Automotive WI – Aston Martin produced a smaller sportscar

It appears one of Aston Martin’s issues over the years post-WW2 was the lack of a smaller 2-seater sportscar to help the company get through the bad times, what if Aston Martin were in a better position to capitalize on a few potential missed opportunities to help lay the groundwork for such a scenario via the following PODs?

POD 1) – Aston Martin manages to develop a successful and reliable Lagonda DP100 4.5-litre V12 engine during the early-1950s becoming the British (pre-Jaguar V12) analogue of the Ferrari Colombo and Lamborghini V12s, which would have allowed for a 60-degree V6 potentially displacing up to 3-litres to serve as Aston Martin's entry-level engine below the Tadek Marek V8 (and indirectly replacing the 3.7-4-litre inline-6). - http://www.db-lagonda.com/dp117-brown-bomber/4585169533

POD 2) – An ATL BMC replaces the MGB with the MG EX234 prototype, with Aston Martin acquiring the rights and tooling / etc for the MGB in the late-60s to early-70s (pre-fuel crisis).

The MGB would form the basis of a smaller Aston Martin sportscar dubbed the Atom (named after the war-time era prototype of same name) and featuring a downsized Aston Martin DBS/V8-like 2-seater body and 2.25-3-litre+ 60-degree V6 engines (with possibility of malaise era 2-litre V6 with or without turbo). However it would significantly differ from the later OTL proposed Aston MGB prototype.
- https://www.aronline.co.uk/concepts/concepts-and-prototypes/sports-car-projects-aston-mgb/

POD 3) – As a result of Aston Martin being in a better financial position compared to OTL they agree to produce the TVR Tina, in OTL they were one of 3 companies approached by TVR to build the Tina though financial problems precluded them from building the car. - http://www.imps4ever.info/specials/tvrtina.html

POD 4) Aston Martin is eventually acquired by Ford as in OTL, though minus the presence of Jaguar (e.g. either vanished or part of another company). As they already produced the smaller V6-engined Aston Martin Atom for over a decade or so in this ATL, Ford would likely be tempted to place Aston Martin / Lagonda in a roughly similar position to OTL Jaguar under Ford (minus X-Type) if more upmarket.

The ATL Aston Martin DB7 ends up not being derived from Jaguar mechanicals and though still carries over the Duratec V6-based V12, the entry-level engine is likely to initially be a related 4-litre 60-degree Duratec V8 (aka developed version of 3.4 V8 SHO) putting out around 295-320+ hp (likely replaced by an a Ford-funded Aston Martin-developed analogue of the OTL Jaguar AJ-V8).

The replacement for the Aston Martin Atom sportscar meanwhile would likely be powered by Ford Duratec V6 topped by 260-300+ hp twin-turbo or supercharged engines, akin to the OTL Noble M12 / M400 and stillborn Jaguar X-Type R respectively. The naturally aspirated 3-litre Duratec V6 itself was said to be able to put out 260 hp in the OTL Bonspeed Jaguar X-Type over the existing 240 hp. - http://www.jag-lovers.org/concepts/bonspeedx.html
 
Last edited:
Top