Bespoke, bonkers, brilliant! We are excited and...
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By Steve Wakefield
Motoring Journalist
Imagine the scene. It’s 1970, two well-heeled playboys make a wager after late night games of backgammon somewhere on the French or Italian Riviera had resulted in a draw. Rather than a toss of the coin, the match would be settled on whose car is fastest. The duel will be held early one morning, a simple drag race to 100mph and onwards. Winner takes all. One of the men is British, the other Italian. Both are fiercely patriotic, known for their love of fast cars and drive the most potent high-performance machinery their countries produce. ‘Brett’, let’s call the Brit, is at the wheel of an Aston Martin DBSV8, the first fuel-injected, four-headlamp car and naturally it’s a 5-speed manual. 'Daniele’ (Ciao Dani! as the girls liked to say) has chosen a multi-cylindered exotic from Emilia-Romagna, the spiritual home of Italian supercars.
Come the day of the challenge, Daniele would have needed to have pulled his Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ out of the underground garage in Monaco to have stood any chance of beating Brett. And, even then, the race would have been down to the wire. Had he driven his new Lamborghini Miura P400S, the world’s first supercar, a far lighter, strictly two-seater with a four-cam 370bhp V12 mounted amidships, impossible to beat outside a night club, he would be struggling. Autocar tested both cars and recorded a 6.0sec 0-60mph time for the Aston. The Miura’s was 6.7. Pressing pedal to the metal, 100mph came up in 14.7sec in the DBSV8, 15.1sec in the Lamborghini, while the British car topped out at a solid 162mph vs. a scary 172mph. The latter figure was likely achieved by a special test car with small canard fins on the front to keep the nose down. Maserati’s Bora (6.5sec; 15.3sec; 162mph) and its genuine rival to the DBSV8 Indy (7.5sec; 17.6sec; 156mph) would be trounced in such a duel.
Only the front-engined powerhouse from Maranello, of all the cars the only one raced at the top level, had the wallop to best Newport Pagnell’s finest: 352bhp (DIN) at 7,500rpm. That, and a weight of 31.5cwt against the Aston’s 34cwt made a difference. Just: the Ferrari was a touch quicker, a 0-60mph of 5.4sec, 100mph in 12.0sec and a genuine maximum of 174mph. Michael Bowler’s superb 1985 book ‘Aston Martin V8’ states a 1970 Motor road test DBSV8 produced 338bhp at 5,500rpm. So, rather than the ‘gentleman’s club on wheels’ of legend, an early manual DBSV8 is something of a rocketship, by some way the fastest Aston Martin until the V8 Vantage appeared in 1977 and boasting performance not so far off that of the newer car.
The story of its development, though, is a long and sometimes painful one. Bowler’s book takes 135 pages before announcing that the “DBSV8 was finally launched in September 1969”. Tadek Marek had started work on an all-alloy, 90deg four-OHC V8 in 1963. The engine was mooted for the Project Cars but finally saw its racing debut at the Nürburgring in 1967 in the back of John Surtees’ Lola T70 sports-racer. An entry of two dark green, with white ‘arrow’ stripes T70s at Le Mans that year was a disaster. But lessons were learnt on the circuits, and the engine that emerged from those trying days turned out to be a solid masterpiece that lasted to the final days of Newport Pagnell in the late 1990s.
With delays in the V8, its eventual home, William Towns’ classic DBS, was first launched in 1967 with Aston’s regular straight-six. Two years later, the DBSV8 was finally made available. Its 5,340cc engine was fuel-injected, by Bosch, and the system promised power with economy and clean emissions for the North American market. For reasons of speed of development, Aston chose a tried-and tested mechanical system from the German experts rather than persisting with the home-grown AE-Brico electronic set-up used on the DB6. It’s ironic, therefore, that on the DBSV8’s demise, thanks to emissions issues its replacement once again went back to Weber carbs, dropped at least 20bhp and could hardly crack 155mph.
