2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S

The 2002 film ‘Die Another Day’ starring Pierce Brosnan as the ultimate secret agent, marked Aston Martin’s return to the James Bond franchise. The film showcased the new Vanquish in most of the action sequences and amidst the explosions and machine gunfire, the Vanquish not only looked fantastic but seemed capable of epic performance. No other car since has had the same impact or screen time as the Vanquish, and it is perhaps only Aston Martin that can boast the most screen time of any car maker in over 125 years of film. Fame and gadgets aside, the Vanquish was recognised as one of the ten most beautiful cars ever built by Autocar Magazine (April 2022). Blending state-of-the-art technology (of the time) and traditional materials, the interior was dominated by an imposing aluminium centre console extending from the fascia to the transmission tunnel. Luxurious Connolly leather upholstery, Wilton carpeting, and quilted Alcantara headlining emphasised its Aston Martin heritage for, despite its advanced specification, the Vanquish was built like all other Astons before it, one at a time and by hand. The Vanquish was built in two versions, a two-seater and what became known as the 2+2 with a couple of child-friendly rear seats filling the space that in the two-seater was occupied by a shelf for a golf bag or other luggage. Aston Martin's first power unit of its type, the original Vanquish had a 6.0-litre V12 engine developing 460bhp at 6,800rpm. The Vanquish S saw its most significant upgrades within the engine bay, with the car producing 520bhp, an output good enough to project the S up to 200 mph, a figure only recently exceeded by the Aston One-77. The previously optional, Sports Dynamic Pack of enhanced steering, suspension, and brakes came as standard with the S. It was the last of the line of hand-built Aston Martins, the last model to be produced at the Newport Pagnell factory. With only 377 built in right-hand drive, from a total production run of 1,089 Vanquish S cars, it is now a very rare car.