Aston Martin and the V12 engine

Many Aston Martin enthusiasts might expect this story to begin in the 1990s, the decade that saw the unveiling of the Project Vantage concept car at the Detroit Auto Show in 1998, followed a year later by the V12-powered DB7 Vantage. However, the tale of Aston Martin’s V12 engines stretches much further back. More than 70 years ago, in fact…

In 1947, David Brown, an English industrialist, had acquired Aston Martin and Lagonda, two previously separate automotive marques. Lagonda came with a ready-made six-cylinder engine known internally as the RB6, and this spawned a range of motors that would power both Lagonda and Aston Martin models, including the DB2 and, in racing form, the DB3S racing cars and Le Mans-winning DBR1.

David Brown had always had a soft spot for the Lagonda brand and set his sights on building a supercar of the ‘50s to rival other British luxury car makers. He believed that to overwhelm the opposition he would need not only a large engine, but something that would stand out. While others were moving towards V8 engines, his vision was for a V12-powered car. The tiny Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) engineering team was tasked with designing and building a V12 and getting it ready to race. Not just any race, but the iconic 24 hours of Le Mans.

This project came about very quickly and hot on the heels of the new Aston Martin DB3S of 1953, which had proved itself to be highly successful in its debut season. Using the in-line six-cylinder engine that powered the DB series of the time, the team designed a 4.5-litre engine, with its 12 cylinders set in a V. A new racing car, code-named DP115, was built to house this engine. Although it superficially resembled a larger DB3S, it was actually longer and wider, and unique in almost every way. Sadly, the new engine proved to be troublesome, suffering from oil pressure and cooling problems but, nonetheless, it was ready to race at Silverstone in May 1954. The car finished fifth overall and, a few weeks later, it was ready to race at Le Mans. Running problems soon started to appear but the car forged on in the race, at the hands of factory driver, Eric Thompson. Unfortunately, the car crashed mid-race and retired, to spare any further challenges. The team re-grouped and hastily built a second car, which raced one more time at Silverstone. Faced with the reality of a stretched engineering team, the DP115 project was abandoned, but not before a third car was built. Cars two and three were then loaned to the Rank film company and were used in the highly entertaining movie, Checkpoint. One more V12 racer, named DP166, tried for another season, before that too was dropped and all thoughts of a V12 range of cars ended. 

Fast forward to the 1990s, Aston Martin was able to introduce a purpose-built V12 engine to power the Project Vantage concept car. This car was developed, with few cosmetic changes, into the V12 Vanquish, which started production in 2001. Beating that to the showrooms by a full two years was the beautifully designed DB7 Vantage. The DB7 itself had won many accolades for its beautiful styling, but it had soon been in need of some extra sparkle to keep it competitive. The 6.0-litre V12 was the perfect solution, and with its 420bhp, a significant increase over the previous straight six DB7, it was an instant hit.

Via the Vanquish, which had a more powerful 460bhp unique version of the V12, these new Aston Martin models paved the way for the cars that would take Aston Martin into the next century, hailed as the ‘New Era’, starting with DB9 in 2003.

Using common parts throughout the New Era range of cars, other models soon joined, all built at the new factory in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Notably, the two-seat Vantage sports car was capable of accommodating the larger V12 engine, replacing the dry-sump V8. This created a very exciting, brawny sports car, the V12 Vantage, a model that today is enjoying modern classic status and is highly sought after for its pure driving pleasure and collectability.

The first generation Vanquish carved out quite a name for itself becoming synonymous with the flagship of the Aston Martin range, having its own unique style and standing out against the beautiful DB models. In 2012, the name was rightly reprised for a new flagship model. This new V12-powered Vanquish was clothed in an all-carbon fibre body, looking distinctly different from the then ‘current’ DB9. The Vanquish was another hit and served well as the much-loved super GT until being replaced by the DBS. Today, 70 years after our first foray into the world of 12-cylinder power, Vanquish is back. 

Boasting a unique style and look, the new car is also clearly worthy of the Vanquish title. For me personally, it was love at first sight. If our flagship models were seen as a monarchy, then this new ‘king’ would be welcomed with open arms. Long live the king of Aston Martin!