Silk and Steel: A Warm, Fashionable Review of Aston Martin—From Bamford & Martin to the DB12 Era (and What Comes Next)

October 7, 2025 antony thompson

There are car companies, and then there’s Aston Martin, a marque that feels less like a manufacturer and more like a tailor who happens to cut in aluminium, carbon, and Connolly hide. You wear an Aston as much as you drive it. The lines are sartorial, the noise is Savile Row baritone, and the brand’s story reads like a style chronicle punctuated by V12 crescendos and celluloid cameos. This is a long, personal look at how Aston Martin became the most elegant thunder on wheels, why film and fashion keep inviting it back on stage, and where those famous wings plan to fly next.

Origins: the gentleman racers who stitched a legend.

Aston’s first act wasn’t born in a boardroom; it was assembled by two enthusiasts who were dissatisfied with the cars they sold and serviced. In 1913, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford formed Bamford & Martin in West London, and by 1915 their prototype, nicknamed the Coal Scuttle, was ready. The spirit was competition: hill climbs, Brooklands, and a taste for endurance. From early “TT” racers to the needle-narrow Razor Blade, pre-war Aston Martins were hand-built statements that speed could be beautifully engineered. Even the firm’s first production cars wore the kind of purpose that later became its posture: restrained, elegant, unshakably British.

The 1920s and 30s forged Aston’s racer-to-road identity. The International models and the Ulster eclipsed the magic 100 mph in period, while the factory’s infatuation with endurance events laid a cultural foundation: you go fast, you go far, and you go looking flawless. That duality, competition DNA stitched into road-going couture, would be Aston’s long-term pattern.

The David Brown years: two initials that redefined British glamour.

If there’s a hinge in Aston’s history, it’s 1947. Industrialist David Brown saw a newspaper ad for a “high-class motor business,” tried the prototype Atom, and bought the company, then bought Lagonda for its W.O. Bentley straight-six. Destiny signed his initials on the bonnet: DB. The ensuing DB2, DB2/4, and DB Mk III established the elegant fast formula, but the DB4 and its offspring wrote the modern Aston silhouette forever.

The talisman is, of course, the DB5 (1963–65), a Touring Superleggera-sculpted grand tourer whose aluminium-skinned, graceful 4.0‑litre straight-six and the sort of standard equipment that felt like Savile Row on wheels: leather, chrome wires, ZF five-speed. Its pop-culture coronation arrived in 1964 when Q Branch handed James Bond the keys in Goldfinger. Machine guns, smoke screen, tyre slashers, an ejector seat, the gentleman’s arsenal, delivered with a wink. In that moment, the DB5 stopped being a car and became The Most Famous Car in the World.

Bond turned the DB5 into an icon, but the cultural echo was amplified by merchandising—Corgi’s best-selling diecast, launched in 1965, sent that silver silhouette into millions of living rooms and imaginations. The DB5’s recurring cameos, from Thunderball through GoldenEye, Skyfall and No Time To Die - kept rethreading Aston into global style vocabulary.

The 1970s supercar in an English dinner jacket

By the late 1970s, Aston produced something that looked like a blazer and punched like a heavyweight: the V8 Vantage (1977). Period testers dubbed it “Britain’s first supercar”, a carb-fed, 5.3‑litre, 170 mph four-seat missile with discrete spoilers and a blanked bonnet scoop, understatement with menace. It was the era’s stealth wealth on magnesium wheels, and its Oscar India updates refined the recipe through the 1980s.

Numbers and anecdotes abound: 0–60 in the low fives, Cosworth-pistoned X‑Pack specials, and that signature tea-tray rear spoiler. But the lasting point is aesthetic: Aston proved you could be muscular without braying, an ethos that would inform every DB car that followed.

The 1990s revival: the DB7 and the art of the comeback

By the early 1990s, volume was tiny and the ledger looked shaky. Enter Ford’s stewardship and Tom Walkinshaw Racing, which birthed the DB7 (1994). Designed by Ian Callum with proportions that made enthusiasts exhale, the DB7 reintroduced the DB line to a new generation at attainable (Aston terms) pricing, and it became the best-selling Aston Martin to that point. Many call it “the car that saved Aston Martin,” not just commercially but emotionally: it proved the brand could modernize without burning its tailoring.

Behind the scenes, the DB7’s story is equal parts opportunism and craft: Jaguar underpinnings reimagined by TWR, an entry with a supercharged straight-six before the V12 Vantage arrived to give it thunder. Callum’s candid retellings reveal clay models, cancelled Jags and late-night creativity, the messy birth of a beautiful car.

