The
DB Mark III (normally simply called
Mark III, even at the time of its introduction) is a
sports carThe term sports car has been defined as "an open, low-built, fast motor car." The term describes a class of automobile with two seats, two doors, precise handling, brisk acceleration, and sharp braking — trading practical considerations such as passenger space, comfort, and cargo capacity...
sold by
Aston MartinAston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in BuckinghamshireFrom 1994 until 2007...
from 1957 through 1959. It was an evolution of the
DB2/4 Mark IIThe DB2/4 is a grand tourer sold by Aston Martin from 1953 through 1957. It was based on the DB2 it replaced, available as a drophead coupe and 2+2 hatch back well ahead of the times. Other changes included a wraparound windscreen, larger bumpers, and repositioned headlights...
model it replaced, using an evolution of that car's W.O. Bentley-designed
LagondaThe Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. Designed by Walter Owen Bentley , it vaulted Aston Martin to fame as a maker of desirable sports and racing cars.-History:After World War II, W. O. Bentley began working on a new straight-6...
2.9 L (2922 cc/178 in³)
straight-6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
engine.
Changes included a grille like that on the DB3S, a new instrument panel, and available Girling
disc brakeThe disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel. A brake disc , usually made of cast iron or ceramic composites , is connected to the wheel and/or the axle...
s.
The
DB Mark III (normally simply called
Mark III, even at the time of its introduction) is a
sports carThe term sports car has been defined as "an open, low-built, fast motor car." The term describes a class of automobile with two seats, two doors, precise handling, brisk acceleration, and sharp braking — trading practical considerations such as passenger space, comfort, and cargo capacity...
sold by
Aston MartinAston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in BuckinghamshireFrom 1994 until 2007...
from 1957 through 1959. It was an evolution of the
DB2/4 Mark IIThe DB2/4 is a grand tourer sold by Aston Martin from 1953 through 1957. It was based on the DB2 it replaced, available as a drophead coupe and 2+2 hatch back well ahead of the times. Other changes included a wraparound windscreen, larger bumpers, and repositioned headlights...
model it replaced, using an evolution of that car's W.O. Bentley-designed
LagondaThe Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. Designed by Walter Owen Bentley , it vaulted Aston Martin to fame as a maker of desirable sports and racing cars.-History:After World War II, W. O. Bentley began working on a new straight-6...
2.9 L (2922 cc/178 in³)
straight-6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
engine.
Overview
Changes included a grille like that on the DB3S, a new instrument panel, and available Girling
disc brakeThe disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel. A brake disc , usually made of cast iron or ceramic composites , is connected to the wheel and/or the axle...
s. A hydraulic clutch was new as well, and optional Laycock-de Normanville
overdriveOverdrive can refer to two different things.An overdrive is a device which was commonly used in automobiles to allow the choice of an extra-high overall gear ratio for high speed cruising, thus saving fuel, at the cost of less torque. Usually the final or top gear is called overdrive...
or
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
were available. Worm-and-sector steering and a
live axleA live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
rear end were carry overs. At the rear, the DB2/4 Mark II's tailfins were altered to use the rear lights from the
HumberHumber is a British automobile marque which could date its beginnings to Thomas Humber's bicycle company founded in 1868. In 1931 it was taken over by the Rootes brothers to become part of the Rootes Group. The range focused on luxury models, such as the Humber Super Snipe.Thomas Humber went to...
Hawk.
The standard
DBA engine model with twin SU carburettors produced 162 hp (121 kW), though an optional dual-exhaust system raised this to 178 hp (133 kW). Thus equipped, the car could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds and hit 120 mph (193 km/h). An optional high-output
DBB engine with twin three-choke Weber carburettors, special
camshaftA camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam featuring a camshaft was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206...
s, and the dual-exhaust system boasted 195 hp (145 kW), though this was rarer than a mid-level
DBD option with triple SU carbs and 180 hp (134 kW).
Girling disc brakes were fitted as standard to the front wheels of all MkIII Astons, after the first 100 had been made. Many cars were upgraded later.
Only five automatic cars were made from a total of 551.
A 1959 review by
Road & TrackRoad & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Media, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
magazine praised the car for everything but its $7,450 price. "A car for connoisseurs," they called it. "The Aston has many virtues and few faults." Among the faults was too-heavy steering effort, high door sills, and a stiff ride. Interestingly,
R&T failed to comment at all on the car's innovative
hatchbackHatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window...
body style, complete with fold-down rear seats, although this had been first introduced in the 2/4 MkI in 1953.
Coupés
Two Coupe variants of the Mark III were also produced. A
Drophead Coupé convertibleA convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle. Many different automobile body styles are manufactured and marketed in convertible form....
, while not common, still outnumbered the
Fixed Head Coupé — 84 of the former were produced, while just five of the latter were built. All five Fixed Head Coupés feature the high-spec
DBB engine, however. Both featured conventional hinged boot lids rather than the innovative hatch back.
James Bond
James BondJames Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful English language film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr...
drives an Aston Martin DB Mark III in the novel version of
Goldfinger, though it is referred to as a "DB III" in the book – indeed, the chapter in which he drives to his famous golf-course encounter with the villain is entitled 'Thoughts in a DB III'. It is the only Bond car in the
Ian FlemingIan Lancaster Fleming was a British author and journalist. Fleming is best remembered for creating the character of James Bond and chronicling Bond's adventures in twelve novels and nine short stories...
novels to have gadgets installed. For the
film adaptationGoldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title character. The film was...
, which came out a half-decade later, the car was updated to the newer
Aston Martin DB5The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 was an improved DB4. The DB series was named after David Brown .The DB5 is famous for being the first and most recognised James Bond car...
model and the array of gadgetry was much expanded. It was to became one of the most iconic of classic cars as a result.
The Henderson Brothers
The Henderson Brothers drive a red one borrowed from their friend, Warren Avis (named after the writer) in the new teen mystery novel, Murder In Paradise. It is blown up in a car bomb, supposedly killing Andrea.
Production
- DB Mark III: 551
- Hatchback: 462
- Drophead Coupé: 84
- Fixed Head Coupé: 5