Terminology
DISCLAIMER
The information provided here is for general guidance purposes only. It is a combination of manufacturer guidance, first- and second-hand experience, and personal opinion. It may me inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.
There are a lot of terms specific to Aston Martins that will be good to know to help make the information on Redpants a little more digestible. To that end, this page will have a variety of terms, acronyms, and other things to help "translate" some of the terminology you'll come across.
I'm sure it's obvious that I'm an American so I'll use Freedom English rather than Proper English during my writing and babbling. Just to help bridge the divide, I'll put some of that in there but I’m not going to get so pedantic as to lay out different spellings.
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Acrynoms
AM - Aston Martin
Generic term for Aston Martin corporate, its HQ, factory, dealerships, cars, or anything else based on the context.
AMDS - Aston Martin Diagnostics System
This is Aston Martin's proprietary computer used to interface with the electronic systems of their cars. These are very rare to find outside of an Aston Martin dealership but some are out there. There are two main versions of it, with version 2 replacing version 1, plus racing-specific versions that are made for the extra systems on Aston Martin race cars without the excluded functionality for road car features that race cars don't have.
AML - Aston Martin Lagonda
Specifically refers to Aston Martin corporate.
AMOC - Aston Martin Owners Club
AMHQ - Aston Martin Headquarters
The main corporate office and factory located in Gaydon, England.
AMHT - Aston Martin Heritage Trust
AMi - Aston Martin infotainment
Aston Martin's infotainment system used on Gaydon-era cars. There were three versions, each replacing the one before. These are denoted as AMi I, AMi II, and AMi III. See my Infotainment Information Page for more details.
AMR - Aston Martin Racing
Aston Martin's race team, and also Aston Martin's in-house performance division. The two are technically different but some parts from the race cars do get used on road cars, while other "AMR" parts from the performance division are merely inspired by race car parts.
ASM - Auto-Shift Manual
This is another term for the Sportshift automated manual transmission used on the Vantage. There were three versions, denoted ASM I, ASM II, and ASM III. See my Transmissions Information Page for more details.
CCM - Carbon Ceramic Material
Sometimes called Carbon Ceramic Matrix, this is the carbon-based material used to make some of Aston Martin's brake rotors. See my Brake Systems Information Page for more details.
CEM - Central Electronics Module
The computer "brain" of the car. Known as the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) on other cars, but not to be confused with the ECU (Emotional Control Unit) crystal key used on many Aston Martins.
CRM - Convertible Roof Module
The control module for the folding roof of convertible cars. See my Convertibles Information Page for more details.
ECU - Emotional Control Unit
The absurd name for Aston Martin's crystal key that replaced the Volvo key and key fob starting in MY09. Not to be confused with the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of every other car, which is called a CEM (Central Electronics Module) in Aston Martins.
FED - Federal
Some parts have “FED” in their description. This means they are specifically designed to conform to Federal (national) requirements for vehicles sold in the United States. FED parts are also used on cars in other markets that may have similar requirements for those specific parts. (See also: ROW)
MY - Model Year
Model Year is not always the same as the calendar year in which the car was built. Usually used in conjunction with a 2- or 4-digit numeric suffix to specify the model year (e.g. MY14 and MY2014, which are the same thing). Sometimes it is written with the numeric value first (e.g. 14MY). It can include further detail to specify a time within a Model Year. Examples:
MY2010.5 - Halfway through Model Year 2010 (also the same as MY10.5)
MY12.25 - After the first quarter of Model Year 2012 (also the same as MY2012.25)
TPMS - Tire Pressure Monitoring System
The system used to monitor tire pressures and trigger a warning to alert the driver if a tire's pressure drops under a certain level.
Q - Q Division
Aston Martin's in-house customization and bespoke services group. Yes, it's named after the James Bond character.
ROW - Rest of World
Some parts have “ROW” in their description. This usually denotes these are the non-FED version of parts that have a FED version and are therefore used for the rest of the world outside of the US market or elsewhere that uses FED parts. (See also: FED)
V8V - V8 Vantage
Shorthand for the V8 Vantage. The same template can be used for other Vantages and it can be expanded to include trim. Examples:
V8VS - V8 Vantage S
V8VGT - V8 Vantage GT
V12V - V12 Vantage
VH - Vertical Horizontal
Aston Martin's internal name for the chassis on which Gaydon-era Astons Martins were built. The 1- to 3-digit suffix specifies the actual model (e.g. VH2, VH310, etc).
Terms
Vehicle Generations
Aston Martin has been through its ups and downs over the century-plus it has existed. To help define periods within its history, each is named based on either an owner of the company (David Brown), the factory (Newport Pagnell, then Gaydon), or corporate plan (2nd Century).
Newport Pagnell
Refers to the generation of cars that were built at Aston Martin’s Newport Pagnell factory prior to the company founding its factory and headquarters in Gaydon. These cars include the DB7, Vanquish (2001-2007), Virage (1989-2000), and others.
Gaydon Era
Refers to the generation of cars built at the then-new Gaydon factory. These cars include the DB9, DBS, Rapide, V8/V12 Vantage, Vanquish (2012-2018), and Virage (2011-2012), and others. It was followed by the 2nd Century, which began with the 2018 DB11.
2nd Century
Refers to the generation of cars that replaced those from the Gaydon Era. It was named after the 2nd Century Plan, which was the corporate roadmap made by then-CEO Andy Palmer. These cars include the DB11, Vantage (2019+), DBS Superleggera, and DBX.
Interchangeable Terms
The below terms are generally interchangeable, usually due to a difference in American vs British English. Some of these can be inconsistent, often due to Aston Martin themselves switching which term it uses for a given item.
Disc / Rotor
Usually interchangeable but sometimes used to differentiate specific components. For example, "A 2-piece brake rotor has a rotor hat in the center of a detachable friction disc."
Hood / Bonnet
American vs British English for the body panel that covers the engine bay.
Trunk / Boot
American vs British English for the cargo space at the rear of the car.
Side sill / Rocker panel
The body panel that goes from wheel to wheel below the doors.
Fender / Wing
American vs British English for the body panels that cover the front sides of the car and go over the top of the front wheels.
Spoiler / Wing
Refers to the additional piece of aerodynamic trim mounted to a trunk lid. A wing is usually elevated above the trunk lid while a spoiler can be elevated or semi-flush with it. I'm only pointing this one out to highlight the potential confusion for mistaking a trunk spoiler with a front fender.
Valance / Spoiler
The lower body trim pieces at the front and rear of the car. Also called a lip when referring to the one in front. It’s also worth pointing out the potential confusion between a this lower spoiler and a trunk lid spoiler.
Parking brake / Handbrake
The ratcheting lever brake system used for holding the car in place when parked. Sometimes called an e-brake (emergency brake).
Bumper cover / Bumper fascia
The body panels that cover the front armature and rear bumper beam.
Front bumper beam / Front bumper armature
The crash structure at the front of a Gaydon-era Aston Martin. It serves as both a front bumper beam and a mounting point for a variety of components. It should be called an armature, not a bumper beam.
Screw / Bolt
Yeah, this is a weird one. While very different fasteners, I’ve come across many instances of Aston Martin calling a bolt a screw. Just keep in mind that some parts may be labeled as screws when they are, in fact, bolts.
Vertical link / Upright assembly / Knuckle
Aston Martin refers to this item as the vertical link. It’s commonly called a knuckle or knuckle joint, and for some reason I call it an upright assembly. I can be a bit stubborn sometimes so I’ll keep doing it my way.
Sway bar / Anti-roll bar
The bar that crosses between the left- and right-side suspension assemblies.