Page 19 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

THE BACKSTORY
The company was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. So why isn’t it called Bamford Martin? Because the duo built a prototype vehicle and Martin drove it to win the Aston Clinton Hill Climb, and the company’s name commemorates that event. See? Now you’ve got a piece of trivia with which to impress your friends. Aston Martin went on to compete in Grand Prix racing in the 1920s and later at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the brand still competes to this day.
Origins of the DB7
By 1948, Aston Martin had fallen on hard times and a listing in the classified section of The London Times led David Brown, a wealthy tractor magnate, to purchase the once-proud manufacturer. In a great triumph of ego and a telling failure of imagination, he named the first car produced under his management the DB1. This was a modified version of an earlier Aston model, but in the immediate postwar years everyone was making do with what they had. The name stuck and the company went on to produce the DB2 and a pretty long list of coupe, convertible, and racing variants through the DB5 and DB6 in the 1960s. The most famous of the lot was the DB5 used by James Bond in the 1964 spy film, Goldfinger. It was the best marketing boost that Aston Martin ever received, and the Bond franchise has come back to Aston Martin again and again to revive that memorable association.
After a long absence, the DB line returned with the DB7 for the 1994 model year. By this time, Aston Martin had been absorbed into Ford’s global portfolio of premier brands, along with Jaguar and Land Rover. The partnership infused Aston Martin with enough much-needed cash to take over the Jaguar factory in Bloxham, Oxfordshire to produce the new model.
The DB7 i6
The first Aston Martin out the doors of the Bloxham factory was the DB7 i6 coupe. The idea, pushed by Ford management, was to use a modified version of the Jaguar XJS for the new model rather than develop a new Aston chassis. The inline six- cylinder engine started as a 3.2-liter Jaguar AJ6, which was also used in Jaguar’s XJ6 and XJS models, among others. But to make the engine worthy of the Aston Martin name, an Eaton supercharger was added to bring the output up to 335 horsepower and 361 lb ft of torque.
That was good enough to allow the DB7 to hit 62 mph in just 5.7 seconds when equipped with its Getrag five-speed manual transmission. The optional GM 4L80E (yes, really) four-speed automatic transmission option would pull to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds.
Legendary designer Ian Callum was tapped to create the DB7’s exterior design and he penned a good-looking car that reflects the
With origins in the Jaguar engine used in the XJ6 and XJS, Aston Martin chose to add an Eaton supercharger to achieve the desired performance for the DB7.
sensibilities of the period. The smooth, rounded lines and faired-in bumpers and sills exhibit a lot of Ford DNA. Because of budget constraints, the first DB7 used a lot of small pieces from the global Ford parts bin, pulling in door handles and turn signals from Mazda, and other small parts from Ford’s British subsidiary. The prototype was revealed at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show and the DB7 was shortly put into production at Bloxham as a 1994 model year vehicle and produced until 1999.
The DB7 in America
1996 was a big year for the DB7 for two reasons. The new DB7 Volante convertible was revealed at the Los Angeles and Detroit auto shows and both the coupe and convertible went on sale in America that year. The event marked the return of Aston Martin to America, and the new models were met with enthusiasm.
Aston Martin DB7
F u n F a c t : T o g i v e t h e n e w D B 7 a b i t o f s t a r p o w e r , A s t o n M a r t i n brought in F1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart to consult on suspension tuning.
Ian Callum’s stying remains fresh and contemporary.
Wayne Carini  Affordable Classics  17