The new and the old Valkyrie (Valkyrie)
03/09/2017
It is a somewhat peculiar name for an automobile. In German, "Valkyrie" means "Valkyrie" and, according to Wikipedia, stands for "battle maiden" or "shield maiden". In Norse mythology, this was a female spirit being from the retinue of the father of the gods Odin (Wodan).
Aston Martin has chosen precisely this name for its mid-engined super sports car, which is currently being presented to the general public in Geneva. The decisive factor was probably the fact that Valkyrie begins with "V" and thus perfectly complements the previous naming.
But did the Aston Martin people know that another car already bore this name just over 50 years ago?
In 1966, the company Fiberfab also presented a Valkyrie. And this sports car also had the engine in front of the rear wheels (see our blog on the Fiberfab Valkyrie ) . With a 7-liter V8 and 456 SAE hp, the plastic sports car, which weighed just 850 kg, was an absolute high-flyer for the time, for which USD 12,500 was actually still a very modest price.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie, which is being developed in collaboration with Red Bull, is expected to produce around 1000 hp with a Cosworth V12 and even more thanks to KERS. According to the latest information, you will be able to put the car in your garage from 2018 and the price will certainly run into seven figures.
Incidentally, the Fiberfab Valkyrie was not a huge success; only a few of the high-end versions were sold. A kit car version, which could be completed with an engine of the customer's choice, sold better.
We will soon be publishing an article on the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and the old cars on display there.
