Top 10 Aston Martins Of All The Time

As Aston Martin heads stronger than ever toward its centenary year in 2013, we look back on arguably the most desirable of the automotive brand's fine stable of rides to bring you our definitive 10 Aston Martins of all time.

Click through our decade-spanning countdown and feel free to tell us if we’ve done any of your favorite Aston Martins a cruel injustice or, of course, if you agree with our cherry-picking of the best of the very best of British.

10) Aston Martin V8 Vantage "Le Mans"

Aston’s V8 Vantage started out life as the Virage . But as natural succession evolved in Aston Martin’s lineup, the Virage name gave way to a snappier V8 label. This particular "Le Mans" strain acted as the last hurrah before the European emissions police parked the classic Virage/V8 series in the very long-stay car lot with a full complement of wheel clamps.

The V8 Vantage "Le Mans" was a snarling iteration of an already very angry beast. Limited to an exclusive run of just 40 examples that bore plaques engraved with their owners’ names, they were built in 1999 to celebrate 40 years since Aston’s epic victory at Le Mans with the DBR1.

With 604 bhp and 820 Nm on tap from the 5.3-liter supercharged warhorse under a gloriously elongated hood, it was one hell of a special edition to salute the end of the Virage/V8’s run.

9) Aston Martin DB1

Weirdly, the first of David Brown’s Aston Martins didn’t actually wear the DB moniker from the start. Known as the Aston Martin Two-Liter Sports during its launch at the 1948 London Motor Show, it was only with the arrival of the DB2, two years later, that this new chapter in the book of roadsters retrospectively assumed the DB1 label.

Although there is no parallel to be drawn from the modest 90 bhp output and the meager four-cylinder push rod engine under the hood, you can still make out, only just, the makings of the trademark Aston-shaped grille -- albeit formed by three separate parts.

With only 13 of these most exclusive convertibles ever made (plus one spare chassis), the DB1 remains to this day one of the most sought-after Astons of all time.

8) Aston Martin DBR1-2

 Whether taking its name from the iconic, world championship-winning DBR1 from the 50s assisted in the success of the striking DBR1-2 we don’t know, but success certainly found this racer faster than it did its inspiration.

Out of the box in 2008, the highly tuned British V12 sports car co-developed with Prodrive and draped in unmistakable Gulf colors, swept to a charismatic victory at the 2009 American Le Mans Series.

7) Aston Martin Rapide

Burying any extant memories of the painfully angular and overwhelmingly awkward looking 1980s Lagonda, Aston Martin proved in 2010 that it really could do four-doors after all -- and this time produced one of the sexiest four-door rides in an age.

Built to cater to the growing needs of the returning Aston Martin buyer, it needed to retain every inch of style that it was accustomed to in its coupe -- but take a family too. Put simply, the Rapide nailed it -- and the fact that it’s just as good to drive while loaded with passengers and their ensuing luggage as it is to look at earns it legendary status in our eyes.

6) Aston Martin Bulldog

This is possibly the greatest Aston Martin that never was. The Bulldog was only ever intended as a strictly limited release of 25 examples, but in the end the release couldn’t have been any more strict, with only one, sadly, ever seeing the light of day.

The 1979 work of sci-fi art, although designed and built in the UK, is actually a left hooker, packing a 5.3-liter twin-turbo V8 block that is rumored to have been able to deliver nearly 700 bhp. To this day, the unique, super low-slung supercar is still kicking around the States worth something in the region of $1.4 million

5) Aston Martin DB5

 Of all the cars in Aston Martin’s 99-year history, probably none has captured the world’s attention quite like the DB5. With a little help from Bond, the cinematic legend (and we’re talking about the car now) featured in a string of Bond blockbusters including Goldfinger, Thunderball and Casino Royale. It’s even rumored to make its return to the silver screen in the forthcoming Skyfall.

Known almost exclusively as a coupe, derivatives were also produced including a convertible and even a shooting brake designed for the purpose of transporting Aston’s then-boss David Brown’s dogs from hunt to hunt.

Powered initially by a six-cylinder, 4.0-liter engine capable of delivering 282 bhp, it received a shot in the arm in 1964 with a 314 bhp Vantage model to finish the DB5’s run in a predictably Aston Martin-style flourish.

Sadly, an ejector seat never made the DB5’s options list but it did come fully pimped, 1960s style, with deep shag-pile carpets and a matching pair of fuel tanks.

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4) Aston Martin DBR1

David Brown’s serious foray into motorsport was initiated with 1956’s awesome DBR1 -- the first Aston that was built, from scratch, purely to race and win. Winning ways, however, seldom come easy.

Eventually the DBR1 did take the silverware home to England. With the likes of Stirling Moss and Carroll Shelby behind the wheel, the beautiful DBR1 snatched Aston Martin its one and only world championship to date, the World Sportscar Championship of 1959.

That year also saw the racing green Aston Martin DBR1 take a prestigious 1-2 victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours race and lay claim to the crown in Aston Martin’s racing legacy.

3) Aston Martin V12 Zagato

 Celebrating the 50-year partnership between Aston Martin and Italian design and engineering consultancy, Zagato (that began with the DB4 GT Zagato), this latest synergy of the two brands is a jaw-dropping, contemporary car porn star.

Powered by a 6.0-liter V12 unit capable of 510 bhp and 570 Nm of organ-reorganizing torque, it pushes Aston’s current Vantage, from which it’s ostensibly based, to the nth degree.

Debuted relatively unsuccessfully, but in line with typical Aston tradition -- on the race track -- the road-going V12  Zagato (pictured here) is limited to just 150 examples starting at £330,000. It started rolling out of Aston’s Gaydon facility later in 2009.

2) Aston Martin DB9

Aston Martin’s DB9 is without question the quintessential gentleman’s supercar. Possessing pace, passion and poise while fusing them seamlessly with a new level of refinement, the DB9 established a new benchmark for every grand tourer thereafter.

As the first car to be built in Aston Martin’s new home in Gaydon, Warwickshire, in 2004 it also debuts the company’s all-new aluminum VH platform that became the subsequent core of nearly every Aston Martin since.

Penned by design guru Ian Callum, both proportionally and aesthetically it’s a flawless stroke of understated and unequivocally British swagger that refuses to become dated

1)Aston Martin One - 77

There is, of course, little question that the almighty One-77 is the undisputed, ultimate Aston Martin of all time, in the history of the world, ever. Lavished with a slew of awards since its unveiling at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, this £1.3m hypercar is a show-stopper in every sense, epitomizing Aston Martin’s every achievement -- whether it be technology, engineering, craftsmanship or desirability. The One-77 is simply unbeatable.

Bestowed with an extreme evolution of the V12 found in the DB9, DBS and V12 Vantage, the One-77’s 7.3-liter, 750 bhp-producing, naturally aspirated engine will hit an incredible 220 mph and cover a 0-62 mph sprint in a tidy 3.5 seconds.

Only 77 of these unrivaled Astons will ever be produced, virtually guaranteeing that the value of these iconic dream machines will only rise.

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