British engineering - Italian styling - US market place

I guess that the word 'unique' is overused not only within this website, but within the whole history of AML. What makes the DB AR1 most unique is that the car was designed specifically for an overseas market, and in this case, not just the US as a whole but effectively the States of California and Florida. Another unique feature - the total lack of a roof - is what stops the car being called a 'Volante' - all Volante's at least have a folding canvas roof. I must add that a few production cars have had a rudimentary canvas hood retro fitted.

The prototype car was initially shown to potential clients in Los Angeles just prior to the public unveiling at the LA Auto Show in early January 2003. A very limited production run was then planned and within only three months, all 99 planned production examples were apparently taken up by eager enthusiasts. Right from the start, AML didn't want this car to be seen as an open DB7 Zagato, and I must admit I didn't understand exactly why but now I know. The DB7 Zagato chassis is shortened, the DB AR1 chassis is kept as the standard length due to the demands of US safely regulations. If the chassis had been shortened to the length of the DB7 Zagato, the AR1 would have to have undergone further expensive crash testing.

The DB AR1 is based on the DB7 Vantage Volante and features coachwork designed and executed by Zagato in Italy. The rare six speed manual car is powered by an uprated 'GT' version of the V12, with power upto 435bhp, torque to 410 lb ft plus an active sports exhaust system similar to that on the Vanquish. Far more DB AR1's were made with Touchtronic 5 speed transmission mated to the regular 420bhp rated engine. This enables the manual car to achieve 184mph and 0-60 in 5.0 seconds whereas the auto is limited to 165mph and does the dash to 60 in 5.1 seconds.

The car on the left is the prototype car from the LA Auto Show and was based on a converted 2002MY Vantage Volante. One feature only carried over to tiny number of production cars is the charcoal windscreen surround; most production cars have body painted windscreen surrounds.

The DB AR1 was intended to be the last Aston Martin to be built at the DB7 production facility, Bloxham, before it early in 2004. Oddly, during a tour of the new Gaydon facility in September 2003, a small number of DB AR1 bodyshells were spotted around the paint shop.

Not all the DB AR1's were delivered to the US. Eight cars were delivered to customers in mainland Europe, mostly Germany and a single right hand drive production example has remained in the UK for a very fortunate customer.