Aston Martin: the V8 Legacy : A Detailed History of the DBS, V8, Zagato and Lagonda Models, 1967–1990 – 9781836440116

This book charts the origins, design and development of the most iconic British supercar of the 1970s and 1980s – the Aston Martin V8. It traces the car’s origins from the introductory model of 1967, the DBS, through the various iterations of the V8 versions, and ends with the final models of the range and the spectacular Vantage Zagato. While the car started life with Aston Martin’s ageing six-cylinder engine, it quickly received the engine the car was originally designed for; Aston Martin’s mighty quad cam V8.

The V8 would power the car through the ’70s and ’80s, and with various tweaks and tunes would keep Aston Martin’s reputation as a vendor of fast, high-performance coupés alive through some very troubling times. The book covers the whole family of standard production cars produced by Aston Martin, along with various special versions, including the Ogle-designed ‘Sotheby Special’, the Siva S350 and the ‘Bulldog’ which recently broke the 200mph barrier. Alongside the specials the book also looks at the racing variants, including the Le Mans Lola of 1967, the spectacular V8 production racer run by Robin Hamilton (nicknamed ‘the muncher’ thanks to its spectacular performance meaning it would eat its brakes for breakfast) and the Nimrod, which saw Aston Martin return to Le Mans in the 1980s.

It also looks at the car in film and on the small screen, with James Bond looming large (‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ and ‘The Living Daylights’) and with Roger Moore cavorting about Europe with Tony Curtis in the popular TV series ‘The Persuaders!’ polishing the car’s celebrity credentials. With some 70,000 words and 250+ pictures, many never seen before, this book pays homage to the Aston Martin V8. The V8 was the poster car for the patriotic British teenager of the 1970s and 1980s, providing a glimmer of hope that Britain could produce a world-beating performance car that was the match of Italian exotica and American muscle.

The Aston Martin V8 was that world beater, a car with superlative looks, amazing performance, unparalleled luxury and tough, reliable underpinnings. This book is a heartfelt tribute to the car that kept Aston Martin’s hopes and British automotive dreams alive, a car that is now starting to be recognised for the true British supercar it always has been.