Aston Martin marque guide
From Touring-influenced straight-six classics and hand-built Newport Pagnell V8s to the bonded-aluminium cars of the Gaydon era, Aston Martin history contains far more than a single famous film car. These guides cover important UK-market models with development history, specifications, ownership context and practical buying checks.
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Choose the DB4, DB5 or DB6 for the classic straight-six story; the 1977 V8 Vantage and Virage for the hand-built V8 line; the Cygnet for Aston Martin at its most unconventional; or the DB9, 2005 V8 Vantage and Vanquish for the modern aluminium era.
Featured image: 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Coupé. Photograph by Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; locally hosted.
Aston Martin model guides
Aston Martin AM V8 and V8 Volante
The standard Newport Pagnell V8 in injection, carburettor, Oscar India, Series 5 and Volante forms.
Aston Martin Cygnet
The hand-finished Toyota iQ-based city car, with manual and CVT versions plus the one-off V8 commission.
Aston Martin DB2, DB2/4 and DB Mark III
The post-war six-cylinder family that established Aston Martin’s grand-touring identity from 1950 to 1959.
Aston Martin DB4
The Touring-styled 3.7-litre grand tourer, including Series 1–5, GT and Convertible models.
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
The 19 original Zagato-bodied competition GTs, plus Sanction and Continuation cars, explained.
Aston Martin DB5
The 4.0-litre icon in saloon, Vantage and Convertible forms, with Superleggera restoration and buying checks.
Aston Martin DB6
The roomier Kamm-tailed straight-six GT, covering Mark 1, Mark 2, Vantage and Volante.
Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
The 420bhp V12 coupé and Volante, including the rare GT and GTA: history, development and buying checks.
Aston Martin DB7 Zagato
The shortened, two-seat, 435 bhp coachbuilt DB7 limited to 99 customer examples.
Aston Martin DB9
The Gaydon-era bonded-aluminium V12 grand tourer, from early manual cars to the final DB9 GT.
Aston Martin DBS 1967–1972
William Towns’ four-seat grand tourer, covering the straight-six DBS, Vantage and fuel-injected DBS V8.
Aston Martin DBS 2007–2012
The carbon-bodied 510bhp V12 flagship in manual, Touchtronic and Volante forms.
Aston Martin Lagonda
William Towns’ radical four-door wedge, from pioneering digital instruments to the final Series 4.
Aston Martin One-77
The 77-car carbon-monocoque halo model with a hand-formed aluminium body and 7.3-litre V12.
Aston Martin Rapide and Rapide S
A four-door V12 fastback, from the original Rapide through the 550bhp S and limited AMR.
Aston Martin V12 Speedster
The 88-car roofless carbon special with a 700PS twin-turbo V12 and open cockpit.
Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
The Newport Pagnell super-GT with a bonded aluminium and carbon structure, paddle shift and 520bhp S model.
Aston Martin V12 Vantage 2009–2018
The compact Vantage with a naturally aspirated V12, including S, Roadster and V600 derivatives.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage 1977–1989
Britain’s original 170mph supercar, developed through Oscar India, 580, X-Pack and Volante forms.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage 2005–2017
The compact VH-platform sports car, covering 4.3 and 4.7 engines, manual, Sportshift and Roadster.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550 and V600
The twin-supercharged 1990s flagship, Works Service V600 development and 40-car Le Mans finale.
Aston Martin V8 Zagato and Volante
The angular 1980s coupé and its rare open counterpart, with model differences and buying checks.
Aston Martin Vanquish 2012–2018
The second-generation carbon-bodied Vanquish, including Volante, eight-speed and 595bhp S versions.
Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Family
The 325-car Coupé, Volante, Speedster and Shooting Brake family created with Zagato.
Aston Martin Vantage GT12
The 100-car, 600PS road-going V12 special with carbon bodywork and GT3-inspired aerodynamics.
Aston Martin Virage
The naturally aspirated 32-valve V8 grand tourer, including Volante and Works Service 6.3 development.
Aston Martin Virage 2011–2012
The brief 490 bhp V12 coupé and Volante positioned between the DB9 and DBS.
Aston Martin Vulcan
The 24-car, track-only carbon-fibre special powered by an 820 bhp 7.0-litre naturally aspirated V12.
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Aston Martin story
The collection follows Aston Martin from the DB4 platform that defined its 1960s identity, through the long-running hand-built V8 era and the unusual recovery cars of the 1990s, to the bonded-aluminium V8 and V12 models made at Gaydon. Together they show how a small-volume British marque repeatedly reworked the grand-touring idea.
