>>Aston Martin DB3S

Aston Martin DB3S

Aston Martin DB3S

An Aston Martin DB3S, at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2008
Category	Le Mans Racer Sports car racing
Constructor	Aston Martin Lagonda LTD
Designer(s)	Willie Watson, Frank Feely (Body)
Technical specifications
Chassis	Twin-tubular, space frame design, aluminium body, open two seater
Suspension (front)	Torsion bar and trailing arms
Suspension (rear)	Torsion bars, trailing arms, De Dion tube and central slide
Length	12 ft 10 in (3,910 mm)
Width	4 ft 11 in (1,500 mm)
Height	3 ft 5 in (1,040 mm)
Axle track	4 ft 1 in
Wheelbase	7 ft 3 in (2,210 mm)
Engine	Lagonda 2,992 cc Straight six, Twin OHC, (later a twin-plug head), FR Layout, 3 twin-choke Weber 35 DCO carburettors
Transmission	David Brown S430, 4-speed Manual, 9" single clutch
Weight	1,850 lb (840 kg) dry 1,940 lb (880 kg)
Tyres	16 x 6
Competition history
Notable entrants	David Brown
Notable drivers	Tony Brooks,  Reg Parnell,  Roy Salvadori,  Noël Cunningham-Reid,  Carroll Shelby,  Stirling Moss
Debut	1953 24 Hours of Le Mans

The Aston Martin DB3S was a sports racing car built by Aston Martin as a replacement for the heavy and uncompetitive Aston Martin DB3. In total 31 cars were made, with 11 works cars and 20 cars being sold for customer use. The DB3S was introduced in 1953 and it proved somewhat more successful than the Aston Martin DB3. The DB3S was later replaced in 1956 by the DBR1.

Chassis numbers

The 11 works cars had chassis numbers from DB3S/1 to DB3S/11, with the 11th works car never being raced by Aston Martin. The 20 customer cars had three digit chassis numbers, from DB3S/101 to DB3S/120.

Coupé's

Originally two works Aston Martin DB3S fixed head coupé's were made. The change was to make them more aerodynamic than the open top bodied cars. However, they were unstable at high speeds and both crashed at the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans. Both coupé's were then rebuilt as open bodied cars.

Three of the customer cars were also fitted with similar coupé bodies.

Chassis information

Included are a list of victories by each chassis under Aston Martin.

• DB3S/1
  • 1953 Charterhall
  • 1953 British Empire Trophy
  • 1953 Charterhall(2)
  • 1953 Castle Coombe
  • 1954 Silverstone
• DB3S/2
  • 1953 B.A.R.C. Goodwood
• DB3S/3
  • 1954 Silverstone
• DB3S/4
  • 1953 B.R.D.C. Silverstone
  • 1953 Ulster TT Dundrod
• DB3S/5 - Converted from David Brown's road car
  • 1954 B.O.C. Prescott
  • 1955 B.A.R.C. Crystal Palace
  • 1956 B.A.R.C. Goodwood
  • 1956 B.A.R.C. Aintree
  • 1956 B.A.R.C. Aintree(2)
• DB3S/6 - Originally a coupé, rebodied as an open top car.
  • 1955 B.R.D.C. Silverstone
• DB3S/7 - Originally a coupé, rebodied as an open top car.
  • 1955 B.A.R.C. Aintree
  • 1955 Silverstone

An Aston Martin DB3S at Silverstone Classic 2007

• • 1955 B.A.R.C. Goodwood
  • 1956 B.A.R.C. Goodwood
• DB3S/8
  • 1955 Spa Production Sports Car race
  • 1955 Oulton Park
• DB3S/9 - Featured an aerodynamic headrest
  • 1956 Daily Herald International Trophy - Oulton Park 
  • 1958 Australian Tourist Trophy - Mount Panorama, Bathurst 
• DB3S/10 - Featured an aerodynamic headrest
  • None
• DB3S/11 - Not raced under Aston Martin
  • None

