Aston Martin Recalling over 1,000 U.S. Vehicles Over Safety Concerns

British sportscar maker Aston Martin has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a safety recall 1,090 DB9, V8 Vantage and DBS vehicles built between 2007 and 2008.

In a letter sent by Aston Martin to the NHTSA, the British carmaker reported that the camber bolt that holds the front bottom suspension arm was not made to specification and "could crank along its shank" (shaft).

According to the company, this would allow the lower control arm to move freely, affecting the driver's ability to steer, and thus increasing the risk of a crash. The letter went on to say that drivers may hear a metallic rattling sound if the lower control arm had loosened in such a fashion.

An Aston Martin spokesperson told Bloomberg news that the defect was detected through company testing, not through any customer complaints. He went on to say that the driver would still be able to steer, but may notice 'looser handling'.

To rectify the defect, dealers will replace the affected camber bolts free of charge. Aston Martin has notified the NHTSA that the safety recall will begin on or before October 18th of this year.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: NHTSA / Bloomberg

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Britain Officially out of Recession... Rusty Old Aston Sells for Over £200,000 / US$300,000

When you think about it, the £160,000 (US$247,000) Aston Martin DBS is a little too common. Sure it's a beautiful machine with a monster V12 under the hood, but everyone and his mother has one these days. Now, what the car connoisseur needs is something a bit rarer; something that's unique. A vehicle with real motoring history coursing through its corroded veins. A fixer upper, even.

Fortunately - for one buyer at least - such a car exists. At Barsons' British Heritage Sale at Sandown Park, a very rare Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk III drophead coupe went up on the auction block with an asking price of £80,000-£100,000 (US$123,000-US$154,000). Not too extravagant; one could easily afford a spanking-new Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster or Coupe for that measly amount.

By the conclusion of the sale, however, this particular DB2/4 had fetched the rather more Barsons'-esque price of £206,866 (US$318,875). The Aston, once owned by company founder David Brown and which had spent the better part of thirty years under a tarpaulin, fetched twice Barson's top estimate.

Barons' Managing Director Laurence Sayers Gillan was quoted: "It was an amazing lot that attracted a huge amount of attention and exceeded all expectations."

And with the auction making around £700,000 (US$1.08 million), Sayers Gillan was no doubt laughing all the way to the bank. Recession? What recession?

Also auctioned off – albeit at far more mundane prices – were a very special '66 Lotus Cortina (£40,250 / US$62,000) and a '57 Daimler Conquest Century convertible (£29,000 / US$44,700). One can only speculate on the condition and pedigree of these vehicles given their "humble" sale prices.

By Tristan Hankins