So as to mark the 60th Anniversary of the association, Aston Martin Works commissioned six cars (3 Vanquish coupes, 3 Vanquish Volante’s), each representing a decade to commemorate the event. Each limited edition Vanquish has been styled by the Design team at Aston Martin Lagonda working with the bespoke personalisation service: Q by Aston Martin. Uniquely, the cars use authentic materials carefully selected from each era of the last 60 years to create a celebration of the past, present and future of Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell.

The first car, a white Volante was revealed just before Christmas 2014 to specially invited customers to the annual party. The remaining cars were built during the first few months of 2015. Five of the six cars were, for the first time, brought together in May 2015, firstly for the AMWorks/Bonhams auction and the following day, in a special class at the AMOC Spring Concours.

The Vantage N400 featured a few tweaks over the standard car. This included a useful power upgrade to the 4.3 litre V8 engine, lifting peak power to 400 bhp and peak torque to 420 Nm. The car also came equipped with a new Sports Pack as standard which offered subtly different driving dynamics tailored to enthusiasts who were seeking even more responsive handling. The Sports Pack comprised of unique lightweight graphite-finished aluminium wheel type with diamond turning (already fitted to the Sports Pack DB9), up-rated springs and dampers and a new rear anti-roll bar (for the Coupe only). The Vantage N400 also included a number of exterior design changes, including a revised side sill design, Magnum Silver bonnet and side strake meshes, clear rear lamp lenses and a bright finish grille.

Interior enhancements included perforated black leather seats, micro-spin alloy facia trim and a unique numbered sill plaque. The Vantage N400 was only available in three new exterior colours; Bergwerk Black, Lightning Silver or Karussell Orange (the first time that orange has been a standard colour for an Aston I believe), with either Sportshift or conventional manual transmission. Additionally, the Vantage N400 came equipped with a range of optional equipment fitted as standard, including Satellite Navigation, 700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System, Bluetooth telephone preparation, HID headlamps, cruise control and memory/heated seats. In the Karussell Orange coloured cars, the seat stitching was course tan and a map of the Nürburgring was embroidered on the arm rest; the black and silver cars used either course silver or red thread. It was also possible to specify a rather more discrete black thread.

AML supposedly limited production of the N400 to just 480 examples (240 coupes, 240 Roadsters) – why 480? well that’s how many seconds are in 8 minutes, the time that the N400 could lap the Nürburgring. Almost all cars were built during March and April 2008. It is now believed that far fewer cars were actually built making the N400 especially desirable to collectors.

The special series of ‘N’ cars continued with the 4.7 litre N420 in 2010 and the N430 in 2014.

So as to mark the 60th Anniversary of the association, Aston Martin Works commissioned six cars (3 Vanquish coupes, 3 Vanquish Volante’s), each representing a decade to commemorate the event. Each limited edition Vanquish has been styled by the Design team at Aston Martin Lagonda working with the bespoke personalisation service: Q by Aston Martin. Uniquely, the cars use authentic materials carefully selected from each era of the last 60 years to create a celebration of the past, present and future of Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell.

The first car, a white Volante was revealed just before Christmas 2014 to specially invited customers to the annual party. The remaining cars were built during the first few months of 2015. Five of the six cars were, for the first time, brought together in May 2015, firstly for the AMWorks/Bonhams auction and the following day, in a special class at the AMOC Spring Concours.

Aston Martin Vanquish Works 60th anniversary

The special V8 Vantage, initially finished in Karussell Orange, was repainted in a unique Morning Frost Satin paint, with the texture of fine silk. The interior was influenced by Kilgour’s 2008 collection and finished in Kilgour Midnight Blue, with the seat-inserts adorned with a polka-dot effect. The fashion show in Paris offered a unique opportunity to view the latest creations of two extraordinary brands. The new collection by Kilgour and the V8 Vantage were appreciated by 250 invited VIP and media guests.

Photo from Aston Martin Lagonda

It features numerous touches that make it a totally unique prospect, too, including a full Q exclusive interior featuring one-off colours and quilting, Q Conker Saddle carpets with Q exclusive Conker Saddle overmats, Q Rosewood High Gloss Fascia, Q wing and buckle badges with white enamel infill and a full Q matching tailored luggage set.

The car also comes complete with a special plaque in honour of its status as a one-of-one model, reading: “Specially commissioned by Q to commemorate the AM37 yacht launch – 1 of 1.”

