Object Number: AMHT-2018-928
Object Type: Photographic Material
Object Description: Press Photograph of an Aston Martin DBS being crash tested at MIRA, 1968
Imagine an Aston Martin car, and you are probably thinking of something beautiful, sleek and very shiny. And with Christmas fast approaching, perhaps the image has a big bow and is sat under the Christmas tree? Well, we can all dream I suppose!
Our ‘Object in Focus’ this month is the complete opposite to that imagined Aston Martin image, and that is probably why it caught my eye.
This black and white photograph is an Aston Martin Lagonda Limited press image from the 13th September 1968. It dramatically captures the moment a DBS underwent a crash test at the MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) facility. The car was driven automatically into a 200 ton concrete block at 30.8 mph. This process proved that the DBS production cars met the 1968 United States safety regulations. In addition, it surpassed the forthcoming 1970 requirements as well.
If you look closely, you can spot fragments of the front of the car in mid-air, and the cloud of dust from the impact. In the background, mounted cameras and lights recorded how the car behaved under the test conditions. It would certainly be reassuring, as a potential driver or passenger, that the majority of the car is unaffected after the impact.
It may not be an image of a pristine Aston Martin, or even a particularly festive image for this time of year, but this “Crash-ton” Martin is definitely a bit of a cracker.
