The restoration, preservation and continuation of classic cars all hinge on the sourcing and management of the components and tools that go towards creating these wonderful vehicles. When watching car restoration programmes or YouTube videos, the main difficulty mechanics have when restoring cars is finding that one specific component, that works for maybe one specific car. Often, the vehicles were produced so long ago that not only are the components no longer being made, but the factory where they were produced may also no longer exist.

News from Aston Martin Works will be music to the ears of classic Aston Martin owners, as for the first time in decades, new major components, including gearboxes and engine blocks, for some of the brand’s most iconic cars are readily available.

Introduced by Sir David Brown, Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, is the historic home of the British marque and the place where over 13,300 cars have been hand built since 1955.

Working with trusted suppliers, the team at the heritage home of the world renowned British car maker has developed entirely new engine blocks, cylinder heads, gearboxes and other major components – all painstakingly built to original manufacturer specifications – which are now being made available to owners of DB4, DB5, DB6 and certain V8 models from the 1960s and 1970s.

The move to invest in the creation of new tooling to manufacture key components for some of the most famous members of the brand’s historic back catalogue means that owners of these hugely desirable and valuable sports cars can once again return their vehicles to fully original specification with the certainty that the parts they are fitting have been produced to full and appropriate factory specifications.

The idea and drive to remanufacture items such as gearboxes came about as part of the Aston Martin continuation programme which naturally led to the need for new parts while also generating a full understanding of which parts were immediately available and which had not been manufactured for many years.

One specific project that influenced this decision to develop new parts for some of the brand's heritage models was the Aston Martin Goldfinger DB5 Continuation. Potentially the most famous of all Bond cars, the DB5 has transcended the world of cars and cemented its place in movie history. The continuation model gave fans of the car the opportunity to live their dreams and pretend to be James Bond, something we’ve all dreamed about, I’m sure. Thanks to the Aston Martin Works team, classic cars like this can live on for decades longer.

Owners can be assured that new components have been checked and approved by the Aston Martin Works team and that replacement parts are supported with the appropriate documentation.

For the automotive world, this is potentially a watershed moment. Electrification of classic cars is one service that is already provided, however, if other manufacturers and brands can follow Aston Martin's lead, then there is hope for the restoration of unloved petrol classic cars around the world.

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Aston Martin Works