Aston Martin Recalling over 1,000 U.S. Vehicles Over Safety Concerns

British sportscar maker Aston Martin has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a safety recall 1,090 DB9, V8 Vantage and DBS vehicles built between 2007 and 2008.

In a letter sent by Aston Martin to the NHTSA, the British carmaker reported that the camber bolt that holds the front bottom suspension arm was not made to specification and "could crank along its shank" (shaft).

According to the company, this would allow the lower control arm to move freely, affecting the driver's ability to steer, and thus increasing the risk of a crash. The letter went on to say that drivers may hear a metallic rattling sound if the lower control arm had loosened in such a fashion.

An Aston Martin spokesperson told Bloomberg news that the defect was detected through company testing, not through any customer complaints. He went on to say that the driver would still be able to steer, but may notice 'looser handling'.

To rectify the defect, dealers will replace the affected camber bolts free of charge. Aston Martin has notified the NHTSA that the safety recall will begin on or before October 18th of this year.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: NHTSA / Bloomberg

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Britain Officially out of Recession... Rusty Old Aston Sells for Over £200,000 / US$300,000

When you think about it, the £160,000 (US$247,000) Aston Martin DBS is a little too common. Sure it's a beautiful machine with a monster V12 under the hood, but everyone and his mother has one these days. Now, what the car connoisseur needs is something a bit rarer; something that's unique. A vehicle with real motoring history coursing through its corroded veins. A fixer upper, even.

Fortunately - for one buyer at least - such a car exists. At Barsons' British Heritage Sale at Sandown Park, a very rare Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk III drophead coupe went up on the auction block with an asking price of £80,000-£100,000 (US$123,000-US$154,000). Not too extravagant; one could easily afford a spanking-new Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster or Coupe for that measly amount.

By the conclusion of the sale, however, this particular DB2/4 had fetched the rather more Barsons'-esque price of £206,866 (US$318,875). The Aston, once owned by company founder David Brown and which had spent the better part of thirty years under a tarpaulin, fetched twice Barson's top estimate.

Barons' Managing Director Laurence Sayers Gillan was quoted: "It was an amazing lot that attracted a huge amount of attention and exceeded all expectations."

And with the auction making around £700,000 (US$1.08 million), Sayers Gillan was no doubt laughing all the way to the bank. Recession? What recession?

Also auctioned off – albeit at far more mundane prices – were a very special '66 Lotus Cortina (£40,250 / US$62,000) and a '57 Daimler Conquest Century convertible (£29,000 / US$44,700). One can only speculate on the condition and pedigree of these vehicles given their "humble" sale prices.

By Tristan Hankins

Special Edition Aston Martin DBS and V12 Vantage Carbon Black

The maker of the Cygnet mini has momentarily returned to the business of making exotic supercars as Aston Martin revealed today a pair of special edition versions of the DBS and V12 Vantage. Called Carbon Black, both models feature a bespoke -you guessed it- Carbon Black metallic finish that takes 50 man-hours of hand painting and quality checks to complete.

Both special editions ride on gloss black 10 spoke diamond turned alloy wheels while the V12 Vantage also gets a carbon fiber side strake over a black mesh vent, a bright finished grille and front parking sensors which are normally an option.

The interior of the DBS and V12 Vantage Carbon Black specials are adorned in Obsidian Black leather contrasted by hand stitched silver thread.

The sport seats are formed from Carbon Fibre and Kevlar which saves 17 kg or 37 pounds over the standard seats while other features include the Piano black facia trim, centre stack and centre console, anodised black tread plates and unique sill plaques made out of carbon fiber.

The V12 Vantage gets a standard 700w Premium Audio System while its DBS counterpart is equipped with a Bang & Olufsen Beosound DBS audio system.

Under the skin, everything remains the same with both the DBS and V12 Vantage Carbon Black editions being powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine churning out 510-horsepower.

Detailed pricing is to be confirmed in January 2010, but Aston Martin said that buyers should expect a 5 per cent increase over the price of the basic models. Deliveries of both models will commence from March.