Sir David Brown kept an eagle eye on the development of the DBSV8, putting many testing miles on prototypes and it personified his concept of a GT car: fast, elegant, roomy, comfortable and practical. Had it been released a couple of years earlier it would have found just as much fame as a ‘David Brown Aston Martin’ as the legendary DB5. Every development, however small, was put in front of The Guv’nor for road-testing and sign-off. And the V8 version had many modifications over its six-cylinder relation. The power and torque of the new engine required solid alloy wheels of an attractive, in-house design that not only saved weight and could cope with increased performance, they also vented air from uprated, now ventilated Girling discs. As standard, the new car was fitted with state-of-the-art Pirelli Cinturato GR70VR15 tyres, 8in wide on 7in rims, similar to those fitted to Italian supercars.
While a Chrysler Torqueflite 3-speed automatic was a no-cost option, keen drivers chose the new ZF 5-speed from Germany. ‘Dog leg’ first took some getting used to (as we found in our road test), but it was a fine unit well-suited to the car, with sporty ratios intended to get the most out of the new engine. On a closed section of the M4 motorway, a pre-production version achieved a maximum of 160.1mph at 6,200rpm in 5th, stable thanks to the unobtrusive matt black spoiler under the front bumper and broad chromed grille. Compared with the DBS as a six-cylinder, the V8 version was nearly 20mph faster flat out. A limited-slip differential was standard. The steering and suspension feel of the 5-speed version differed in many ways to the automatic – like so many cars that followed right up to the DBS’s namesake in the 2010s, a manual Aston Martin is always a very different machine.
A total of 404 DBSV8s were sold until production stopped in May 1972. Thanks to research by Aston Martin Heritage Trust Registrar Tim Cottingham, it can be confirmed that 311 of these were right-hand drive. Manual is rarer: 182 manuals vs. 221 autos with one still unknown. The colours were the typical palette of the day, though most buyers preferred blues, with Silver Birch perhaps unsurprisingly the single most popular individual shade. Platinum (white), the car you see here, was bought by only 14 customers. As to numbers of survivors, Tim believes around half, 200 or so, with 74 marked down as definitely ‘lost’. At £7,501 with purchase tax in 1970 it was an expensive car, though less than the imported Miura (762 cars in total, £10,680 for an S in 1970), Bora (564 at £9,832) and Daytona (1,412 at £9,572).
So how does the fuel-injected DBSV8 measure up 50 years on? This 1970 example was in well-restored, but totally standard specification; all sorts of electrickery in the form of new ECUs can be visited on these cars today to make them very fast indeed. This one was just very fast. With Nick riding alongside me we took the car for a blast up the mainly empty dual carriageway near Essendonbury Farm.
Like all Astons, the cockpit is comfortable and roomy. Some of the switchgear and trim is from the “Now haven’t we met before?” era of parts-bin sourcing, but the plethora of Fiat and Alfa Romeo components on its rivals proves Newport Pagnell was in a similar place parts-wise to Modena, Sant’Agata and Maranello. The seat is comfortable and surprisingly supportive. You can see out, and soon gain an idea of its extremities, which is more than you can say for a Miura.
No choke or pedal pumping, the car just starts. Selecting first gear is a knack – “Just use the palm of your hand to guide it, don’t grip the lever,” says Nick – and we’re off. The accelerator pedal has a long travel, a function of the mechanical fuel-injection, but fully depressed the car rushes forward in one long pull of acceleration. I wasn’t expecting that. And thanks to the manual ’box and totally ‘right’ gearing, that happens in third and fourth, too. Up to and only just beyond socially acceptable speeds on today’s roads this is a very fast Aston able to despatch most following cars with ease. Nick regales me with stories from the 1980s of serious runs in these cars, to Bristol from London on the M4, or one occasion when he joined a convoy including a Ferrari Boxer on a spirited drive back from Brands Hatch to the West End. His DBSV8 was right up there.
The braking is a little 1970s and requires some forward thinking, but the steering, handling and ride are superb, matching the effortless thrust of the motor at full revs. The chassis comes across, as it should do after so much work, ‘tight’, with a lot of feedback from the wheel and the big tyres that feel just right for the car, both in the period sense and the way they help the suspension. I can say I was not expecting this – it’s all a far cry from the waft and ease of later automatic V8 Saloons and Volantes, however comfortable to drive: a genuinely fast 1970s supercar.
