ASTON MARTIN GOLD PORTFOLIO 1948-1971
Looking back over twenty-three years of the DB series Aston Martins, it is quite astonishing to see the differences between the earliest DB1 cars and the final DBS V8s. Those first 1948 cars had 2-litre pushrod engines with just 90bhp, while the last of the DBS models had quad-cam overhead-valve V8s with a displacement of 5.3 litres and a power output of something like four times the 1948 cars. The first DB-series Aston Martins were more overtly sporting machines than the later models, too. Whereas it was only to be expected that a car like the DB2 might be seen in club racing, there was precious little chance of seeing one of the later, heavier, grand touring-oriented monsters, despite their prodigious performance. By the early Seventies, Aston Martin had come to stand for something different - prestige as well as power. Nevertheless, an Aston Martin has always had a distinctive character and, despite regular criticism that the company was producing outmoded dinosaurs of cars, demand among enthusiasts for these high-performance grand tourers has never abated. Nor is it ever likely to, as long as the oil reserves hold up and there are areas in the world where their awesome power can be legitimately unleashed by those lucky enough to be custodians of these works of the motor manufacturer's art. For those lucky few - and for the rest of us who have to be content with reading about the cars very special appeal - this book will be an excellent companion. James Taylor
