1968 Aston Martin DBS 'V8 Prototype'

Registration No: AS 1917
Chassis No: DBS/5173/R
MOT: Exempt

• Fitted with its current Lola Aston Martin V8 development engine in 1970, as documented by works records
• Part of the Nigel Dawes Collection for several years
• Supplied with extensive history and featured in Aston Martin books
• Recently subject to much sympathetic restoration work

Introduced at the October, 1967, Motor Show, the DBS broke important new ground for Aston Martin. Although similar to that of the concurrent DB6, its steel platform chassis used a longer wheelbase, repositioned front cross member and wider track to arrive at an ideal 50:50 weight distribution. Further enhanced by the adoption of de Dion rear suspension located viâ a Watts linkage and with standardised power steering, the newcomer was widely praised for its polished ride and handling. Styled in-house by William Towns, with clear transatlantic and Italianate overtones, the aluminium-bodied four-seater exuded a road presence that few rivals caught in its quad headlights could match. The DBS was considered so stylish that it was chosen as the star car for the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which controversially starred George Lazenby as 007 in his only appearance in the rôle.

Although intended to be the first V8-powered Aston, a series of teething troubles with the new powerplant meant that the DBS initially went into production with the proven Tadek Marek-designed 3,995cc DOHC straight-six inherited from the DB5 and DB6. It would take Newport Pagnell a further two years to get the eight-cylinder ready for customers, and the DBS V8 was launched in September, 1969, but it wasn't until spring, 1970, that deliveries took place.

The Aston Martin V8 engine had been in development by Marek since 1963 and, initially, was designed with a single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank, but finished development in twin-cam form. First fitted to Marek's own DB5 in 1965 with crossover intake manifolds and a pair of twin-choke side-draught Weber carburettors, it was used extensively and proved its performance values well. By this period, Aston Martin had disbanded its works racing team, so it was decided to trial the new V8 in racing form by supplying it to Lola for the T70 Mk. III. This engine would be extensively reworked during this period due to issues with lubrication in the crankshaft area, which caused the Aston Martin-Lola to last only twenty-five laps at Le Mans in 1967. However, after extensive redevelopment and the fitment of the V8 into two DBS prototypes during 1967, the future started to look brighter.

Chassis DBS/5173/R is understood to have been delivered originally as a six-cylinder, five-speed DBS by A. J. Beal Ltd. to the prolific car collector Nigel Dawes on October 23rd, 1968, and was registered with Mr. Dawes' personal registration number '1230 ND'. According to works records supplied to the vendor by Aston Engineering of Derby, DBS/5173/R was fitted with a new ZF gearbox on September 25th, 1969, and it is believed this was in preparation for the fitment of the ex-Lola developmental V8 engine that was to be fitted in March, 1970. The Lola-Aston engine, numbered 'V500/013/P' ('P' for Prototype), came complete with four side-draught twin-choke Weber carburettors on cross-over intake manifolds plus two steel air boxes, the height of which necessitated enlarging the bonnet scoop and strengthening the aluminium structure with box-section steel which is still present today. Production variants of the DBS V8 would utilise fuel injection instead of carburettors, meaning the larger bonnet scoop would not be necessary. It is therefore believed that DBS/5173/R was the first privately owned DBS V8, as the production cars wouldn't be delivered until some months later.

Little is known of the subsequent history of this one-off Aston Martin, as the car was sold by Mr. Dawes's family due to his ill health and little information is available other than the works records and editorial information available in Aston Martin V8s by E. Wilson McComb and Aston Martin DB: 70 Years by Andrew Noakes; copies of both publications accompany the DBS to the sale. It is understood, however, that the Aston was sympathetically restored some years ago in its original colour of Lagoon Blue, retaining its very original, but hardly worn, Black leather interior, and the vendor has advised that in 2023 a 'full fluids' service was performed, along with wheel refurbishment and fitment of new Weber carburettors at the same time, and it has been cherished since then, forming part of his extensive private collection as a static but running exhibit. Now presenting very well and recently benefitting from work to the braking system, this unique muscle car-grand tourer hybrid would be one of the crowning glories of any Aston Martin collection, and would be a major talking point at events.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430