>>Aston Martin DB3

Aston Martin DB3

Aston Martin DB3

Aston Martin DB3/5,at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009
Category	Le Mans Racer Sports car racing
Constructor	Aston Martin Lagonda LTD
Designer(s)	Eberan von Eberhorst
Technical specifications
Chassis	Twin-tubular, aluminium body, open two seater
Suspension (front)	Torsion bar and trailing arms
Suspension (rear)	Torsion bars, parallel links, panhard rod, De Dion axle
Length	13 ft 2½ in (4,026 mm)
Width	5 ft 1½ in (1,562 mm)
Height	3 ft 4 in (1,016 mm)
Axle track	4 ft 3 in (1,295 mm)
Wheelbase	7 ft 9 in (2,362 mm)
Engine	Lagonda 2,580 cc/2.9L Straight 6, Twin OHC, FR Layout, 3 twin-choke Weber 36 DCF5 carburettors
Transmission	David Brown S527, 5-speed Manual, later a David Brown S430/63R, 4-speed Manual, 9" single clutch
Tyres	Dunlop 16 x 6
Competition history
Notable entrants	David Brown
Notable drivers	Reg Parnell

The Aston Martin DB3 and later DB3S were racing cars built in the 1950s. Although they used some DB2 parts, they were quite different, being designed especially for racing. The original modifications were done by ex-Auto Union engineer, Eberan von Eberhorst, though others handled the later DB3S work.

DB3

The DB3 was introduced in 1951 with a 133 hp (99 kW) 2.6 L Lagonda straight-6 engine from the DB2 Vantage. The car was unsuccessful, so a larger 2.9 L engine, producing 163 hp (122 kW), was introduced in June 1952. The car was placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at Silverstone May 1952 (in 2.6 ltr form) that year behind a Jaguar C-Type. The cars were forced out of Le Mans, but did claim the 9-hour race at Goodwood.

Chassis numbers

In total 10 DB3's were made between 1951 and 1953, with chassis numbers from DB3/1 to DB3/10. Cars 1 to 5 being used as works cars and cars 6 to 10 being sold as customer cars.

Coupé's

Several Aston Martin DB3's have received coupé style bodies over the years. Pictured left is Aston Martin DB3/7 Coupé at Silverstone Classic 2008

 

DB3S

The DB3S was a lighter version of the car, introduced in 1953. It was somewhat more successful, and was produced until 1956.

Originally two 'works' coupe versions were also built.

The DB3S was replaced in 1956 by the famed DBR1, which finally claimed Le Mans in 1959.

	1952 Aston Martin DB3 Aston Martin DB3 at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009
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>>Aston Martin Bulldog

Aston Martin Bulldog

Bulldog in 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The Aston Martin Bulldog, styled by William Towns, was a one-off testbed vehicle produced by Aston Martin in 1979. Originally, it had been intended to be a limited run of about 25. The code name for the project was DP K9, named after a Doctor Who character. It was built in the UK, but is a left-hand-drive car (UK cars are right-hand-drive). It is very low at 43 inches (1.1 m) high, and sharp, distinctive Trapezium shaped design, features centre-mounted five Hidden headlamps and gull-wing doors. The interior uses digital instrumentation and the rear view is delivered via a television monitor mounted on the center console (a later addition). The Bulldog was powered by a 5.3L twin-turbo V8 delivering 700 bhp (522 kW – other source claims 600 bhp/477 kW) maximum power and 69 kg/mm (500 ft・lb/677 Nm) maximum torque.

The first test drive of the Bulldog came in late 1979 and was a great success. The Bulldog achieved a verified top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h), but the theoretical top speed is estimated at 237 mph (381 km/h). The car was officially launched on 27 March 1980 at the Bell Hotel at Aston Clinton. After the development program was over, Aston Martin sold the only Bulldog to the highest bidder for about £130,000.

The Bulldog spent some time in the United States, but recently surfaced back in Britain, for sale and with a new green paint job (the original exterior colours were silver and light grey). The interior has also been changed from the original dark brown and black to light tan.

