By 1958, a revolutionary design was unveiled which was destined to carry Aston Martin through the 1960's - the DB4. Production was moved North to the former Salmon/Tickfords coachworks in the small Buckinghamshire town of Newport Pagnell. The Italian styled GT, the DB4, formed the basis of all remaining Aston Martins of the decade with landmark models such as the DB4 GT Zagato and DB5.

All of the models of the 1960's shared the fantastic Tadek Marek straight six engine. Aston Martin Lagonda owner, David Brown (knighted in 1968), saw a market for a bigger, faster and more luxurious GT which needed a powerful V8 engine. Whilst a new body was quickly developed, delays in developing the new V8 powerplant saw the DBS unveiled in 1967 with the familiar straight six. Thus the DBS and the later AM Vantage are grouped in with the DB4, 5 and 6.