2003 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Coupe

Aston Martin unveiled an entirely new model for the 21st Century at the Geneva Auto Show in March of 2001. Dubbed the Vanquish, deliveries began a few months later. Serving as a replacement for the Vantage V8, the Newport Pagnell factory was given an extensive multi-million pound refurbishment to accommodate the new vehicle. This included a new assembly line, paint shop, rolling road and water test facility.

The Vanquish received its styling from Ian Callum, an individual whose resume included the DB7. Aston Martin received assistance from their parent company Ford. The monocoque tub was made of heat-cured bonded aluminum, braced by a central tunnel of carbon fibre to create a lightweight structure of exceptional rigidity, thus enabling the chassis engineers to develop suspension combining excellent handling and road holding with unrivalled ride quality. The carbon fibre backbone was stronger and lighter than aluminum, and it provided better insulation from transmission and exhaust heat in the cabin.

The all-independent suspension setup was comprised of double aluminum wishbones, coil springs, mono-tube damper and anti-roll bar front and rear. Four-wheel ventilated steel disc brakes were aided by four-piston calipers, ABS, and traction control.

Mounted under the bonnet was a 6.0-liter, 48-valve, V12 engine offering 460 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. In its 'Stage 2' Vanquish specification it benefited from a 18kgs weight reduction, most of which was shed from the rotating masses to improve throttle response. The state-of-the-art electronic engine management system provided 'drive by wire' throttle control and was linked to the six-speed manual gearbox's electro-hydraulic change mechanism, a 'first' for a production car. Gear change was controlled by Formula 1-style paddles and could be operated in either of two modes - fully manual and computer-controlled automatic - with a 'sport' setting available on both. This system allowed for intermediate gears to be skipped on down-changes without recourse to the clutch, while providing engine protection by means of a rev limiter.

Performance was impressive, with a 190 mph top speed and zero-to-sixty mph being accomplished in just 4.5 seconds.

Standard equipment was extensive, and included an Alpine stereo system, 6-CD changer, air conditioning, electrically adjustable seats, alarm/immobilizer, tire pressure sensing, automatic rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamp operation, automatic rear-view mirror dipping, trip computer, etc.

Two bodystyles were available including a two-seater and a 2+2.

Production continued until 2007, by which time the U.K. list price had exceeded £183,000. In 2002, the Vanquish played a starring role in the James Bond franchise film, Die Another Day.

The Vanquish series name was resurrected in 2013 in honor of the company's centenary.

This particular V12 Vanquish has just over 8,000 miles on its odometer. It was completed at the Newport Pagnell factory in the fall of 2003. The hand-built car was shipped to the United States, arriving in Miami on November 9th of 2003. It was sold new to its first owner by The Collection in Coral Cables eight days later.

Options included on this car include grey brake calipers, chrome exterior door handles quilted headliner, and 2+2 seating. The current New York owner acquired the car in the fall of 2014 with about 6,700 miles on its odometer. Shortly after purchasing the Vanquish, it was shipped back to Newport Pagnell for a factory Works conversion to a six-speed manual transmission. Completed in July 2015 with £33,335 of receipts from Aston Martin Works, the coupe returned to New York in November of the same year.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2017