. This car possesses a substantial paperwork file of maintenance records. The history includes old MoT certificates and tax discs, as well as various invoices from specialists such as Post Vintage Engineers, HWM and Aston Martin Works, among others. KIND REGARDS The DBS left a strong impression, notably in the cult series