The car is currently on sale for $1,300,000

Aston Martin Lagonda

Aston Martin Lagonda

1989 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 4
Manufacturer	Aston Martin
Production	1976–1990
Predecessor	Lagonda Rapide
Successor	Aston Martin Rapide
Class	Grand tourer
Body style	4-door saloon
Layout	FR layout
Engine	5.3 L V8

The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1974 and 1990. A total of 645 were produced. The name was derived from the Lagonda marque that Aston Martin had purchased in 1947. There were two very distinct versions, the short-lived 1974 saloon based on the Aston Martin V8, and the contrasting ultra-modern version in 1976.

History

Aston Martin was facing severe financial pressure in the mid-1970s and needed something to bring in some much-needed funds. Traditionally, Aston Martin had worked on 2+2 sports cars, but the Lagonda was a four-door saloon. As soon as it was introduced, it drew in hundreds of deposits from potential customers, helping Aston Martin's cash reserves.

The car was designed by William Towns in an extreme interpretation of the classic 1970s "folded paper" style. It was as unconventional a design then as it is now. Car enthusiasts are fiercely divided on the car's aesthetic value. The Lagonda combined striking styling with opulent, club-like leather interior, and then-state-of-the-art instrumentation. Coupled to a Chrysler 3-speed "TorqueFlite" automatic transmission its 4-cam carbureted V8 provided poor, often single-digit miles-per-gallon, little improved by the change to fuel-injection in the Series 3.

Throughout the history of the marque, these hand-built Lagondas were amongst the most expensive saloons in the world. The only other "production" cars to approach its lofty price tag were the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Silver Spur and Bentley Mulsanne.

The Lagonda was the first production car in the world to use computer management and a digital instrument panel, although the computers in many of the original cars are failure-prone.The development cost for the electronics alone on the Lagonda came to four times as much as the budget for the whole car. The Series 3 used cathode ray tubes for the instrumentation, which proved even less reliable than the original model's light-emitting diode (LED) display.

It was named by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of the 50 ugliest cars of the last 50 years.

Models

A number of "series" were produced during the lifetime of the Lagonda, the original Series 1, and the wedge shaped Series 2, 3 and 4. A total of 645 cars were produced in the 12 year production run of the wedged shaped version.

Series 1 (1974–1975)

A long-wheelbased, four-door version of the Aston Martin V8 was announced at the 1974 London Motor Show. Designed by William Towns and based on the DBS, it was the first car to wear the Lagonda name since the 1961 Rapide. The 5.3 L V8 engine supplied with a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. Only seven were sold.

Specification

• Engine: 5.3 L 5,340 cc (326 cu in) DOHC V8, producing 280 bhp (209 kW; 284 PS) and torque 301 lb·ft (408 N·m)
• Top speed: 149 mph (240 km/h) and acceleration to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds
• Length: 4,928 mm (194.0 in)
• Wheelbase: 2,910 mm (114.6 in)
• Width: 1,829 mm (72.0 in)
• Height: 1,323 mm (52.1 in)
• Weight: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb)

Series 2 (1976–1985)

Series 2 with pop-up headlamps

A 1982 Series 2 Aston Martin Lagonda interior

The wedge shaped Lagonda V8 saloon was launched in 1976 at the London Motor Show and was a total contrast to the 1974 model, sharing little but the engine. In 1977 the retail price was £32,620.Deliveries of the Lagonda did not commence until 1979. Series 2 cars were originally fitted with digital LED dashboards and touch pad controls, but the innovative steering wheel controls and gas plasma display were abandoned in 1980. The Lagonda retailed at £49,933 in 1980, significantly more than a Ferrari 400 or Maserati Kyalami but less than a Rolls-Royce Corniche.The car commenced sales in the US from 1982 with minor amendments to the front bumper and airdam.

