The full specification of the Keswick is listed below.

• Right hand drive, UK spec 2002MY V12 Vantage coupe or Volante with Touchtronic transmission
• Ferrari Nero Daytona Black coachwork
• Upper and lower mesh grilles
• Upper and lower interior in charcoal hide
• DB7 logo embossed on the seats
• Charcoal carpets, DB7 logo stitched into the carpets
• Smoke headlining
• Metallic finishes and cappings to replace wood veneers
• White faced instruments
• 19 inch wheels
• Black brake callipers
• Each car also came with a numbered IWC wrist watch

We now know that in addition to the 50 Ultimate Editions made, AM built three UAE’s (standing for the United Arab Emirates) in a colour more suitable for the intense sunlight of the Middle East. Each car has special sill plates signifying that the car was one of a limited run of just three – this doesn’t actually explain why there were four white painted cars on the line BTW. I believe the interior specification of the UAE is the similar to the UE with black semi-aniline leather, but with course white stitching, 2+0 seating and platinum steering wheel inserts. As ever, I’ll find out eventually, always do!

The full specification of the Keswick is listed below.

• Right hand drive, UK spec 2002 model year V12 Vantage Volante with Touchtronic transmission
• Ferrari Nero Daytona Black coachwork
• Black mohair hood
• Upper and lower mesh grilles
• Upper and lower interior in charcoal hide
• DB7 logo embossed on the seats
• Charcoal carpets, DB7 logo stitched into the carpets
• Smoke headlining
• Metallic finishes and cappings to replace wood veneers
• White faced instruments
• 19 inch optional wheels
• Black brake callipers
• Each car also came with a numbered IWC wrist watch

All coachwork was finished in the same special shade of Slate blue with a contrasting interior of both Caspian Blue and Arctic Blue leather. The lighter Arctic Blue is used on the pleated centre seat panels – making the seats unique to this model. Many items, previously optional extras were made standard on the Anniversary – Touchtronic transmission, graphite grey brake callipers, premium stereo system, sat-nav, colour keyed steering wheel, powerfold mirrors plus Parchment instrument dials.

The Ultimate Edition was available by special request to customers wishing to celebrate the last of a significant car in Aston Martin’s history. The whole allocation of this special edition was sold within only a couple of weeks of the announcement which perhaps explains why the scheduled number of cars jumped to 50 examples, 20 RHD and 30 LHD.

The Ultimate Edition, essentially, was a V12 Vanquish S with a unique colour and trim combination. On the exterior, these changes included coachwork painted a unique metallic shade called ‘Ultimate Black’ described as black with a hint of red and blue, only available on the UE. Inside, the Vanquish S cabin was trimmed in a semi-aniline leather, with coarse stitching, leather headlining and with black chrome finish interior fittings. Each car was also be fitted with personalised sill plaques denoting it’s limited edition number.

No additional charge was made for the Ultimate Edition, available only with the 2+2 seating arrangement and priced in the UK at £182,095. I will add that identification of the UE is difficult as they have no unique external features save for a very discrete badge on the wing vent that may not even have been used on all cars. Alongside the European market Ultimate, AML also produced a small number of Morning Frost White V12 Vanquish for the Middle East, the UAE

Many of the photos on this page feature chassis 502589, the very last Aston Martin ever made at Newport Pagnell and initially retained by the factory for promotional purposes. It was subsequently sold and is now part of a private UK collection.

I also was fortunate to photograph to many of the UE’s during the last month of production which will be shown on a future page on this site.

In 2017, the VH3 Vanquish production was also brought to an end with an Ultimate Edition

All coachwork was finished in the same special shade of Slate Blue with a contrasting interior of both Caspian Blue and Arctic Blue leather. The lighter Arctic Blue is used on the pleated centre seat panels – making the seats unique to this model. Many items, previously optional extras were made standard on the Anniversary – Touchtronic transmission, graphite grey brake callipers, premium stereo system, sat-nav, colour keyed steering wheel, powerfold mirrors plus Parchment instrument dials.

