Lot 461: 1978 Aston Martin V8 Saloon Series III 'S' specification

Aston Martin had always planned that the DBS of 1967 would be powered by its new V8 engine, first seen in 5.0 litre form in the Lola-Aston Martin sports-racing cars. Production problems, however, intervened and the DBS used the 4.0 litre, twin overhead camshaft, straight six of the concurrently produced DB6. It was not until September 1967 that the DBS V8 was finally announced, production commencing the following April. With its platform chassis and independent suspension - coil spring/wishbone front, de Dion tube rear with Watt linkage and twin radius arms - the fine handling DBS was a perfect home for Tadek Marek's all-alloy V8. Boasting four overhead camshafts and Bosch electronic fuel injection, the 5,340cc V8 produced an impressive 320bhp at 5,000rpm and 360lb.ft; the resultant 160mph plus performance was nothing short of staggering in 1970. After David Brown sold Aston Martin in February 1972 the DBS V8 was replaced by the Series 2 model, now simply called the Aston Martin V8. Gone were the four headlamps and slatted grille, in their place a black mesh grille flanked by single headlamps; mechanical changes were limited to electronic ignition and standard air conditioning. August 1973 saw the Series 3 arrive with quadruple Weber carburettors, larger bonnet bulge, improved seats and central locking; power for this model rose to 304bhp in June 1977.With only a total of 968 examples leaving the Aston production line, this 1978 model is quite a rare beast especially as it boasts a factory 'S' specification engine with improved performance. The car is supplied with a large history file including a good service history, UK registration documents and a current MoT certificate. Fitted with automatic transmission and auxiliary driving lights the car is finished in claret with a parchment leather interior. Described as being in good condition all round this is a fine example of British engineering at its best.