Twenty Twenty by Italdesign – Giugiaro
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Twenty Twenty by Italdesign – Giugiaro

Twenty Twenty by Italdesign – Giugiaro

(2001)

Aston Martin concept cars used to be few and far between, especially those by the Italian design houses. Nowadays we see maybe one a year such is the versatility of the VH architecture. Yet prior to the current range of cars from Gaydon, the DB7 became the basis for a rather special concept. Designed by Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro of Italdesign Giugiaro, the Twenty Twenty was intended gives a view of an Aston Martin Spyder for the year 2020. The company sprung this amazing car on the unsuspecting visitors to the 2001 Geneva Salon L'Auto.
Twenty Twenty by Italdesign – Giugiaro

This startling car, based on an early production DB7 Vantage, had a body shape made of exposed extruded aluminium structural elements; body panels made from plastic and carbon fibre are fitted between the aluminium exoskeleton.

Whilst most concept cars are just mock ups, like almost every other Aston concept that I can think of the Twenty Twenty a fully functioning road car. It is powered by front mounted, supposedly uprated version of the 6 litre V12 from the DB7 Vantage, claimed to produce 500bhp – visible through a grilled fairing on the bonnet. Initially it appears to be a strict 2 seater, although the rear bulkhead can be removed to provide seating for two children. The soft top is stored in its own special housing that can be slotted into position between the roll-bar and the windscreen, ‘Targa’ fashion. Notice the fantastic door hinges – derived from the classic Aston wing vent, are both decorative and functional elements.

Aston Martin 2020

Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aston Martin previously co-operated in 1961, when Carrozzeria Bertone worked on the two-seater DB4GT Jet coupe prototype. And like the original ‘Jet’ car, the 2020 is destined to remain unique. Aston Martin are believed to have thought the 2020 ‘interesting’, but no plans were ever made even for limited production.

In March 2004, I received an e-mail claiming the 2020 was for sale, but I have been unable to find any reference to this anywhere. But the car was seen for the first time in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, June 2005. It is believed that Italdesign Giugiaro still owns the car  in Italy so it was a tremendous thrill for the 2020 to be shown at the DB7 Celebration event in the UK in September 2019.