Aston Martin V8

The Aston Martin V8, a handbuilt grand tourer produced in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989, required 1,200 man-hours to finish each car. It began as the DBS V8 in 1969, after the company had released the six-cylinder DBS in 1967 while waiting for Tadek Marek’s V8 engine to be ready. When the straight-six Vantage was dropped in 1973, the restyled DBS V8—renamed simply the Aston Martin V8—became the company’s main model for nearly two decades, until the Virage replaced it in 1989.

DBS V8

The DBS V8, built from 1969 through 1972, shared its body and name with the six-cylinder DBS but sold for much more. Its squared-off grille and four headlights were a modern take on the traditional Aston Martin look, with designer William Towns admitting the rear quarters were borrowed from the early Ford Mustang. The V8 model featured a larger front air dam, low-profile 225/70VR15 tires on alloy wheels, and taillights from the Hillman Hunter. A road test at the time noted a 250-pound weight gain over the six-cylinder version, despite Aston Martin’s claim that the V8 engine weighed only 30 pounds more; the extra heft came from heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tires, a stronger ZF gearbox, and additional bodywork under the front bumper.

Marek’s 5,340 cc V8 used Bosch fuel injection, with output estimated around 315 hp. The DBS V8 reached 62 mph in 7.1 seconds and topped 242 km/h. Only 402 were built. A DBS V8 was planned for Roger Moore’s character in The Persuaders!, but no V8 car was available, so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like one.

DBS V8 by Ogle Design

In 1972, Ogle Design introduced a special DBS V8 at the Montreal Motor Show. Two cars were commissioned by tobacco company W.O. Wills to promote a new cigarette brand: a show car and a road-going car. A third replica was built for a private buyer.

AM V8

In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 when the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving only this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production. This model, later called the Series 2 or AM V8, ran from May 1972 to July 1973.

It had twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design that lasted until 1989. The engine was similar to the DBS V8’s but used Bosch fuel injection instead of carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built, with the first 34 still carrying leftover “DBS V8” badging.