2006 Aston Martin Db9 Volante Convertible, Meteorite/grey Leather on 2040-cars

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On the trail of the Aston Martin racer who helped change WWII

Arguably one of the most crucial operations of the second World War, Operation Mincemeat was a British disinformation mission responsible for misdirecting Axis forces towards Greece and Sardinia, and in turn, opening up the Italian island of Sicily. That led to the downfall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and opened up the soft underbelly of Hitler's Third Reich. While we won't go into all the details of Operation Mincemeat (it really is worth studying, though), an integral aspect required the transport of a dead body from Hackney, London, 400 miles north to Holy Loch, Scotland as quickly as possible. The corpse, which was disguised as a major in the Royal Marines and loaded with faux sensitive documents pointing to a landing in Greece, needed to be appropriately fresh. That's where Aston Martin racing driver turned MI5 operative Jock Horsfall came into play. The body was loaded into Horsfall's customized 1937 Fordson van, and hustled north. For the rest of the story, you'll need to take a look at Xcar's recapping of Horsfall's fateful journey while at the helm of an Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, the far more civilized successor to the English legend's black 2 Litre Speed.

Aston Martin brings impressive lineup of metal to Monterey

Aston Martin wins the manufacturer's round of Show and Tell on Thursday at Pebble Beach, bringing six cars to the collectors' bacchanalia with four North American debuts among them. The 540-horsepower Aston Martin DB9 GT said hello to US crowds for the first time, likely the beginning of a goodbye tour while it prepares to give way to the coming DB11. Having finished its work in Rome and other points distant filming Spectre, slotting in between DBs 9 and 11 comes the DB10 making its global public debut. The latest Bond car might look better sitting still in the Aston Martin pavilion than it does in the movie trailers. The Middle-East-and-Europe only Aston Martin Lagonda has never been to the US either, nor has the DBX electric crossover concept, and the utility vehicle got a coat of Mako Blue paint to make its introduction. The Vulcan racer got re-hued as well, in a coat of Saffron Orange. Finally, there's an Aston Martin Q Vanquish Volante built specifically for Pebble. Combining an "adventurous sport theme" and "deep teal colors of Arctic sea ice," Silver Fox paint is accented with Q Tomales Red and Ocellus Teal, Baltic Blue leather inside, and teal-tinted carbon fiber throughout. It's the most vibrant and fastest chunk of iceberg on the peninsula, certainly. Check out the entire range in the galleries above and below. Related Video:

Jay Leno, Ex-Stig test Aston Martin's latest cars

Aston Martin is on a roll right now. From unveiling its latest V12-powered hypercar codenamed the AM-RB 001 to building one-off convertibles of hardcore track toys, the automaker has really hit its stride. With cars like the DB11 and V12 Vantage S, Aston is also working on reinventing its road cars. Jay Leno, because he's Jay Leno, was lucky enough to test both cars at Willow Springs, and he invited former Stig Ben Collins to have some fun. In this clip from Jay Leno's Garage, the comedian gets a design overview of the DB 11 and then talks to Collins about his racing career, working on Top Gear, and doing Hollywood stunt driving. The pair plays a little James Bond chase on the track, with Collins in the V12 Vantage S and Leno in the DB11. Jay isn't exactly working all of the 600 hp from the twin-turbocharged, 5.2-liter V12, as it's a prototype. Meanwhile, Collins is hot-dogging the V12 Vantage S, with its anachronistic naturally aspirated 5.9-liter V12 and seven-speed manual transmission, behind him. Although the driving pace isn't quite matched, when two remarkable cars get together, everyone wins. Related Video: