It's a name that is inextricably linked with the brand, and this year Aston Martin will celebrate 70 years of the Vantage. The name was first used back in 1950 to highlight a special edition of the Aston Martin DB2 featuring an uprated engine that linked the road car to the company's efforts at Le Mans. Back then it was a modest performance upgrade in the form of larger SU HV6 carburettors and an increase in compression ratio. The project was overseen by Robert Eberan von Eberhost, who had previously worked with the Auto Union team before designing the Aston Martin DB3 and DB3S.
Strong lineage of Aston Martin Vantage models
Following the DB2 came the Aston Martin DB4 Vantage in 1961, which differed from the standard production model thanks to its faired-in headlights and the 'Special Series' engine that featured three SU HD8 carburettors. Additionally, the power unit got a higher compression ratio and revised cylinder heads with larger valves. The DB4 Series V Vantage from 1962 is also famous for being the car that starred in the James Bond film, Goldfinger.
The DB5 that arrived in 1964 would soon spawn a Vantage version, though only 68 examples were produced out of the total 887 cars made. This model's engine got triple Weber carburettors that were good for a bump in power to 329hp. There was also a DB5 Convertible with the Vantage upgrades, although this is rarer again with only eight made.
The DB6 Vantage came first as the Mk I and was followed soon after by a Mk II. Once again only small numbers of these cars were produced: 335 (plus 29 Volantes) in the case of the Mk I and 70 (plus 13 Volantes) for the Mk II. After these came a more significant change with the arrival of the DBS Vantage in 1967. Designed by William Towns, this more angular car brought a more modern look to the range, although it retained the 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine. It was due to be powered by a V8, but this was not ready in time for the car's introduction. In 1972 an updated version of the DBS was revealed featuring two headlights instead of the previous four and this car was called the AM Vantage. Only 70 examples were produced and its success was limited due to it being the least powerful model in the Aston Martin range at the time, which went against the ethos of the Vantage badge.
Aston Martin set about to remedy this with the V8 Vantage in 1977. Dubbed 'Britain's first supercar', it was a rival to more exotic machinery like the Ferrari 512BB, Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 911 Turbo. Its brutish V8 featured large 48 IDF Weber carburettors fitted to revised inlet manifolds. Bigger valves, updated exhaust manifolds and revised camshafts, along with a higher compression ratio, meant that the output climbed to 385hp. It was produced for a lengthy period with the final cars rolling out in 1990.
Into the 1990s with supercharging
The follow-up would be known as the 'brute in a suit', the Virage-based Vantage. Powered by a 5.3-litre V8 with two Eaton superchargers, it produced 558hp and tipped the scales at 1,990kg. At the time, its four-piston AP Racing brake callipers and 362mm diameter ventilated discs were the largest fitted to a production road car. Several versions of this were subsequently made, including the V550, V600 and V8 Vantage Le Mans before production ended in 2000.
A restyle of the DB7 by Ian Callum saw the introduction of the DB7 V12 Vantage, with a 5.9-litre all-alloy V12 engine that was developed in co-operation with Ford and Cosworth. A thorough reworking of the chassis accompanied the new engine. It was available with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, though the auto had a reduced limited top speed. In 2005, Aston Martin unveiled the V8 Vantage that would go on to be one of the company's most successful models with production totalling 15,458 coupes plus 6,231 Roadsters. Then in 2009, the V12 Vantage went on sale, capable of reaching 100km/h in 4.2 seconds, and it was improved further as the V12 Vantage S, which saw this acceleration time fall to 3.5 seconds.
The current Vantage model was the first to feature an electronically controlled differential and uses the same platform architecture as the larger DB11. Two years on from its launch, the Vantage AMR arrived in 2019 featuring a seven-speed manual gearbox developed by Graziano. This year will see the introduction of the Vantage Roadster.
Commenting on the anniversary, Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said: "Today's Vantage and Vantage AMR sports cars represent the latest interpretation of what this single, yet incredibly evocative, word means to drivers around the world. As we celebrate 70 years of Vantage in 2020, it allows us to delight in our superb sports car heritage. Vantage has always stood for engineering ambition, thrilling performance and exceptional beauty, and I'm pleased that today's models more than live up to the standards set by their iconic forebears."