Aston Martin VH platform
The Aston Martin vertical–horizontal (VH) is a vehicle platform developed by the British carmaker Aston Martin. It was the basis of every mass produced vehicle in Aston Martin's lineup manufactured between 2003 and 2016,[note 1] comprising the DB9, followed by the Vantage, DBS, Rapide (produced until 2020), Vanquish (produced until 2018). The limited-production Virage, DB10 and Lagonda Taraf also used this platform.
Ulrich Bez was appointed chief executive officer and chairman of Aston Martin in July 2000.[2] At that time, the company had made significant investments in the V12 Vanquish's structural platform and determined that developing a separate platform for a single model would not be a prudent use of resources. In 2001, Bez initiated the development of a new versatile architecture intended to accompany automobiles of various sizes; most of the developments were done within that year.[3] They implemented modifications to enhance assembly efficiency, aiming for thirty minutes per unit, compared to the four hours required for the V12 Vanquish.[4] The VH platform was developed to be flexible;[5] every vehicle that uses it incorporates bonded and riveted aluminium to reduce weight.[6] The term "vertical" indicates that the platform can accommodate various applications and can be adjusted in size to meet the requirements of future models. The term "horizontal" signifies that components of the platform can be used across different models within the Aston Martin lineup.[7]
The first vehicle to use the VH platform was the DB9, which constituted the platform's first generation. The Vantage, introduced in 2005, used the second generation of the platform, along with the DBS and DB10, introduced in 2007 and 2014, respectively. The third generation of the platform was used by the Virage in 2011, the 2012 facelift of the DB9 and the 2012 Vanquish. The Rapide and Lagonda Taraf used the fourth generation, an extended version of the platform.[8][9]
Vehicles
[edit]| Body style | Model | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Name | Introduction (year) |
Discontinuation (year) | ||
| Mass-produced vehicles | |||||
| Grand tourer | .jpg)
|
DB9 | 2004 | 2016 | [10][11][12] |
| Sports car | 
|
Vantage | 2005 | 2018 | [13][14] |
| Grand tourer | _(cropped).jpg)
|
DBS | 2007 | 2012 | [15][16] |
| Executive car | 
|
Rapide | 2010 | 2020 | [17][18][19] |
| Grand tourer | 
|
Vanquish | 2012 | 2018 | [20][21][22] |
| Limited-production vehicles | |||||
| Grand tourer | 
|
Virage | 2011 | 2012 | [23][24][25] |
| Grand tourer | 
|
DB10 | 2014 | 2015 | [26][27] |
| Full-size luxury car | .jpg)
|
Lagonda Taraf | 2015 | 2016 | [28][9] |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Excluding the V12 Vanquish, and the DB11, the latter of which was manufactured from September 2016 and used an all-new platform[1]
References
[edit]- ^ Petrány, Máté (17 May 2018). "Why Aston Martin Replaced the DB11 V12 With the Hotter AMR After Twenty Months". Road & Track. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Taylor 2024, p. 202.
- ^ Taylor 2024, p. 206.
- ^ Taylor 2024, p. 207.
- ^ Robinson, Peter (1 June 2004). "2005 Aston Martin DB9 GT". Car and Driver. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Towler, Adam (11 June 2020). "The first and last Aston Martin Vanquish models go head-to-head". Evo. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Taylor 2024, pp. 207–208.
- ^ Taylor 2024, pp. 210.
- ^ a b MacKenzie, Angus (18 February 2016). "2016 Lagonda Taraf: The $1 Million Hand-Built Aston Martin Sedan". Motor Trend. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Loveys 2015, p. 2001.
- ^ Abidin, Shafiq (15 August 2024). "The Aston Martin DB9 is 20 years old: here's a used one we found for £12k". Top Gear. BBC. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Perkins, Chris (25 July 2016). "Aston Martin DB9, The Long-Lived Savior of the Brand, Ends Production". Road & Track. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ "Aston Martin Vantage Review 2024". Top Gear. BBC. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Huntingford, Steve (13 March 2018). "Used Aston Martin Vantage Roadster 2005-2018 review". What Car?. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ "Aston Martin DBS (2007-2012) review". Auto Express. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Droppa, Denis (29 May 2008). "The DBS's in touch with its dark side". The Mercury. p. 10.
- ^ Alaniz, Anthony (19 June 2023). "Aston Martin Rapide Comeback Ruled Out Because Sedans Don't Sell". Motor1. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Peterson, Andrew (7 May 2010). "Aston Martin Begins Deliveries of 2010 Rapide". Motor Trend. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Aston Martin Rapide". Auto Express. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Sorokanich, Bob (25 October 2018). "Someone Bought the Plans and Tooling for the Aston Martin Vanquish". Road & Track. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Pollard, Tim (20 June 2012). "Aston Martin Vanquish (2012) first official pictures". Car. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Ashraf, Yousef (October 2023). "Best buys: grand tourer". Evo. No. 314. pp. 122–127. ISSN 1464-2786.
- ^ DeLorenzo, Matt (2 March 2011). "2012 Aston Martin Virage at 2011 Geneva Auto Show". Road & Track. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Hogan, Mack (6 June 2018). "You've Already Forgotten About The Aston Martin Virage". Jalopnik. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "2012 Virage and Virage Volante", The Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario, 19 March 2011, p. 120, retrieved 9 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Frankel, Andrew (3 January 2016). "Aston Martin DB10 2014-2015 review". Autocar. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Berk, Brett (30 September 2015). "Test-Driving James Bond's Snazzy New Aston Martin". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Duff, Mike (4 February 2016). "Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf 2015-2016 review". Autocar. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- Loveys, Richard (2015). Aston Martin. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78442-073-4.
- Taylor, James (2024). Aston Martin DB9 and Vanquish: The Complete Story. Crowood Press. ISBN 978-0-7198-4316-7.