Some of these photographs were taken during the AMOC open day to mark the opening of the Gaydon Facility in September 2003. Although built at Bloxham, the cars appear to be undergoing pre-delivery inspections. Others were taken at the 2021 AMHT Festival

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.

For the small portion of V12 Vanquish still uncomfortable with the factory fitted system, the auto shifter can be removed and replaced with a normal gear stick and clutch pedal. The conversion by Aston Martin Works is extremely neat with the gear lever from the V8 Vantage,  appearing from what was formally the cup holder. Later 2006MY S’ cars with the DB9 type centre console are a little more complicated to convert. Firstly the aperture for the gear stick need to be created as the later cars have an ash tray instead of a cup holder. Also the panel in the centre console has to be recessed back to allow full movement of the gear lever. Finally the redundant paddles are removed and the steering wheel cowl is recovered to hide the holes.

The ‘slick-shift’ was never offered as an option on new cars during initial building but was available retro-fitted after the cars had been registered for the road (in the same way as with the V600 Vantage models of the late 1990’s). Prices for a conventional stick-shift transmission commenced in August 2006 was listed as from £13,250 (+ VAT). By the middle of 2013, Works had carried out over 90 conversions to V12 Vanquish and V12 Vanquish S cars both at the Works and at selected dealers overseas.

* The recommended way to drive a paddle-shift V12 Vanquish in traffic is to leave a gap and not drift along as you would in a conventional automatic car.

AMWS R7 001

Below is chassis 001, finished in classic Aston Martin Racing Green. It was offered for sale in the 2015 Aston Martin Bonhams Works auction in stripped out form, but despite the neat racing roundels, not quite ready for the track.

AMWS R7 003

Marsh Plant purchased a pair of DP cars, 002 & 003. Below Shows 003, offered for sale at the 2015 Aston Martin Bonhams Works auction. As can be clearly seen, the body shell is far from complete but is fitted with a prototype V12 engine with V12 Vanquish S inlet manifolds. The body shell has been developed by Ray Mallock Ltd (RML) and has been fitted with a complete roll cage.

AMWS R7 002

Chassis 002 was also purchased in 2004 by Marsh Plant and is the most developed of all the DB7 Vantage race cars. Like 003, it has been substantially re-enginerred for the track by RML and has a substantial roll cage fitted. The car has a race spec engine by Aston Engineering of Derby developed to produce 600 bhp, mated to a Hewland sequential gearbox. Downforce is generated with a substantial front splitter and a rear wing from a DBRS9. The lightweight body panels have been made in Carbon Kevlar Hybrid or even lighter full Kevlar composite material. This car, which has yet to be seen on the track in competition was also offered for sale at the 2015 Aston Martin Bonhams Works auction.

A pair of DB7 i6 race cars have also been constructed from factory ex-prototypes.

Principle changes over the standard car were to the chassis/suspension and brakes. The front upright and wheel assembly were made stronger and stiffer with shorter springs (reducing the ride height by 5mm) and revised dampers. Also the steering was made more highly geared to make it 20% quicker than previously. The front brake discs were increased to 378mm in diameter (up from 355), together with six pot calliper to replace the four pot items. The rear disc diameter remained unchanged at 330mm, although 2mm thicker than on the standard car.

Best way to identify the Sport Dynamic variant from the standard car are the lightweight 9 slim spoke wheels (30% lighter than the 12 spoke – best wheels ever seen on a V12 Vanquish) and new brake discs with an elliptical groove pattern. Below you can find pictures of the standard brakes and SDP version as well as the thicker front uprights.

The Sports Dynamic Pack V12 Vanquish was only available for a few months before the similar but more powerful V12 Vanquish S replaced it in September 2004. It has been claimed by AML that only 94 examples were made making it one of the rarest models in the V12 Vanquish range.