Classic pearls of the future - Aston Martin DB 7
04/06/2013
The question arises as to whether the Aston Martin DB 7 is not already a classic, but in fact it was just 20 years (and 1 month) ago that the DB 7 was presented to an astonished public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1993. The DB 7 was the first completely new sports car from Aston Martin since the late 1960s. And it looked stunning, Ian Callum and Keith Helfet had done a great job.
Technically, the Gran Turismo was based on the Jaguar XJS platform. Tom Walkinshaw Racing took over the development work. The result was convincing, even if not all owners were really taken with the sound of the supercharger. The in-line six-cylinder engine from Jaguar was actually boosted to 335/340 hp with a "blower", which was sufficient for decent performance, despite the heavy weight due to the steel construction.
In 1996, a convertible version appeared with the "Volante", and in 1999 the six-cylinder engine was supplemented by a V12 with the nickname "Vantage". In 2002, the hottest (and only 300 built) version called "V12 GT" appeared with 441 hp under the hood. An automatic version was also available for comfort-oriented buyers.
After 10 years and 7,000 units produced, the DB 7 was replaced by the DB 9.
Even 20 years after its presentation, the DB 7 still impresses with its elegance and can rightly be counted among Aston Martin's design milestones. The prices have not yet risen properly, but this should only be a matter of time, because driving it makes you feel a bit like Prince Charles and the DB 7 rolls beautifully over the manicured gravel of a majestic driveway.
You can find out more about Aston Martin and the various models on the "Aston Martin" topic page .
