Aston Martin is known for combining sports car-humbling performance with the restrained good looks of a British GT. Our free 36-page supplement takes you on a journey from its very beginning.
The story starts as James Elliott returns to the place where it all began – Aston Clinton Hill Climb – to drive A3, the marque’s oldest-surviving car.
Then we take a look at the people who made the company what it is now, its racing pedigree, and the cars – from the DB4-6 family to the oddest machines to wear the famous badge.
The V8 Vantage Volante ‘PoW’, which followed Aston fan Prince Charles’ exacting specification, carries us through to the late ’80s, before we finish our centenary celebration with a V12 roar from the modern-classic Vanquish.
It says a lot for Aston’s GT that is shares comparable performance with Lamborghini’s Diablo VT Roadster, an extrovert supercar with a V12 that could claim a rich Italian bloodline. Ross Alkureishi finds out what losing the roof adds to the Diablo experience by taking one for a blast through the Highlands of Scotland.
Julian Balme has always been a fan of Sunbeam Tigers, but only laid eyes on the ultimate iteration of the car last year. Nicknamed ‘The Monster’, its light weight and 430bhp V8 make it a ferocious racer, and one of the stars of the 2012 Goodwood Revival.
