Twenty years of the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

It’s been 20 years since Aston Martin revealed its flagship V12 Vanquish at the Geneva Motor Show.

Then the most sophisticated and technologically-advanced Aston Martin to date, it was the product of ‘Project Vantage’ – which had been unveiled at the 1998 Detroit Motor Show.

Displayed as a near production-ready vehicle designed by Ian Callum, it boasted a 6.0-litre V12 making 335kW within an all-aluminium chassis and body.

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When the V12 Vanquish debuted three years later, it featured drive-by-wire throttle control and paddle shifters — cutting-edge technology for the time.

The aluminium V12 cranked out the same 335kW as the show car, with 556Nm of torque on tap and a top speed of 305km/h. A new crank and valve gear, alongside improved breathing characteristics, gave it an advantage over the contemporary DB7s powerplant.

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Offered in 2-seat or 2+2 layouts, the production tourer also used advanced body construction methods like a bonded aluminium superstructure and braided carbon fibre A-pillars.

Experts in Silicon Valley and the University of Nottingham were called in to achieve the techniques, and each car took a full eight weeks to build.

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Aston Martin upped the ante in 2004 by unleashing the amped-up V12 Vanquish S.

Topping out at over 320km/h, the V12 received new heads for a 388kW output – while suspension, steering and brakes were tweaked.

Even the drag coefficient was further improved, thanks in part to a revised grille design.

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The release of 2007’s Ultimate Edition coincided with the closure of the carmaker’s Newport Pagnell factory. Just 40 individually-numbered examples were built, all finished in ‘Ultimate Black’ with semi-niline leather, leather headliner, and dark chrome accents.

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In total, 2589 V12 Vanquishes were built. Today, the Aston Martin Works heritage centre offers manual conversions for the car. Approximately 130 have been completed so far, with an average 10 cars being swapped yearly.

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“The original V12 Vanquish represented an important and timely development for our marque,” said Aston Martin Works president Paul Spires.

“It was, and is, a great super GT with all the character, style and power that is rightly expected of an Aston Martin sports car.

“Twenty years on from that debut, the V12 Vanquish remains a proud part of the marque’s heritage, which we celebrate here at Newport Pagnell. It is an exceptional piece of our history, and a car that we can rightly look back on with considerable pride.”

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The Vanquish nameplate would be revived in 2012, this time with a 5.9-litre V12. Production wrapped up in 2018, with the DBS taking its place.