Specification

• Engine: 5.3 L 5,340 cc (326 cu in) DOHC V8, producing 280 bhp (209 kW; 284 PS) @ 5000 rpm and torque 302 lb·ft (409 N·m) @ 3000 rpm
• Top speed: 143 mph (230 km/h) and acceleration to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds
• Length: 5,281 mm (207.9 in)
• Wheelbase: 2,916 mm (114.8 in)
• Width: 1,791 mm (70.5 in)
• Height: 1,302 mm (51.3 in)
• Weight: 2,023 kg (4,460 lb)

Series 3 (1986–1987)

The Series 3 was only produced for one year with 75 models manufactured, and featured fuel injected engines. Originally with cathode ray tube instruments, later versions featured a vacuum fluorescent display system similar to that used by some Vauxhalls and Opels, but externally were the same as the Series 2 model.

Series 4 (1987–1990)

The Series 4 was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1987 and received a significant exterior facelift by the car's original designer William Towns. The car's sharp edges rounded off and the pop-up headlights eliminated, with a new arrangement of triple headlights each side of the grille being the most obvious alteration, along with the removal of the side swage line (or character line) and the introduction of 16-inch wheels. With production of around one car per week, 105 Series 4 Lagondas were manufactured. The last car was produced during January 1990.

81 remain registered in the United Kingdom as of 2011, down only slightly from 94 in 1994, but 32 of the surviving examples are SORN.

Special variants

Roos Engineering's Shooting-brake Lagonda

Non-standard variations of the Lagonda included:

• Tickford Lagonda (1983) -- Five Series 2 Lagondas were sold with a bodykit and upgraded interiors
• Tickford limousine (1984) -- Four long-wheelbase Lagondas were made, at a cost of £110,000 each. On these cars, the rear door window glass was split vertically in half.
• Rapide (a two-door, short-wheelbase version) -- One made, and shared the front triple light design of the Series 4
• Shooting-brake (Estate), by Swiss company Roos Engineering -- One made in 1998 using a 1987 model

>>Aston Martin Atom

Aston Martin Atom

Aston Martin Atom

Manufacturer	Aston Martin
Production	1939/1944
Class	prototype
Body style	2 door coupe
Layout	FR layout
Engine	2.0 L I4

The Aston Martin Atom is a prototype car, constructed in 1939. Designed by Claude Hill, the body was aluminium over a tubular steel frame, and a marked change in design from previous cars. It was originally powered by a model 15/98 engine, but subsequently upgraded after the war with a 2-litre engine in 1944. Apparently, after driving the Atom in 1947, David Brown was decided to buy the Aston Martin company.

The car currently resides at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.

>>Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin Rapide

Manufacturer	Aston Martin
Production	2010–present
Assembly	Graz, Austria (Magna Steyr)
Predecessor	Aston Martin Lagonda
Class	Grand tourer
Body style	4-door hatchback/liftback
Layout	FR layout
Platform	Aston Martin AM VH platform
Engine	6.0 L V12
Transmission	6-speed automatic
Wheelbase	117.7 in (2,990 mm)
Length	197.6 in (5,019 mm)
Width	75.9 in (1,928 mm)
Height	53.5 in (1,359 mm)
Curb weight	1,950 kg (4,299 lb)

Aston Martin Rapide

The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin introduced in early 2010. It was first presented as a concept car at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in 2006. The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car produced by Lagonda, now part of Aston Martin. The car is based on an Aston Martin DB9. The base price for the Aston Martin Rapide is $199,950 (USD) and the first cars were rolled out in May 2010.

The Rapide is built at a dedicated plant at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria. Production began in 2010 and the factory plans to build 2,000 per year. The concept car version featured a full-length glass roof and LED light bars on the rear end, two firsts for Aston Martin. The glass roof was not carried through to production.

It is the spiritual successor to the Aston Martin Lagonda, the company's previous four-door saloon, which was discontinued in 1989 — 21 years before the Rapide's launch.

