Aston Martin recently unveiled the Vanquish Centenary Edition, a special car celebrating the British marque’s 100 years in the car business. The Vanquish is the first in a series of Centenary Editions based on each of Aston’s current models.
Changes to exterior of the Vanquish are minimal. The Centenary Edition comes in a special graduated paint finish, which adds 18 hours to the 50-hour paint process. Special “tinters” are used to give the light-appearing paint a dark side, and the paint is hand-applied to each body panel with a mini spray gun.
In addition to the meticulous paint job, the Aston Martin badges are now sterling silver with the details rendered in a “trans flux enamel inlay.”
On the inside, the Centenary Edition gets the One 77 hypercar’s black leather, now with contrasting silver stitching. The Aston Martin logo is embroidered into the headrests with silver thread. Solid sterling silver plaques confirm the car’s pedigree.
The Centenary Edition also comes with a gift box containing: Two glass keys with individual pouches made from the same leather as the car’s interior, Aston Martin cufflinks, a solid silver Rollerball pen, and Bang & Olufsen headphones. The final gift is a silver polishing cloth, an important addition for a car with sterling silver badges.
The changes may include some impressive feats of craftsmanship, but the Vanquish Centenary Edition seems to suffer from special edition syndrome. It’s mechanically identical to a stock Vanquish, so owners may have to pull out their solid silver pens to show that their car is better than the neighbor’s.
The Vanquish is a pretty good birthday present in its own right, though. Replacing the DBS, it’s the latest in a long line of Aston Martin grand tourers. Under the hood is a 6.0-liter V12, which makes 565 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. Sixty-two miles per hour (100 kph) happens in 4.1 seconds, and the top speed is 183 mph.
Aston Martin plans to offer the same Centenary Edition treatment on the V8 Vantage, DB9, and Rapide. Only 100 (naturally) of each car will be made.
The price really is a case of “if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it.” Aston will reveal that to customers who apply to purchase a Centenary Edition at one of the company’s dealers. The Centenary Edition cars will be available worldwide.
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