By early 2009, AM made available some new photographs that show what the Rapide production car will actually look like. It had certainly evolved from the concept, no longer just a stretched DB9, the Rapide had developed a look of it’s very own. Indeed the Rapide didn’t share any panels with the DB9 whatsoever. The headlights were larger than the DB9 extending further back along the wings and had V8 Vantage style integral LED indicators. A crease line extended along the doors beginning at the side strakes in a fashion seen on the V8 Vantage.

The production ready Rapide was eventually unveiled in September 2009 at the 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show with production starting shortly afterwards. Early production cars appeared at dealers during launch events in the early Spring 2010 with customers taking delivery of cars from April 2010. The Rapide was the first production 4 door Aston Martin since the William Towns styled AM Lagonda which ceased production in 1989. Although not badged as a Lagonda, the Rapide is certainly a true descendant of both the DB4 based Lagonda Rapide of the 1960’s and V8 powered wedge Lagonda from the 1970’s and 80’s.

Some photos on this page were taken at the Geneva Salon 2010 and show the car in the new paint finish of Silver Blonde. Others show a US demonstrator in Morning Frost White at the 2010 AMOC Lime Rock meeting.

Following the recession that began in mid 2007 and subsequent sluggish recovery, AM production in general decreased leaving spare capacity for the Rapide in the UK. Production of the Rapide was ended prematurely at the AMRP in Austria during the Summer of 2012 and was transferred to Gaydon from the Autumn of 2012. Production of the regular Rapide ended in early 2013 with the introduction of the Rapide S with 2872 examples completed. The UK built regular Rapide is therefore a particularly race beast.