Background
The Aston Martins that followed on from the DB6 were very obviously from the pen of a different designer.
They took their aesthetic cues from the design zeitgeist of the 60s and 70s, not the 40s and 50s. They also tipped an unapologetic and undisguised nod to America’s muscle cars – the Ford Mustang in particular.
After the DB6 came the DBS, still with a six-cylinder engine and patiently awaiting the arrival of a V8 that promised to give the car the grunt to go with the grace.
The V8 proved to be well worth waiting for. It was a proper muscle car and one that owed its squat, steroidal stance and sleekly aggressive profile to the design pen of Aston’s William Towns.
The engine was designed by Polish émigré Tadek Marek, a man whose inimitable engineering imprint stretches from the DBR2 racing car engine, through the redesign of Aston’s venerable, Bentley-derived straight-six, to the development of the 5.3-litre V8 for the DBS V8 in 1969.
Several iterations later, this fabulous powerplant only reluctantly retired once it had motored into the new millennium, bulked up to 600bhp, and propelled the Vantage 600 to speeds reputedly in excess of 200mph.
The Aston Martin V8 Series 2 was the first of the line to be known simply as the V8 (its predecessor, the DBS V8, was effectively the Aston Martin V8 Series 1, although it never bore that moniker).
Weber carburettors were reinstated for the Series 3 in 1973, and the cars were identifiable by the larger bonnet scoops designed to accommodate them.
Series 3 V8s could reach 60mph in 5.7 seconds with a manual gearbox, and although performance was somewhat neutered by emissions regulations in 1976, cars with the following year’s ‘engine enhancements were back up to 305bhp.
The ‘Oscar India’ Series 4 specification was introduced in October 1978. Somewhat prosaically, ‘Oscar India’ stands for ‘October Introduction’.
Cosmetic changes from the Series 3 included a closed ‘power bulge’ on the bonnet rather than an open ‘scoop’, and a discreet spoiler integrated into the boot lid.
Internally, leather and walnut veneers replaced vinyl on the dashboard and on door cappings. The headlining was also now leather.
All round, the intention with the ‘Oscar India’ models was to raise the bar in terms of quality, finish and equipment.
Power and torque were given a small hike over the Series 3.
Just 352 ‘Oscar India’ models were built from 1978 through 1985, making the fine example we have with us today one of the last ever made.
