Vanquish Mk1 — 2001
The Vanquish was the last model entirely designed and built at Newport Pagnell, bringing to an end a tradition of hand-craftsmanship in this Buckinghamshire village that dated back to 1964. Designed by Ian Callum, then by Henrik Fisker for the finishing touches, it adopted a bonded and riveted aluminium structure — a first for the marque — and carried a 5.9-litre V12 producing 460 bhp coupled to a six-speed automated sequential gearbox. Its appearance in Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan established it as a James Bond car and secured it immediate worldwide fame.
The Vanquish Mk1’s automated transmission is one of the most-discussed features on Aston Passion: brilliant on the open road, it can prove frustrating in town. Several members have documented conversions to a manual gearbox, complex transformations but much appreciated by purists. The 2004 S version, raised to 520 bhp, represented the pinnacle of the range. With around 1,500 examples, the Vanquish Mk1 remains a relatively rare model whose value rises steadily, supported by its status as the last Newport Pagnell car and a Bond car.
The DB AR1: the American roadster (2003)
In 2003, Aston Martin created the DB AR1 (American Roadster 1) specifically for the American market. Based on the Vanquish platform, the roadster with neither roof nor soft top — conceived for California — took the 6.0-litre V12 producing 435 bhp in an open body styled by Henrik Fisker. Only 99 examples were built, all destined for the United States. Rarely seen in Europe, the DB AR1 is a catalogue curiosity that illustrates Aston Martin’s efforts to conquer the American market at the dawn of the Ford era.