The iconic Aston Martin DB5 used by film character James Bond: this factory-made replica on, the show is an example of the “continuation” series of the original James Bond Aston Martin.

The lovers of iconic British classics can enjoy a beautiful exhibition in the heart of Brussels: until Sunday 21^st of June they stand eye to eye with the iconic cars which embody the history of this wonderful brand.

You will admire at your leisure the rare 1925 Grand Prix car, of which only 3 exist in the world today, and the one you will see in Brussels is the last one produced… Another F1 gem awaits you in the magnificent hall of Autoworld: the legendary DBR4.

But every enthusiast just loves the DB5, the iconic James Bond car. The car on the show is a replica, but it is in almost every aspect equal to the original. Did you know that the total series production of the DB5 was only 1,059 units?

On the show, iconic Aston’s from the ‘50s and ‘60s can also be admired. What to think of the gleaming black DB1, nicknamed “Spa Special”, as this is the very car that raced to victory in 1948, with team drivers Jock Horsfall and Leslie Johnson behind the wheel.

Engineer Claude Hill had designed the 2 litre four cylinder engine for the revolutionary 1939 Atom, because of the wardid not really survive the prototype s. Key to the concept was the integral construction of body framing and chassis, which were made from rectangular steel tubes.

Looking at this photo, you can easily imagine yourself sitting behind the wheel of the Aston DB1, racing towards victory in the Spa Francorchamps 24 race…

The 1948 Motor Show saw the launch of the first car to be produced under the ownership of David Brown, thTwo Litre Sports, retrospectively named ‘DB1’.  It used the Atom chassis construction, by the way…
 

There is also a Bordeaux coloured DB2/4 to be seen, which was originally owned by Belgian king Baudouin, see the photo here above. He drove not less than four Aston Martins in his life. A true connoisseur!

Noblesse oblige, and this means that an Aston Martin exhibition cannot do without a Zagato bodied example. We admired the DB4 Zagato, which was again a factory recreation of the original. The DB4 Zagato was produced between 1960 and 1963.

Originally, 25 units were planned, but the interest proved not to be large, resulting in only 19 copies being produced. Later, the popularity of the Zagato version was increasing, and two subsequent series were, “Sanction II” with 4 copies, and “Sanction III” with a further 2 copies.

The car on the show is produced in a new series of 19 , built in 2019 on the occasion of the centenary of Zagato. is a true racing car, and is not allowed to drive on public roads…

We also found the Aston Martin 2022 Speedster-type supercar, the DBR22, totally stunning. We will return soon to this beauty, which is an homage to the legendary Aston Martin DBR1 Sports Racing Car. On the photo below, you see the cockpit details of this speedster, with the Aston Martin Victor in the background.

Below we show you a photo of the cockpit and steering wheel of the DBR22, with the steering wheel of the original 1925 Grand Prix Car in the background, with almost a century between them…

The show also includes modern creations like the Aston Martin Victor (see photo earlier) and the rare One-77. More on  these cars soon…  

Everybody knows that the name Aston Martin is tied to casino glamour and film, and this was also very much the case at the magnificent opening night of this exhibition, where your servant was invited by the very dynamic team of Autoworld.

On the opening night, invitées could enjoy a game of roulette…in the true James Bond tradition!

Sebastien de Baere, General Manager of Autoworld, welcomed the public…

and Autoworld Curator Leo Van Hoorick commented expertly on the displayed cars…

More soon on this Aston Martin exhibition, but in our columns we will also come back on the previous Lancia exhibition, with more stories and photos of Lancia’s legendary Grand Prix car, the D50…

Stay tuned!

Hans Knol ten Bensel