The 2000s: from Vanquish glamour to DB9 modernity

The V12 Vanquish (2001) did for Aston’s 2000s what the DB5 did for the 1960s: it reset the image at the summit. Bond drove a Vanquish (invisible, cheekily, in Die Another Day), but beneath the blockbuster cameo was real engineering progress, a bonded aluminium and carbon structure and a 460–520 bhp V12 that foreshadowed the VH platform era

Then came DB9 (2004), the first fruit of Gaydon production and VH architecture. The DB9 looked milled from a single billet of light, taught a generation the phrase “swan doors,” and carried itself with that Aston duality: GT serenity with long-range pace. Over its long life, power climbed, dynamics sharpened, and racing derivatives (DBR9, DBRS9) reinforced the motorsport thread. In design terms, DB9 was the perfect navy suit, timeless, well cut, impossible to date at a glance.

Couture specials: limited editions that behaved like haute horlogerie

Aston’s late-2000s/early-2010s halo One‑77 distilled the brand’s atelier mindset into 77 carbon-monocoque sculptures with a Cosworth-breathed 7.3‑litre V12. If DB9 was a perfect suit, the One‑77 was bespoke couture: extreme, hand-finished, and destined for collections. Its 220 mph top end and 750 hp power figure mattered, but the real message was craftsmanship, proportion, and rarity.

The SUV that paid the bills and broadened the front row

Purists paused when Aston debuted DBX (2020), but the result was decisive: DBX quickly accounted for more than half of Aston Martin’s sales, stabilising the business while the sports cars rebooted. The numbers tell the story, 224% wholesale growth in H1 2021 and 6,000+ annual units with the punchier DBX707 cementing performance credibility. It’s the cashmere hoodie to Aston’s tux, comfortable, practical, still effortlessly stylish.

Racing green, writ large: the F1 return and brand energy

In 2021, Silverstone’s pink Racing Point re-emerged as the Aston Martin works team, the product of Lawrence Stroll’s investment and an audacious brand strategy that tied road cars, racing, and cultural cachet into one orbit. The rebrand rekindled decades-old racing aura and aligned the road range with live, global theatre on Sundays. (The backstory Stroll’s 2020 move to inject capital and secure naming rights, made the green cars more than sponsorship; they became a rolling flagship.)

That F1 link now pulses through product launches (more on the DB12 and Vantage below), hospitality, and watch/wardrobe partnerships. It’s marketing, but it’s also the right kind of theatre for a brand that’s always mixed speed with ceremony.

The new face of the GT: DB11 to DB12, “Super Tourer” energy

Aston’s modernist turn began with DB11 (2016), the first all-new GT of the Gaydon V12 twin-turbo era, 200 mph performance, 600 bhp, and a smoother, more digital cabin language. It set the technological table and the design brief for what came next.

In May 2023, Aston pulled the silk off DB12, the self-proclaimed “world’s first Super Tourer”. Think of it as a couture refit: wider tracks, a bolder grille, brilliant new infotainment, and a 680 PS (671 hp) twin‑turbo V8 that thunders to 202 mph. The launch itself was runway-worthy—Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, F1 drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, and a green car auctioned at the amfAR Gala, because DB12 isn’t merely a car, it’s a brand manifesto: analogue soul, digital polish, and a wardrobe upgrade inside.

The sports car, sharpened: the 2024 Vantage

If DB12 is eveningwear, the new Vantage is your razor-cut leather jacket. Unveiled in February 2024, it lands with 665 PS and 800 Nm from a reworked 4.0‑litre V8, 0–60 in 3.4s, 202 mph top speed, and chassis tuning that puts precision front and centre. It also debuts Aston’s modern interior architecture in its most driver-focused form, clean and purposeful. Track-ready tech (new adaptive dampers, E‑diff, Michelin PS5S developed with AML) lives beneath bodywork that’s wider and more assertive without losing the brand’s grace. Consider it the definitive front‑engine, rear‑drive sports car for people who still want feel, feedback, and a soundtrack.

From silver screen to style pages: Aston, film & fashion

Bond made Aston famous, but film continued to be a catwalk for the brand. Vanquish in Die Another Day, DBS in Casino Royale, the bespoke DB10 in Spectre. Those cameos hard-wire Aston to the global language of cool. The DB5’s recurring roles, complete with BMT 216A plates are a masterclass in cultural continuity.

Off-screen, Aston’s wardrobe is enviable. The Hackett London collaboration, now two decades deep, dresses the paddock and the street with Aston Martin Racing athleisure and tailored travel-wear. It’s a British heritage handshake: polos, outerwear and accessories that look like a pit-lane brief translated into city layers. In parallel, Girard‑Perregaux serves as Official Watch Partner, crafting limited editions whose materials and motifs nod to racing and road cars alike. Carbon, green dials, tourbillon bridges that echo Aston’s design detailing. These aren’t mere merch; they’re style continuations of the cars.

And because fashion is plural, Aston even flexed a streetwear muscle: BAPE® camo-liveried Vantage GT3 model collaborations, riffing on motorsport aesthetics through pop-culture filters. It’s a small thing with a big signal. Aston understands that style tribes change, and the brand can slip into new scenes without losing its accent.

Bespoke as a brand philosophy: Q by Aston Martin

The brand’s in-house atelier, Q by Aston Martin, is where colour, trim and imagination leave the configurator and enter couture. From Q Collection to full Q Commission, the service turns an Aston into a one‑off: woven leathers, tinted carbon, painted interior graphics, special paint with depth you can fall into. Recent showcase pieces from DBS 59 tributes to DBX Bowmore editions and a cheeky DB12 Goldfinger edition, prove Aston treats personalisation like haute design, not bolt‑on bling. When a sports car becomes a canvas, you know you’ve reached the luxury tier where ownership is self‑expression.

Motorsport, doubled: Valkyrie’s 2025 Le Mans return

Aston’s motorsport roots are broad (think 1959 overall victory), but 2025 marks a modern summit: Valkyrie returns Aston to the top class at Le Mans and into the FIA WEC Hypercar fight with two AMR‑LMH entries run with The Heart of Racing. The car, developed with Aston Martin Performance Technologies, channels that 6.5‑litre Cosworth V12 howl into a ruleset that finally lets a road‑derived hypercar hunt outright. The livery, the #007/#009 numbers, the British racing narrative, it’s pure theatre, but the competitive intent is clear. The program even targets IMSA GTP in parallel, making Valkyrie the rare LMH to fight on both sides of the Atlantic.

By June 2025’s race week, Aston’s official language was suitably operatic: “moment of destiny,” a bid for the first overall since 1959, and the V12 echoing down the Mulsanne once again. Whether year one yields silverware or scars, the statement is already made: the wings are back where they belong.

Mid‑engined future, part I: Valhalla, the PHEV with F1‑infused intent

On the road side of that future sits Valhalla, Aston’s first series‑production mid‑engined supercar and first plug‑in hybrid. After development updates, Aston revealed the production specification in late 2024: a flat‑plane 4.0‑litre twin‑turbo V8 paired with three e‑motors for a system output quoted north of 1,000 hp (figures vary by outlet; Aston’s own comms align around the “1,000‑plus” narrative), active aero generating >600 kg of downforce at speed, a carbon tub, push‑rod front suspension, and a bespoke 8‑speed DCT with e‑reverse. Production is limited to 999 cars, with deliveries intended to commence from 2025. The mission brief is simple: combine Aston polish with ruthless mid‑engined precision.

Where Valkyrie targets trophies, Valhalla targets lap times and driver engagement, tying Aston’s F1‑aligned performance tech to a usable, road‑first package. In the brand’s portfolio, it’s the missing puzzle piece—proof that Aston can do central‑engine theatre without losing its tailoring.

Electrification with taste: Lucid partnership and the BEV plan

Aston’s EV future has a Silicon Valley seam: in mid‑2023 the marque announced a long‑term strategic technology partnership with Lucid to access its electric drive units, battery systems and Wunderbox architecture. Lucid becomes a shareholder; Aston gets a fast lane to cutting‑edge electric hardware for a bespoke modular BEV platform that will underpin everything from sports cars and GTs to SUVs. The plan supports Aston’s Racing.Green sustainability strategy with a multi‑year, multi‑billion‑pound tech investment, and leaves Mercedes-Benz in the loop for broader E/E architectures. In English: Aston wants its first pure EV to feel like an Aston, and the best way is to buy time by licensing the right bits while it hones the brand’s ride/handling/feel in-house.

If your mind is pre‑writing the headline—Bond goes battery—the brand’s vibe suggests something more nuanced: torque‑rich, svelte, beautifully voiced (digitally and otherwise), and still capable of turning a valet stand into a small crowd. The first BEV is targeted for 2025, with further EVs filling out the range as Aston sequences investment from ICE to BEV over the mid‑decade.

