Rapide

Experimentation and innovation continued. The 'Atom' project began in 1940 as a response to materials shortages, packaging design and post-war needs. A 4-door saloon, the Atom was built around a steel tube chassis, upon which the bodywork was mounted. The strictly geometrical bodywork drew upon the new science of streamlining, and the car was smaller and lighter than what had gone before, with an innovative chassis design that ensured the company retained its image as a technical ground-breaker. In the decades following the war, the David Brown-era cars created the quintessential image of the grand tourer, 2-door 4-seaters that remain icons of car design. Beneath the supremely elegant skins there were yet more technological firsts, like the strong chassis-and-tube 'Superleggera' construction of the early DB series. In the 1970s and 80s, Aston Martin was uniquely positioned to accommodate almost any customer request, and 4-door variants of the V8 and Virage models were built for a select number of discerning customers.