Aston Martin celebrates 60 years of the Volante name with limited editions of the Vanquish and DB12

For sixty years, Aston Martin has used, and continues to use, the Volante name for its grand tourer convertibles. In fact, the name was introduced by the British marque in 1965 for a model now known as the “Short Chassis Volante,” of which only 37 units were built in a single year. Now Aston Martin wants to celebrate this 60th anniversary with two limited editions personalised by Q by Aston Martin.

I say two limited editions because the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Volante name will feature the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante and the DB12 Volante, two of the brand’s current top-of-the-range models, both of which feature lightweight roofs with a K-Fold mechanism that maximises boot space, something most convertibles lack. With this mechanism, on both models, the roof takes 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close, operations that can be carried out on the move as long as speed does not exceed 50 km/h.

On both models, the specialists at Q by Aston Martin have applied the special Q Pentland Green paint to the bodywork, combined with a Q Westminster Green hood. In addition, there are bronze-coloured details Bronze applied, for example, to areas such as the iconic grille that Aston Martin fits to its models, or the side trim, beneath which sits the enamelled Q by Aston Martin badge that identifies these models. The exterior styling is completed with 21-inch Q wheels finished in Satin Bronze with Diamond Turned rims, behind which are hidden black brake calipers bearing the Aston Martin logo.

For the interior of the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante and DB12 Volante 60th Anniversary, there is an exclusive colour combination for the upholstery, with Centenary Saddle Tan, Ivory and Woven leather combined with Dark Walnut Open Pore veneer trim. The bronze colour also features inside for detailing, as well as bespoke 60th Anniversary embroidery applied to areas such as the seat backrests.

Mechanically there are no surprises, and the Vanquish Volante retains its spectacular 5,200 cc twin-turbo V12 engine, delivering 835 CV along with a massive 1,000 Nm of torque, sent to the rear axle through its eight-speed ZF gearbox. This combination allows it to accelerate to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 345 km/h. The DB12 Volante, meanwhile, uses a 4,000 cc twin-turbo V8 producing 680 CV and 800 Nm of torque, also sent to the rear axle through the same gearbox, reaching 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 325 km/h.

Deliveries of the Vanquish Volante and DB12 Volante 60th Anniversary editions will begin sometime in the third quarter of this year, with Aston Martin confirming that only 60 units of each model will be built for the entire world.