In 1972 Aston Martin introduced their handbuilt grand tourer, the V8. Based on the DBS and fitted with their new V8 engine, the Aston Martin V8 would be the company's flagship model for almost 20 years. The car is also known as the AM V8 and went through 5 distinct series over the course of production. As was common from Aston Martin, a performance oriented Vantage version was available, and starting in 1978, a Volante convertible was also added to the range. Production of the V8 ended in 1989, when it was replaced by the Virage.