Aston Martin DBS V8

Aston Martin DBS V8

The DBS V8 was the car Aston Martin had been working towards since the mid-1960s. William Towns' more angular, muscular design replaced the flowing lines of the DB6, while under the bonnet Tadek Marek's all-aluminum 5.3-litre V8 — years in development — finally arrived. The DBS body had actually debuted in 1967 with the existing inline-six engine, but the V8 version, launched in 1969, was the definitive car. With Bosch fuel injection producing approximately 315 bhp (Aston Martin coyly never quoted exact figures), the DBS V8 was one of the fastest four-seat cars available, capable of 160 mph. A sophisticated De Dion rear axle provided excellent handling, and the car's wider track and bigger tires gave it a more planted, confident feel than the DB6. Roger Moore drove a DBS V8 (with early DB5-style) in The Persuaders! television series, giving the car glamorous screen exposure. When the DBS V8 was renamed simply 'V8' after David Brown sold the company in 1972, it began an evolution that would continue through to the 1989 V8 Vantage, making this basic design one of the longest-lived in the marque's history.