So, back to that imaginary wager – having driven Nick and Neals’s superb example, I’m putting my money on white.
The car pictured, 5-speed manual chassis 10021/RC, was sold in 2019. It was delivered in June 1970 directly from Aston Martin to Hampshire resident and businessman Robert Macdonald-Hall. Factory extras included Coolair air-conditioning, a £385-with-tax option, and it was ordered in Platinum with mid-blue hide. Having covered some 55,000 miles from new, the car was carefully laid up before a comprehensive restoration 2016-2019 for its most recent and only third owner. While the body was stripped back to bare metal and all mechanical parts rebuilt, the leather interior was just carefully reconditioned to keep its originality, with new Wilton carpet the sole variation from as-delivered in 1970.
By Neal Garrard
Commercial Director at Nicholas Mee
While interest in the 1969-1990 V8 generation of Aston Martins remains buoyant, in recent years the DBSV8 has lagged behind. Indeed, we have had very few for sale in the showroom over the last ten years. I would put that down to the fact that until recent times there have not been enough examples available of the right quality. Not so long ago a DBSV8 was less than £10,000, with the majority of cars at that level ‘sold as seen’ at auctions. At the same time, the price of a late-80s V8 Vantage was closer to £100,000. As a result, too many cars never received sufficient servicing and maintenance. If restorations had been carried out, the quality of work was generally not of the standard expected by today’s discerning buyer.
However, we are now seeing DBSV8s that have been through a full restoration process by recognised marque specialists, with good cars now available in fully restored condition. These appeal to the type of client we meet in our showroom today who wants an ‘on the button’ car ready to be enjoyed as it was designed, and in a cosmetic condition of which they are proud when driving and showing at events. This is having a positive effect on values, as market-watchers report the best quality examples finding new owners at price levels that justify that sort of expenditure.
Another trend worth mentioning, and one that I have experienced on a number of occasions, is customers requesting a car from their birth year. With production of the DBSV8 starting in 1969 and finishing in 1972, that is ideal for a buyer of around 50, close to the average age of our customers. It’s the time in many people’s lives when thoughts turn to a classic car as their 'something for the weekend’.
These factors, combined with the strong performance of the DBSV8 over its 1960s Aston Martin contemporaries, iconic styling with an attractive four-headlight chrome grille and the perception of a ‘value proposition’ compared to best-of-the-best 1980s V8s, all point to an increasing interest in the model. Bearing in mind its comparative rarity, especially factoring in manual gearbox and air-conditioning etc, we envisage an increase in values for years to come.
by Chris Green
Service & Aftercare Manager
These cars are one our favourite Aston Martins. Though, as with any classic of this age and era, things do have the potential to go wrong. That said, with regular maintenance, the DBS has proven to be both stylish and reliable.
In terms of the major components – engines and gearboxes – failures are uncommon. They tend to wear gracefully over the years; run them on fresh fluids and they will repay the investment in spades. The brakes tend to wear lightly during normal usage. However, one fault we do see from time to time is failure of the servos. As with any vehicle, many suspension parts are subject to wear and tear or ageing. Owners should budget for a refresh typically every two to three years, dependant on usage and storage conditions: wishbone bushes, brake reaction bushes and king-pin joints being the main areas of focus. Electrical gremlins can appear, but thankfully these are mostly a result of poor or corroded electrical connections. Obviously, parts will need replacing sometimes, some of which are now obsolete. However, we have a large network of expert sub-contractors, so the overhaul of window-motors, gauges and wiper motors, to name but a few, is straightforward.
As these cars are now ca. 50 years old, we are seeing more examples of chassis corrosion. The same can be said about aluminium body panels and my advice is simple: regular inspections are key and if corrosion is found, act on it immediately. It can often be more cost effective to deal with corrosion in its early stages, before it spreads and the costs increase accordingly.