The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante AM37 Edition by Q became available to purchase through Aston Martin Reading for £236,950.

Updated styling, greater power output and sharper handling define this latest evolution of the 310 Vanquish model line. 

In this, the second generation 310 Vanquish’s evolution to S specification, careful attention has been paid to the engine, chassis and aerodynamics to create a machine honed to deliver more intense thrills and even more scintillating performance.

Central to the ‘S’ is the naturally-aspirated 5.9 litre V12 engine, which now produces up to 595 bhp (up from 565 bhp) and enjoys sensational throttle response, thanks to a revised and enlarged inlet manifolds which allow a greater volume of air to flow into the engine at high revs. The calibration of the 8-speed Touchtronic III transmission has been revised to deliver faster gearshifts and greater refinement at low speeds for a greater sense of precision and immediacy.

Likewise, the suspension, damper internals, spring rates and anti-roll bar bushes have also been re-tuned to give the Vanquish S a keener edge in the more sporting suspension modes, without compromising its ability to deliver supple ride quality on demand.

The Vanquish S can be readily distinguished from the previous model by a new aerodynamic package. Fashioned from exposed carbon fibre, the revised and more aesthetically attractive front splitter delivers a reduction in frontal lift without a significant increase in drag. The new rear diffuser combines with visually striking new quad exhaust outlets which also distinguishes the S from the earlier car

The Carbon look can be further enhanced with a range of new options. These include carbon fibre bonnet louvres, new forged 5-spoke diamond turned wheels and a choice of striking painted graphics packs. A new Vanquish S badge sits proudly on the tailgate as the perfect piece of jewellery.

Inside, the Vanquish S can be further personalised with a choice of spectacular new ‘Filograph’ quilted leather and the use of new materials and finishes, such as the Satin Chopped Carbon Fibre fascia panel. Sumptuous Bridge of Weir Caithness leather offers an added touch of luxury and tactility, while Vanquish S embroidery on the headrests provides a crafted finishing detail.   

The Vanquish S became available in both Coupe and Volante forms with a recommended retail price starting from £199,950 in the UK, €262,950 in Germany and $312,950 in the US. Deliveries to customers commenced in December 2016. The car was replaced in summer 2018 by the DB11 based DBS Superleggera.

The N400 featured a few tweaks over the standard car. This included a useful power upgrade to the 4.3 litre V8 engine, lifting peak power to 400 bhp and peak torque to 420 Nm. The car also came equipped with a new Sports Pack as standard which offered subtly different driving dynamics tailored to enthusiasts who were seeking even more responsive handling. The Sports Pack comprised of unique lightweight graphite-finished aluminium wheel type with diamond turning (already fitted to the Sports Pack DB9), with up-rated springs and dampers. The N400 also included a number of exterior design changes, including a revised side sill design, Magnum Silver bonnet and side strake meshes, clear rear lamp lenses and a bright finish grille.

Interior enhancements included perforated black leather seats, micro-spin alloy facia trim and a unique numbered sill plaque. The N400 was only available in three new exterior colours; Bergwerk Black, Lightning Silver or Karussell Orange (the first time that orange has been a standard colour for an Aston Martin I believe), with either Sportshift or conventional manual transmission. Additionally, the N400 came equipped with a range of optional equipment fitted as standard, including Satellite Navigation, 700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System, Bluetooth telephone preparation, HID headlamps, cruise control and memory/heated seats. In the Karussell Orange car, the seat stitching was course orange and a map of the Nürburgring was embroidered on the arm rest, the black and silver cars in course silver or sometime red or even black thread.

AML intended limiting production of the N400 to just 480 examples (240 coupes, 240 Roadsters) – why 480? well that’s how many seconds are in 8 minutes, the time that the N400 could lap the Nürburgring. Almost all cars were built during March and April 2008. It is now believed that 195 N400 Roadsters were actually built making the edition especially desirable to collectors.

The special series of ‘N’ cars continued with the 4.7 litre N420 in 2010 and the N430 in 2014.

The V400, was limited to only 10 examples was very competitively priced at only £75,950 for the V8 Vantage V400 Coupe and £79,950 for the V8 Vantage V400 Roadster (plus road tax). This made the V400 the least expensive new Aston Martin for a very long time until the title was taken away by the 2012 Cygnet.