What are the origins of the DBS name ?
Discussion
Back in 66 Touring did a styling exercise based on the db6 chassis. They called it the DBS, it had very positive reviews.
When the DB6 replacement was announceed, they didnt use the touring design but did usen the name (and, perhaps the goodwill) of the DBS name.
https://astonmartins.com/car/dbs-c-by-touring/
When the DB6 replacement was announceed, they didnt use the touring design but did usen the name (and, perhaps the goodwill) of the DBS name.
https://astonmartins.com/car/dbs-c-by-touring/
Going much further back (to 1908), the Brown family business built a car which they named DBS Valveless.
Perhaps it was that name which was revived, during David Brown's ownership of Aston Martin.
' Sir David Brown, the man after whom the DB Series is named, started his professional life in 1921 at age 17 working for the company his grandfather founded, David Brown & Sons. This company, often called by its initials 'DBS', had primarily made gear systems and precision cut gears until 1908 when they developed and produced their first and only automobile, the DBS (David Brown & Sons) Valveless; appropriately named as the engine was a two-stroke two cylinder, with no valves. Upon his uncle's death in 1929, Sir David was named Managing Director of David Brown & Sons.
David Brown & Sons' (DBS) 1914 Valveless at Tolson Museum
Edited by Jon39 on Sunday 21st June 13:59
Jon39 said:
Going much further back (to 1908), the Brown family business built a car which they named DBS Valveless.
Perhaps it was that name which was revived, during David Brown's ownership of Aston Martin.
' Sir David Brown, the man after whom the DB Series is named, started his professional life in 1921 at age 17 working for the company his grandfather founded, David Brown & Sons. This company, often called by its initials 'DBS', had primarily made gear systems and precision cut gears until 1908 when they developed and produced their first and only automobile, the DBS (David Brown & Sons) Valveless; appropriately named as the engine was a two-stroke two cylinder, with no valves. Upon his uncle's death in 1929, Sir David was named Managing Director of David Brown & Sons.
David Brown & Sons' (DBS) 1914 Valveless at Tolson Museum
Edited by Jon39 on Sunday 21st June 13:59
My grandmother grew up around the corner from Park Works, where the gearboxes were made I think.
Linked to the above, at the weekend I finally got around to reading the Aston Martin DB: 70 Years book by Andrew Noakes. It's an interesting insight into the history of the DB range, with some anecdotes along the timeline from when Brown bought the company, right up until the DB11.
There's also some interesting parallels to the current situation the company is in (these are probably well known but I found them interesting):
- One long standing customer of the company stating their new Aston Martin at the time, should be at cost price instead of list price, because of their loyalty to the marque. Apparently David Brown didn't take exception to this and instead, quickly provided an invoice for several hundred pounds more than the list price. Profit? Never heard of it...
- The 'July measures' of 1966; list price for a DB5 at that time was around £4100; to mitigate the financial catastrophe, Brown ordered a £1000 price cut (it makes last December's Vantage 'sale' look somewhat less drastic perhaps).
- Upon Brown leaving the company, the desire of the then management to try and eradicate him from history - DB names were no longer in use (hence the name 'Aston Martin V8' rather than use of 'DBS' from 1972). Much like AP, he'd left the company with a strong product lineup, but not in a robust financial state, and was deemed to have failed.
It's a very interesting read, particularly the late 1950's and early 1960's, with the racing exploits, forays into Formula 1 (a year late and a dollar short), and William Towns going somewhat off piste from designing just an updated interior for the DB6 replacement, to penning the entirety of what became the DBS.
There's also some interesting parallels to the current situation the company is in (these are probably well known but I found them interesting):
- One long standing customer of the company stating their new Aston Martin at the time, should be at cost price instead of list price, because of their loyalty to the marque. Apparently David Brown didn't take exception to this and instead, quickly provided an invoice for several hundred pounds more than the list price. Profit? Never heard of it...
- The 'July measures' of 1966; list price for a DB5 at that time was around £4100; to mitigate the financial catastrophe, Brown ordered a £1000 price cut (it makes last December's Vantage 'sale' look somewhat less drastic perhaps).
- Upon Brown leaving the company, the desire of the then management to try and eradicate him from history - DB names were no longer in use (hence the name 'Aston Martin V8' rather than use of 'DBS' from 1972). Much like AP, he'd left the company with a strong product lineup, but not in a robust financial state, and was deemed to have failed.
It's a very interesting read, particularly the late 1950's and early 1960's, with the racing exploits, forays into Formula 1 (a year late and a dollar short), and William Towns going somewhat off piste from designing just an updated interior for the DB6 replacement, to penning the entirety of what became the DBS.
NFC 85 Vette said:
There's also some interesting parallels to the current situation the company is in ......
Yes indeed.
Looking back, we do get the impression that steady profitability, or even much at all, has proved an impossibility for over 100 years.
Every successive financier, presumably having been attracted by the brand and history, has probably started out with the best of intentions, and a great hope of being able to achieve, what every predecessor has failed to do.
Leaving aside the financial aspect, do you think these periods might be considered the two 'golden ages' of Aston Martin.
1) 1947 to 1972. Sir David Brown (owner David Brown and Sons Ltd).
Many beautiful cars, although models were more expensive than any of the more recent 'entry' models.
Motor racing success - World Sports Car Championship and an outright Le Mans 24 hours win.
2) 1991 to 2007. Walter Hayes then followed by Dr Bez (owner Jaguar, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company).
This era began when few cars were being built at Newport Pagnell. The DB7 enabled annual production to move into the thousands.
Many Beautiful cars.
Motor racing success - Wins and titles in the World Endurance Championship. First class win at Le Mans 24 hours since 1959.
If you have not already seen it, this is a list of most of the heros, who helped to continue the long and wonderful Aston Martin story.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
williamp said:
Back in 66 Touring did a styling exercise based on the db6 chassis. They called it the DBS, it had very positive reviews.
When the DB6 replacement was announceed, they didnt use the touring design but did usen the name (and, perhaps the goodwill) of the DBS name.
https://astonmartins.com/car/dbs-c-by-touring/
I went to an AMOC meeting at the Lord Daresbury hotel just off the M56 in 1972 and saw that car there. I remember being very fascinated with it. A couple of weeks earlier I'd driven my first Aston, a DB4 on the M53, I was 17 and very thrilled!When the DB6 replacement was announceed, they didnt use the touring design but did usen the name (and, perhaps the goodwill) of the DBS name.
https://astonmartins.com/car/dbs-c-by-touring/
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