Aston Martin is currently in the middle of a massive lineup refresh that already brought us the 2011 Aston Martin DB11 and will soon introduce successors for both the Vantage and the Vanquish, as well as the company’s first crossover vehicle. Unfortunately, for gearheads like us, every reorganization process also means that iconic models must be discontinued to make way for brand-new products. With the DB11 on its way to dealerships, Aston Martin is bidding farewell to the DB9.
Although this is a sign of progress and brings a faster and more technologically advanced vehicle to the streets, the discontinuation of the DB9 is also a sad event, putting an end to one of the most important Aston Martins ever built.
Introduced in 2003 as a replacement for the DB7, which was developed under Ford ownership and based on a Jaguar platform that was nearly two decades old, the DB9 was the company’s first all-new vehicle in years. While the drivetrain wasn’t exactly new, the previous dated platform was replaced with the aluminum Vertical Horizontal architecture, while the exterior was thoroughly redesigned by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker. The DB9 was gorgeous to look at and its styling became the norm for future products.
What’s more, due to the fact that Ford sold Aston Martin in 2006 and the Brits had to make without proper financing, the DB9 became the base for every model that followed, including the DBS, Vanquish, Vantage, and the four-door Rapide (many of which are still in production as of 2016).
After 13 years in production, the DB9 was sent off to the history books on July 22, when the "Last of 9" Edition, obviously limited to nine examples, rolled off the assembly line.
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