2009 Aston Martin Dbs 2dr Cpe on 2040-cars

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This Aston Martin DBS has lived in a barn since 1986

For a moment, think of every major event that has occurred in your life since 1986 (if you're old enough, of course). Many birthdays have come and gone, children have grown to become adults, and we went from listening to "Rock Me Amadeus" to well... Justin Bieber. In a nutshell, things have changed quite a bit, but not for everything. In 1986, this Aston Martin DBS was rolled into a barn and locked safely away from prying eyes, and for the last 30 years, that is exactly where it has remained, until now. The dusty yet gorgeous Aston will cross the Silverstone Auctions block in May, where it's expected to fetch upwards of GBP60,000 (about $87,000). New in 1968, it would have cost about GBP4,470. RELATED: See More Photos of this Barn Find Aston Martin DBS Few words can describe the emotional weight of these barn find images, but "haunting" seems to fit. The Aston's three decades of shed isolation have written their story across its fastback bodywork, which now comes layered thick with dust, dirt, and a spot of bird dirt or two. Peer beneath the grime though and the DBS still wears its original coat of Mink Bronze paint. Inside the grand tourer's cabin, time has stood equally still, however the elements have been a bit less fair. The rich leather front seats and upholstery have grown grey and mottled with age. And while no one has sat in the back seat of this DBS for ages, it would appear critters haven't long given up roost there. Even so, it's utterly jaw-dropping to see in its untouched state. RELATED: Check Out James Bond's Actual 1964 Aston Martin DB5 According to the auction house, the Aston Martin was sold new on November 5th, 1968, to its first owner in Surrey, England, who held onto it for a little under two years. In April 1970, the DBS passed to its second owner—a 'Mr. Pasqua'—who relocated the car to the island of Jersey (the largest of the UK's Channel Islands). For the next 16 years it would accumulate a scant number of miles before getting tucked away in a barn on the island, and to this day, the odometer reads just 30,565 miles driven. Then again, how far can you really drive on an island that's only five miles wide and eight miles long. RELATED: This '66 Porsche Barn Find Looks Ravishing in Red As for its model history, the DBS was the rather radical successor to the storied and much more sweeping Aston Martin DB6.

No surprise, Brits still love the Aston Martin Vanquish

We like the Aston Martin Vanquish very much. Sure, there are faster, wilder, crazier vehicles available for the money. Cough, Ferrari, cough. But there's something just so damned charming about the Aston and its big, monstrous V12 engine and stunning looks. And we're not alone in that opinion. You'll hear much the same if you watch the video above, the latest from the team at Xcar. In it, you'll watch host Alex Goy sample the stunning Vanquish Carbon White Edition, rocketing along Britain's stunning B-roads accompanied by a howling engine note. Goy heaps particular praise on the Vanquish's new transmission, the extremely well-received eight-speed automatic from ZF. Aston Martin has a spotty record when it comes to automatic transmissions, but this is the same sublime box being employed by luxury brands across the globe. Considering that, its capabilities in the Vanquish aren't too surprising. You can and should check out the full video from Xcar up at the very top of the page, if only for the V12 soundtrack alone.

Aston Martin Bulldog gets another chance to wedge its way past 200 mph

Tell us if this sounds familiar: In the mid-1970s, Aston Martin decided it wanted to prove its engineering prowess by building a car that would hit 200 miles per hour, so company designer William Towns penned the Bulldog DP K9 concept; in 1980, Aston Martin test drivers took the Bulldog to 191 mph at the MIRA test track, but the company was short on cash, so when Victor Gauntlett bought a 10% stake in the company and became chairman in 1981, he canceled the Bulldog program. The company sold the car to a Middle Eastern collector in 1982, while Gauntlett engineered a sales recovery and Aston Martin's return to the James Bond franchise. Now, 37 years later, Classic Motor Cars (CMC) in Bridgnorth, wants to show off its new engineering facility and prowess, and it intends to do so with the Bulldog. CarBuzz picked up on the story that the concept's current owner sent the coupe to CMC for a nut-and-bolt restoration, expected to take roughly 18 months. After that, the Bulldog will take a run at its destiny, aiming for 200 mph, or even better, the 237 mph that Aston Martin engineers at the time said the car should do.      The Bulldog's ultra-wedge shape, stretched over 186 inches and just 43 inches high, could not have come from any other decade. A panel on the front lowered to reveal five square headlights, while giant gull-wing doors doubled the car's height when opened. The interior, matching the Towns-designed Lagonda Series 2, showed off LED lights, buttons and touchscreens. Designers put the 5.3-liter V8 from the front-engined "Oscar India" V8 Vantage into the middle of the Bulldog, then lashed two Garrett turbochargers on top, final output claimed to be 700 horsepower and 500 pound feet of torque. Shifting through a five-speed manual, the rear-wheel-drive, 3,814-pound coupe hit 60 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds. If the Bulldog had achieved its target, it would have been the fastest production car in the world. The plan was to build up to 25 units for sale, which would pay for development costs said to exceed 1 million pounds at the time. The restoration will return the concept to its original state, CMC's managing director adding that it "may include modern components and technology to improve the car's reliability." The original car, for instance, didn't have side mirrors; those were supposedly added by the Middle Eastern collector. The original was gray and white, not green, had a black interior instead of tan.