Vanquish
For Aston Martin, the 1990s marked the era of the "Ford revolution": a change in manufacturing facilities, the birth of the Aston Martin design language that would define the brand for the next 20 years, as envisioned by Ian Callum, the development of a higher-volume model (the DB7) and the introduction of a V12 engine to replace the traditional V8. This new chapter brings the Aston Martin traditional craftmanship to a close, but it's likely the brand wouldn't have survived without this complete overhaul.
The Vanquish is part of this revolution, and its arrival was preceded by the 1998 unveiling of “Project Vantage,” powered by a Ford V12. Ian Callum took the DB7’s design to something more musculous, enhancing it dramatically like a car under steroids. The interior moved away from wood and gave pride of place to aluminum, which was very trendy at the time. The car surprised and impressed; journalists wrote about it, and customers wanted it. Aston Martin’s top-of-the-line model was finally unveiled in Geneva in 2001, with a superb name that had never been used before (the revolution continues!): Vanquish. The bodywork was slightly softened compared to Project Vantage, but the overall silhouette remains the same. The V12 engine produces 460 ch and is paired with a semi automated transmission, through paddle shift. The technical leap from the Vantage Supercharged V550 to the Vanquish is considerable.
In 2003, a more dynamic variant was introduced: the Vanquish Sport (Sports Dynamic Pack), recognizable by its 8-spoke wheels and slightly lower ride height. The final model year of the standard Vanquish (MY2004) adopted a rounder rim design with 7-spoke wheels. In 2004, the Vanquish S was introduced with a V12 engine boosted to 520 ch, recognizable by its modified front bumper and simplified grille (6 slats). Production ended in 2007 with the release of around 50 black Vanquish S Ultimate Edition models, distinguished by a discreet “Ultimate” badge affixed to the chrome blade of the side air intake.
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