Centenary

[lady topaz]

Bearing in mind its Aston Martins 100th birthday next year, do we think there will be a completely new model, other than the DBS or DB9 replacement?

Or maybe yet more 'special' anniversary editions being no more than the current range with a few tweaks here and there?

Thoughts!

Di

[Ed50]

You should be in their R&D department Di.

I bet you'll be right cus some things afoot me thinks......... I heard the good Doctor has been caught reading a book about how to make extremely large cakes.

Anyone for the DB9 Kipling edition.

[Rex Racer]

Bez was quoted as saying it's a completely new car, but it seems that the car may be the one that was recently caught in the spy shots, which appears to be a revamped DBS. My guess is that it's a tweaked DBS, perhaps with the Vanquish moniker.

[Vantagefan]

Wasn't Bamford and Martin founded in 1913 but Aston Martin founded and the first car built in 1914?

[mikey k]

Vantagefan said:

Wasn't Bamford and Martin founded in 1913 but Aston Martin founded and the first car built in 1914?

Yes

[lady topaz]

A technicality, taken from their own history site ...

1913Capturing the
Imagination
Aston Martin has produced bespoke sports cars for almost 100 years. The company began in 1913, when founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford realised their desire to build distinctive, high quality sports cars that were both exhilarating to drive and a beauty to behold. Martin regularly competed in hill climb races at Aston Clinton, and a simple combination of the name of the event and the driver gave birth to one of the most famous automotive marques

[Vantagefan]

Frome the same website

1914 SAW THE BIRTH OF THE NAME ‘ASTON MARTIN’ FOLLOWING ONE OF LIONEL MARTIN'S SUCCESSFUL RUNS AT THE ASTON HILL CLIMB IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND. WITHIN A YEAR THE FIRST ASTON MARTIN HAD BEEN BUILT AND REGISTERED WITH THE NAME

It is a technicality but an important one surely - Aston's centenary or Lionel Martin's?

[George H]

lady topaz said:

Or maybe yet more 'special' anniversary editions being no more than the current range with a few tweaks here and there?

I think you've hit the nail on the head of what will happen there! I hope if they do a Centenary Edition they make it tasteful with heritage paints. Got to be in BRG

[DB9 Ian P]

Those of you who are members of AMOC will know that this topic has caused some very heated debate - probably worth the cost of membership alone!!

Any way as far as I can tell the timelines are as follows:

Bamford and Martin Ltd incorporated in 1913
Lionel Martin creates a 'special' in 1914 from two other cars
the 'coal scuttle' was produced in 1919
First Aston Martin produced in 1920

So to my thinking we can have celebrations in 2013,2014, 2019 and 2020

[lady topaz]

Vantagefan said:

Frome the same website

1914 SAW THE BIRTH OF THE NAME ‘ASTON MARTIN’ FOLLOWING ONE OF LIONEL MARTIN'S SUCCESSFUL RUNS AT THE ASTON HILL CLIMB IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND. WITHIN A YEAR THE FIRST ASTON MARTIN HAD BEEN BUILT AND REGISTERED WITH THE NAME

It is a technicality but an important one surely - Aston's centenary or Lionel Martin's?

I am more than happy to stand corrected. Certainly not going to row about it. I wonder how the company today views it!

Di

[Vantagefan]

lady topaz said:

Vantagefan said:

Frome the same website

1914 SAW THE BIRTH OF THE NAME ‘ASTON MARTIN’ FOLLOWING ONE OF LIONEL MARTIN'S SUCCESSFUL RUNS AT THE ASTON HILL CLIMB IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND. WITHIN A YEAR THE FIRST ASTON MARTIN HAD BEEN BUILT AND REGISTERED WITH THE NAME

It is a technicality but an important one surely - Aston's centenary or Lionel Martin's?

I am more than happy to stand corrected. Certainly not going to row about it. I wonder how the company today views it!

Di

I know, I'm interested to see which they go with! It's a shame the first Aston didn't have a name so they could call the modern version by it. Does the Coal Scuttle count as the first Aston or as its a race car is it different?

[lady topaz]

For the purpose of the thread, before Jockman signs on and takes it miles off piste, what do people think AM might do if anything for their centenary? Whichever year the current company chooses.

Di

[yeti]

Rex Racer said:

Bez was quoted as saying it's a completely new car

He was when they brought out the DBS! That was no more than a DB9S IMHO. Vanquish, Vantage, DB9 and Rapide can be called new as far as I'm concerned.

Let's hope the V12V 'Centenary Roadster' appears...

Already doing the DBS Ultimate Edition so they won't use that. Maybe the 310 will be the centenary car?

[Vantagefan]

The summary of 100 years...Let's hope it's good!

