Book Review: Aston Martin DB 70 years by Andrew Noakes
Positives
Negatives
While F1 fans wait in anticipation for the unveiling of next season’s 2021 Aston Martin F1 team car, the British marque actually first raced in F1 back in 1959 with its DBR4 open wheel monocoque. Andrew Noakes’ in 2017 published the beautiful “Aston Martin DB 70 Years” book in celebration of the famous Aston Martin DB cars which traces the pre-war roots of Aston Martin in 1912 to David Brown’s takeover in 1947 car and the earliest DB1 sports all the way to the most modern Aston Martin DB11.
While best known for its cinematic ties to James Bond’s car of choice in the iconic DB5, and more recent DBS and DB10 cars, Aston Martin DB series has been raced in F1 and Le Mans.
Noakes includes all the DB cars across 5 chapters and while most of the content is focused on the saloon cars, the archival history of the Le Mans challenges with the DBR1 are included and also the more modern DB9 GT1. Coverage of the DBR4 F1 car is brief but that’s more a fact of its short stint in the DB timeline.
This book is a genuine coffee table or collector library book – the 25cm x 30cm hardcover, binding and heavy grade paper reflect its quality.
Layout and photography is superb – there are some beautiful 2 page colour photospreads and B&W photos from the Aston Martin Heritage Trust archival collection is also included.
Aston fans will definitely love having this book in their collection.
Wow Factor/Money shot: Archival photos of the Aston Martin DBR1 and DB4 GT at 1959 Le Mans and of course, the iconic DB5.
Suitable for: Aston Martin, 007 & luxury sportscar fans
