Aston Martin DBS (1967)
1967-1972 · Aston Martin DBS (1967) — Grand Tourer, Inline-6, designed by William Towns.
The Story
The original DBS marked a new look for Aston Martin. With coachbuilder Touring of Milan having collapsed, William Towns was hastily brought in to pen a square-shouldered, four-headlamp GT, unveiled at Blenheim Palace in 1967. It launched with the DB6’s 4.0 straight-six (Standard or Vantage), the chassis already prepared for the V8 that arrived in 1969.
It earned screen immortality as James Bond’s car in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – including the poignant flower-decked wedding-and-tragedy finale – and starred as Roger Moore’s ‘Bahama Yellow’ car in The Persuaders! Once it gained the V8, it became the ‘Aston Martin V8.’
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
William Towns
English designer who joined Aston in 1966 and shaped the DBS (1967), the long-running V8, and the radical wedge Lagonda (1976) and Bulldog concept. Also designed microcars (Minissima/Hustler). Source: Wikipedia.
Studio Motors POV
The handsome, underrated bridge between the classic DBs and the V8 era – a genuine Bond car for DB6 money. The six-cylinder Vantage is the sweet spot.
The Engine
Aston Martin Tadek Marek I6 (3.7-4.0)
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About DBS (1967)
Worth Knowing About the DBS (1967)
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. It's the OHMSS (1969) James Bond car – decked in flowers for Bond's wedding, and the scene of the film's tragic ending.
- 2. William Towns designed it in a hurry after coachbuilder Touring of Milan collapsed.
- 3. Roger Moore drove a six-cylinder DBS disguised as a V8 (in 'Bahama Yellow') in The Persuaders!
5 Fast Facts
- 1. 1967-1972; ~787 six-cylinder DBS built.
- 2. 4.0 twin-cam six: 282 bhp (Vantage 325).
- 3. Designed by William Towns; debuted at Blenheim Palace.
- 4. Gained the 5.3 V8 in 1969 (renamed 'V8' in 1972).
- 5. Bond car (OHMSS, 1969); The Persuaders! TV star.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Screen roles: James Bond’s car in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969); Roger Moore’s car (as Lord Brett Sinclair) in The Persuaders! No individual private celebrity owner verified.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
The Vantage six (325 bhp, triple Webers) is the pick of the six-cylinder DBS; OHMSS-replica spec is popular. More angular and rarer than the DB6, and undervalued. Check the body, the six and originality – beware V8-converted cars unless that’s the goal.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Aston Martin DBS (1967)
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1967-1972
- Units built
- 787 (six-cylinder DBS)
- Variants
- DBS Vantage (straight-six); DBS V8 (1969, became the ‘V8’)
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- Aston Martin Tadek Marek I6 (3.7-4.0)
- Displacement
- 3,995 cc (4.0L) straight-six
- Power
- 325 hp
- Torque
- 288 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 7.1 s
- Top speed
- 141 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 205 hp/tonne · 10.8 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed ZF manual (3-speed auto optional)
- Drivetrain
- RWD (front engine) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3501 lb
Questions
DBS (1967) FAQ
Is the Aston Martin DBS (1967) the Bond car from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service?
Yes. The Aston Martin DBS was James Bond’s car in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), driven by George Lazenby as 007. The car famously appears in the film’s wedding sequence and the tragic finale that closes it. Roger Moore also drove a Bahama Yellow DBS as Lord Brett Sinclair throughout the 1971-72 TV series The Persuaders!
Who designed the Aston Martin DBS (1967)?
The DBS was designed by William Towns, hastily commissioned after Carrozzeria Touring of Milan collapsed in 1966, leaving Aston Martin without a styling house for the first time. Towns’ design features square-cut shoulders, four headlamps, and a wider body specifically engineered to accept the 5.3-litre V8 that arrived in the DBS in 1969.
How does the Aston Martin DBS (1967) differ from the DB6?
The DBS uses the same 4.0-litre Tadek Marek straight-six as the DB6 (282 bhp standard, 325 bhp Vantage) but has a completely new body — William Towns’ angular four-headlamp design replaced Carrozzeria Touring’s flowing DB6 lines. The DBS is wider, heavier, and longer, explicitly designed to house Tadek Marek’s 5.3-litre V8, which arrived in 1969.
What is an Aston Martin DBS (1967) worth today?
Ordinary six-cylinder Aston Martin DBS (1967-1972) examples trade closer to $60,000-$153,000 (Classic.com first-gen DBS average around $60,000-$70,000, with a top sale around $153,000 including DBS V8 data). The Vantage specification (325 bhp, triple Weber carburettors) and examples with OHMSS-related provenance or documented screen history command six-figure premiums.
Can you buy or finance an Aston Martin DBS (1967)?
Yes. The DBS trades on the secondary market as an undervalued classic sitting between the DB6 and V8 in the Aston hierarchy.
The Aston Martin Lineup
Explore every Aston Martin
DB4 GT Zagato ’60DB5 ’63DB6 ’65DBS (1967) ’67V8 ’69
Lagonda ’76V8 Vantage (1977) ’77
V8 Vantage (Supercharged) ’93DB7 ’94DB7 Vantage ’99
V12 Vanquish ’01DB9 ’04V8 Vantage (2005) ’05DBS (2007) ’07V12 Vantage (2009) ’09One-77 ’09
Rapide ’10Vanquish (2012) ’12V12 Zagato ’12V12 Vantage GT12 ’15DB11 ’16Vanquish Zagato ’16Vantage ’18DBS Superleggera ’18
DBX ’20Valkyrie ’21V12 Speedster ’21V12 Vantage (2022) ’22Valour ’23Vanquish (2024) ’24Valiant ’24Valhalla ’25
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