[DB9 Ian P]

yeti said:

He was when they brought out the DBS! That was no more than a DB9S IMHO. Vanquish, Vantage, DB9 and Rapide can be called new as far as I'm concerned.

Let's hope the V12V 'Centenary Roadster' appears...

Already doing the DBS Ultimate Edition so they won't use that. Maybe the 310 will be the centenary car?

I hope that you are right Lewis and it is the V12VR. If it is they are doing very well to keep it such a secret.

However, I think that '310' is what we have been seeing in the press and would be very surprised if it was 'all new'. Even if it isn't I am sure it will be very special and understand that a few chosen people are being asked to the factory to preview later this month and early June. Saw on the AMOC site that someone had received an invitation to the Nurburgring to preview! Think he is an existing DBS owner and lives in Germany.

Also found this on the AMOC site as well - very striking!!

http://www.autogespot.nl/nl/aston-martin-db9-2013/2012/05/01#img1

[jonby]

DB9 Ian P said:

yeti said:

He was when they brought out the DBS! That was no more than a DB9S IMHO. Vanquish, Vantage, DB9 and Rapide can be called new as far as I'm concerned.

Let's hope the V12V 'Centenary Roadster' appears...

Already doing the DBS Ultimate Edition so they won't use that. Maybe the 310 will be the centenary car?

I hope that you are right Lewis and it is the V12VR. If it is they are doing very well to keep it such a secret.

However, I think that '310' is what we have been seeing in the press and would be very surprised if it was 'all new'. Even if it isn't I am sure it will be very special and understand that a few chosen people are being asked to the factory to preview later this month and early June. Saw on the AMOC site that someone had received an invitation to the Nurburgring to preview! Think he is an existing DBS owner and lives in Germany.

Also found this on the AMOC site as well - very striking!!

http://www.autogespot.nl/nl/aston-martin-db9-2013/2012/05/01#img1

I think it's become pretty obvious now that the car in the pictures is
1. Project 310
2. The DBS successor
3. The centenary car
4. The new flagship
which are all one and the same. They aren't going to launch a new flagship but make a different car the centenary car surely ?

As for all new, depends on the definition. It will be far more different than say DBS to DB9 and indeed than Virage to DB9. For instance boot opening space is clearly different and flanks are proportioned differently. I believe interior will be very new. But patently basic chassis, engine other than minor fiddling, suspension again other than minor fiddling, etc will be based on what we currently have.

It is certainly going to be the new flagship (I never saw the Zag as a flagship despite the odd comment from AM to the contrary) but will be most unikely much over 200k. One assumes the replacement DB9/Virage will not be as closeley related to project 310 as DB9 was/is to DBS. Unfortunately, looks like auto could be the only option

It's starting to be shown to customers and the factory are inviting customers to a variety of previews

I have no idea but guess deliveries will start sometime between Q3 2012 and Q1 2013

[Rex Racer]

I agree that this is not going to just a roadster version of the V12V.

[mikey k]

yeti said:

Let's hope the V12V 'Centenary Roadster' appears...

I think we are with that one

[jonby]

DB9 Ian P said:

yeti said:

He was when they brought out the DBS! That was no more than a DB9S IMHO. Vanquish, Vantage, DB9 and Rapide can be called new as far as I'm concerned.

Let's hope the V12V 'Centenary Roadster' appears...

Already doing the DBS Ultimate Edition so they won't use that. Maybe the 310 will be the centenary car?

I hope that you are right Lewis and it is the V12VR. If it is they are doing very well to keep it such a secret.

However, I think that '310' is what we have been seeing in the press and would be very surprised if it was 'all new'. Even if it isn't I am sure it will be very special and understand that a few chosen people are being asked to the factory to preview later this month and early June. Saw on the AMOC site that someone had received an invitation to the Nurburgring to preview! Think he is an existing DBS owner and lives in Germany.

Also found this on the AMOC site as well - very striking!!

http://www.autogespot.nl/nl/aston-martin-db9-2013/2012/05/01#img1

I'd love to take credit for this, but it was my '+1' for my preview invite to the above who pointed out that the Villa D'este show runs May 25th - May 27th and in the last two years, AM have previewed V12 Zagato and ONE77 there. My Gaydon invite is for May 28th

The official entry list for this year's concorso d'eleganza doesn't list anything from AM but it does mention there will as usual, be a couple of 'surprise entries' - I wonder if this will be when project 310, aka the DBS replacement with a name still to be announced, is shown in public for the first time ???

[KarlFranz]

Makes you wonder what they would be thinking by announcing an all new model a couple of weeks after announcing the "Ultimate Edition" DBS. Of course, the new car may not be offered in a manual gearbox, which would make it a non-option for many of us.