Aston Martin DB Mark III

Aston Martin DB Mark III at a glance

The DB Mark III closes the DB2 chapter of Aston Martin's history, which also includes the Aston Martin DB2/4 Touring Spyder. The background of the company is told in our Aston Martin history, and all models are listed in the Aston Martin catalogue.

Development and design

The DB Mark III was an evolution of the DB2/4 Mark II rather than a new car. Its new look came from an unexpected source: according to Wikipedia, the design is credited to John Turner, who was only 17 at the time and suggested fitting the front of the DB3S racing car to the body of the DB2/4. The result was the grille shape designed by Bert Thickpenny for the DB3S, which became the signature of Aston Martin's road cars for decades.

Inside there was a new instrument panel whose shape echoed the grille. At the rear the tail fins grew and carried larger Lucas lamps, also used on the Humber Hawk and the Alvis TD21. More than five out of six cars were built as hatchbacks with folding rear seats — a practical feature that Aston Martin had introduced on the DB2/4 in 1953. Only 83 cars were built with left-hand drive.

Engine and chassis

The engine is the 2,922 cc six-cylinder developed for Lagonda and redesigned for the Mark III by Tadek Marek. Several versions were offered:

A four-speed gearbox was standard, with a Laycock-de Normanville overdrive as an option; the clutch was now operated hydraulically. An automatic gearbox was offered, but only five cars were built with it. Girling disc brakes at the front became standard after the first 100 cars, and many earlier cars were later converted. The worm-and-sector steering and the live rear axle were carried over from the earlier cars.

With the dual exhaust, the DBA engine took the car from 0 to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds, and the Mark III could reach about 193 km/h. Road & Track tested it in 1959 and called it "a car for connoisseurs", although it criticised the heavy steering, the high door sills and the firm ride.

Body styles

The hatchback, which made the DB2 family unusually practical for a sports car of the 1950s, was by far the most popular choice. The drophead coupé accounted for 84 cars, and the fixed-head coupé without a hatch was built only five times. Wikipedia counts 83 left-hand-drive cars in total; all the others had right-hand drive. The car measures 4,369 mm in length, 1,651 mm in width and 1,359 mm in height, on a 2,515 mm wheelbase, and weighs about 1,361 kg.

The James Bond connection

In Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger, James Bond drives a "DB III" — the DB Mark III. In the chapter "Thoughts in a DB III" Bond follows Goldfinger on his way to the famous golf match. It is the only Bond car in Fleming's novels fitted with gadgets. When the novel was filmed in 1964, the car was updated to the then-new DB5, which became the most famous Bond car of all.

Legacy

The DB Mark III was the last of the DB2-based cars. Its successor, the DB4, introduced in 1958, was an all-new car that started the line leading to the DB5 and DB6. The Mark III's grille, however, lived on: its shape became a permanent part of Aston Martin's design language.