For luxury and convenience, the Rapide's standard features include a tilt-telescoping steering wheel, bi-xenon headlamps and LED taillamps. Leather and walnut trim are standard, with metallic accents; power front seats with memory, cooling and heating; Bluetooth; satellite radio (US version only); and USB and iPod connectivity. The Rapide comes, as standard, with a Bang & Olufsen 16 speaker sound system with two that rise from the dashboard on activation of the system. The production version of the Rapide was shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Specifications

• Unit price: $199,950 (USD)
• Engine: 6.0 L V12
• Power: 470 bhp (350 kW; 477 PS)
• Torque: 443 lbf·ft (601 N·m)
• Transmission: Six-speed Touchtronic automatic
• Drivetrain: RWD
• 0-100 km/h (62 mph): 5.3 seconds
• 0-60 mph (97 km/h): 5.0 seconds
• Top speed: 188.5 mph (303 km/h)

Production

Aston Martin opted to end production by sub-contractor Magna Steyr in the middle of 2012, six years earlier than expected. Production of the car was also halted temporarily in May 2011. In the face of a diminishing market for luxury sedans, and to match output to shrinking sales, Aston Martin has to cut annual production from 2,000 to 1,250 in June 2011 - and may go as low as 500 annually.

Motorsports

A Rapide was entered in the 2010 24 Hours Nürburgring. Drivers included Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez. It finished second in the SP 8 class.

Media

	2010 Aston Martin Rapide road car 2010 Aston Martin Rapide racing car
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>>Aston Martin One-77

Aston Martin One-77

Aston Martin One-77

Aston Martin One-77 pictured at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Manufacturer	Aston Martin
Production	2009 77 (planned)
Assembly	Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Body style	2-door coupé
Layout	FR layout
Engine	7.3 L V12 750 bhp (760 PS, 559 kw) 750 Nm (553 lb ft)
Transmission	6-speed automated manual
Kerb weight	1,630 kg (3,594 lb)
Designer	Marek Reichman

The Aston Martin One-77 is a two-door coupé built by Aston Martin.

It first appeared at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, although the car remained mostly covered by a "Savile Row tailored skirt" throughout the show,before being fully revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

There was a limited run of 77 units (hence the name of the model) as delivery started in October 2010.

Car details

Prior to the One-77's Paris Motor Show debut, various details about the car had been leaked,but official specifications were not fully revealed until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

The One-77 will feature a full carbon fibre monocoque chassis, a handcrafted aluminium body, and a naturally aspirated 7.3 litre V12 engine with 750 hp (560 kW). Aston Martin claims that this will be the most powerful naturally aspirated production engine in the world when the car is delivered.

The car will also use a strengthened version of the DB9's 6-speed automated manual transmission and height-adjustable pushrod suspension coupled with dynamic stability control. It will feature Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) and Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes.

The top speed was estimated to be 200 mph (320 km/h) but actual tests in December 2009 showed a figure of 222 mph (357 km/h),with a 0–60 mph time of approximately 3.5 seconds.

The engineering and build source of the carbon chassis and suspension system is contracted to Multimatic of Canada.

The projected weight is 1,500 kg (3,307 lb).

It was announced on 28 May of 2012 that one of the 77 units of the car has crashed on Hong-Kong.

Speculative pricing

Rear view of a One-77, pictured in London

Due to the lack of details from Aston Martin, many automotive publications have speculated on the final pricing of the car. While estimates vary, all expect the price to exceed a million pounds (sterling).

According to the website 925.nl, the One-77 will cost approximately £1,050,000. However, the Australian newspaper The Courier-Mail expects it to be priced at around AU$2.6 million,$800,000 of which is tax and import duty.

According to British magazine Top Gear, the car's price will be £1,200,000, while the American magazine Robb Report  expects it to be priced at US$1,700,000. In India, the car is expected to be priced at Rs 200 million or approximately $4.4 million.

Accolades

Side view of a One-77, pictured in London.

The Aston Martin One-77 has been awarded with several internationally renowned design awards including the Concorso d’Eleganza Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes, the GOOD DESIGN award by The Chicago Athenauem: Museum of Architecture and Design in North America and the "Best Design" award by the UK motoring magazine Auto Express.and many others.

In video games

The One-77 appears in a variety of video games including Forza Motorsport 3 and Forza Motorsport 4, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit in both factory form and in police livery, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline and it is featured on the cover art for Asphalt 3D. It also appears as the antagonists car in Need for Speed: The Run.