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 V8 at a glance
| Produced | 1969–1989 |
|---|---|
| Start | DBS V8 (1969–1972); renamed Aston Martin V8 in April 1972 |
| Engine | Tadek Marek V8, 5,340 cc (5.3 L), Bosch fuel injection; output not officially released, estimates about 315 hp (235 kW) |
| Performance (DBS V8) | 0–100 km/h in 7.1 s; top speed 242 km/h (150 mph) |
| DBS V8 built | 402 |
| Tyres (DBS V8) | 225/70VR15 on alloy wheels, the first Aston with low-profile tyres |
| Replaced by | the Virage in 1989 |
| Build effort | 1,200 man-hours per car |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only (a trusted source), so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Aston Martin V8
Aston Martin wanted to replace the DB6 and had designed a larger, more modern car, but the engine was not ready, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the DB6’s straight-six Vantage engine. Two years later Tadek Marek’s V8 was ready and Aston released the DBS V8. With the end of the straight-six Vantage in 1973 the DBS V8, restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company’s mainstream car for nearly two decades, until it was retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.
DBS V8, 1969–1972
The DBS V8 was Aston’s flagship from 1969 to 1972. Its body, shared with the six-cylinder DBS but sold for much more, was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston 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 were a larger front air dam and 225/70VR15 low-profile tyres on alloy wheels; the tail lights came from the Hillman Hunter.
A road test of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) with the V8 compared to the six-cylinder unit, although the maker said the engine weighed only 30 lb more; the rest came from heavier ventilated discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a stronger ZF gearbox and extra bodywork under the front bumper. The 5,340 cc V8 used Bosch fuel injection, and 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned for Roger Moore’s character Brett Sinclair in the TV show The Persuaders!, but none was available at the time, so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8.
DBS V8 by Ogle Design
The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. Two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W. D. & H. O. Wills to promote a new premium brand of cigarettes: a show car and a road-going car; a third “replica” was commissioned by a private party.
V8, from 1972
In April 1972 the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8, as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production. Later known retroactively as the Series 2 V8 or AM V8, it had twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design that was to last for the rest of the model’s production.
Design and features
- Engine: Tadek Marek’s 5.3 L V8.
- Construction: entirely handbuilt, with 1,200 man-hours per car.
- Body style: a squared-off grille and four headlights on the DBS V8, later twin halogen lights and a mesh grille.
- Gearbox: a new and stronger ZF unit on the DBS V8.
Aston Martin V8 versions
- DBS V8 (1969–1972): 402 built.
- DBS V8 by Ogle Design (1972): two promotional cars and a replica.
- V8 Series 2 / AM V8 (from 1972): the restyled car.
More Aston Martin cars are in our Aston Martin collection, for example the DB6 it replaced, the DBS and the Virage that followed.
Aston Martin V8 questions and answers
When was the Aston Martin V8 built?
From 1969 to 1989, starting as the DBS V8.
What engine did it use?
Tadek Marek’s 5,340 cc V8 with Bosch fuel injection.
How fast was the DBS V8?
About 150 mph, with 0–100 km/h in 7.1 seconds.
How many DBS V8 were built?
402.
What replaced the V8?
The Virage in 1989.
Sources
- Aston Martin V8, English Wikipedia: DBS V8, V8 and production history
