But it was the classy sporty little number that was deemed the nation's best loved car from the last quarter of a century.

Aston Martin has long been an instantly recognisable brand, undoubtedly helped by the phenomenon that is the 'Bond' franchise, since its first appearance in 1964's 'Goldfinger' with 007's DB5.

However, it was the newer DB9 model of this luxury motor – the DBS version of which was driven by Daniel Craig in 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum of Solace' – that raced into pole position.

Jennifer Thomas, spokeswoman for Direct Line, said: "We're now looking forward to following the motoring trends into the next decade and beyond."