What the recent cars say about Aston Martin’s taste

DB12 reframes the modern GT not as a lounge on wheels but as a “Super Tourer”—faster, sharper, more connected, and more confident in its own lines. Vantage does similar work for the classic front‑engine sports car, packing power and feel into a shape that looks tougher and more athletic without losing fluency. DBX proves Aston can do everyday luxury without surrendering identity. Valkyrie and Valhalla elevate the brand’s performance ceiling, each in its own register. Together, they sketch a brand thesis that feels coherent: performance with polish; theatre with taste; modern tech layered under timeless tailoring.

The intangible: why Aston Martin still feels like fashion you can drive

A good Aston looks great in motion and parked, in a tux and in a T‑shirt. That breadth is unique. The James Bond myth keeps the cars forever camera‑ready; the Hackett collections and Girard‑Perregaux timepieces extend the aesthetic into your wardrobe; Q by Aston Martin turns ownership into design collaboration. Even the small, almost playful crossovers—like a BAPE®-camo GT3 model—telegraph a brand secure enough to mix tailoring with streetwear. This is what luxury looks like when it’s comfortable in its own skin.

Highlights, model by model—A quick-cut look across the decades

DB2 / DB2/4 / DB Mk III (1950–59): the Lagonda straight-six era—sleek, continent‑crossing sports cars that set the DB template.
DB4 (1958) → DB5 (1963): Touring Superleggera bodies, Tadek Marek’s engines, and eventually Goldfinger immortality.
DB6 / DBS (1965–72): longer, faster, unmistakably Aston; the shape evolves, the stance remains aristocratic.
V8 Vantage (1977–89): Britain’s first supercar, four‑seat pace with presence.
DB7 (1994–2004): the comeback kid; beautiful, accessible (relatively), and a commercial lifeline.
V12 Vanquish (2001–07): carbon-aluminium flagship, Bond-approved, the modern era’s opening chord.
DB9 (2004–16): VH architecture elegance—timeless proportions and long-lived appeal.
One‑77 (2009–12): 77-car statement piece; carbon tub, 7.3‑litre V12, collectable art.
DB11 (2016–): twin‑turbo V12/V8 modern GT, 200 mph and new design language.
DBX (2020–): the SUV that filled order books and broadened the audience.
DB12 (2023–): the Super Tourer era; 680 PS V8, new cabin tech, and Riviera launch glam.
Vantage (2024–): 665 PS sharper suit, driver-first character.
Valhalla (from 2025): mid‑engined PHEV precision—the F1‑infused road weapon.
Valkyrie AMR‑LMH (2025): Le Mans top class, two cars, big ambitions.

Where Aston heads next: a forecast in fine leather

The product cadence is clear. DB12 and Vantage reset the core. DBX continues to finance ambition and pull new owners into the fold. Valhalla adds mid‑engine credibility where the brand has long flirted but never mass‑produced. Valkyrie races at the front of the world’s two premier endurance series, reminding everyone that the wings aren’t ornamental. And electrification is handled with the same mix of in‑house feel and smart partnerships—Lucid for drivetrain, Mercedes-Benz for E/E architecture—so that the first Aston BEV can debut as an Aston, not a science project.

Put differently, Aston’s future looks like its best past: speed, style, and theatre, updated for a decade that asks for connected cabins, cleaner propulsion, and more inclusive brand worlds. The cars are becoming more precise and more plush. The culture around them—film, fashion, F1—is flourishing. The tailoring hasn’t been lost in translation; it’s been modernised.

Personal take: why Aston still makes your pulse dress up

There’s a particular feeling when you pull an Aston door closed—the weight of the handle, the scent of the leather, the way the engine wakes like a baritone clearing his throat at Royal Albert Hall. You can find faster cars, louder cars, maybe even flashier cars. But you’ll struggle to find one that keeps its cool so completely at 20 mph outside a restaurant and at 200 mph down a straight. That’s the superpower. That’s why fashion designers, watchmakers and filmmakers keep ringing Aston’s number. The brand moves like well-cut cloth.

From Coal Scuttle to Super Tourer, from DB5 movie star to DB12 Riviera head-turner, from V8 Vantage thunder to Valkyrie V12 at Le Mans—the thread is consistent. Aston Martin has always understood the power of poise. In a noisy world, that may be the most modern luxury of all.

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