Skip to main content

Flashy Works 60th Anniversary Vanquish celebrates six decades of Aston Martin’s factory

Some people look for any excuse to throw a party.

Aston Martin itself turned 100 last year, but now the company is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Newport-Pagnell Works factory.

Carmakers love to commemorate important events and milestones with special-edition models, and sure enough Aston is rolling out a Works 60th Anniversary edition of the Vanquish for anyone who missed out on its many other recent special-edition cars.

Only six of Works 60th Anniversary cars will be built, and they’ll each get one very special feature.

Metal from the pistons of some of the most legendary cars to come out of Newport-Pagnell will be used to make the rotary control surrounds on the center console.

Each individual car will represent one decade, and will use a piston from one of six notable Astons, including: a DB2/4 Mk II saloon (1955-1965), DB5 (1965-1975), V8 Coupe (1975-1985), V8 Vantage X-pack (1985-1995), V8 Vantage supercharged (1995-2005), and the original, first-generation Vanquish (2005-2015).

The pistons come from engines that had to be rebuilt at some point during their service lives, providing a genuine connection to the factory this special edition commemorates.

That’s a lot of effort for some fairly small trim pieces, but they’re not the only items that will distinguish the Works Anniversary model.

It also gets a striking color scheme with yellow wheels and side strakes, special badging, and heavy-weave carbon-fiber trim.

There are no mechanical changes, so the engine is still a 6.0-liter V12 with 568 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, which drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic.

The Works editions will be built by Aston’s Q personalization division. Both coupe and Volante convertible versions will be available, at a price that’s in the “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” range.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more