While most of us would be content with a telegram from the Queen for our 100th birthday, in the eyes of car enthusiasts Zagato has gone one step better and created a centenary pair of artisan Aston Martins.
The generous birthday gift has been created in partnership with R-Reforged, the British engineering house that brought the world the Callum Vanquish 25, an Aston Martin Vanquish that underwent a host of modifications. The Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins have been redesigned by the famous Italian styling house, will be rebuilt by R-Reforged, and are licensed by Aston Martin.
Zagato took the 2011 V12 Coupe, gave it a top-to-toe makeover and twinned it with an open Speedster. Just 19 pairs of cars are to be built and will only be sold as a set to mark Zagato’s centenary. And the price? Well, seeing as you asked so nicely, it’s £1.75m plus taxes for each pair.
The cars are completely rebodied in carbon-fibre, complete with Zagato’s signature design flourishes such as a double-bubble roof, and the front end now includes a more advanced splitter and wider wings. An active rear spoiler is fitted at the rear, leaving the car’s styling, er, unspoilt, at rest, but providing stability at speed.
“The essence of this project was to create a perfect ‘garage’, comprising two desirable and collectable cars; Coupé and Roadster,” says Andrea Zagato. “Limited to just 19 pairs, a significant number, recalling the
year Zagato was formed… We chose Aston Martin, which has surely been our most prestigious partner over the last 50 years, to mark this
celebration.”
Propulsion comes from venerable Aston’s 5.9-litre V12, now boosted to 608bhp courtesy of a new aluminium intake system and titanium exhaust. A widened track allows the fitment of APP Tech 19-inch centre-lock wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. The ride height is reduced by 10 mm for a more assertive stance. Final adjustments to the suspension tune are to be made during a 2021 test program.
The cabin is trimmed in leather from Scotland’s Bridge of Weir and an almost infinite choice of colours, patterns and textures is to be offered, while the exterior can be finished in “visual carbon”. Preparing the surface and coating it in a special clear lacquer is a painstaking 400-hour-long process. If that doesn’t appeal then the paintwork can be matched to any colour sample.
Each car will take 12 people 16 weeks to build at R-Reforged’s new facility in Warwick, and will see the donor vehicles stripped completely before some 500 new components are installed.
Buyers of these centenary celebration cars will also be given a range of special gifts including a carbon-fibre presentation case that details the exact specification of their vehicles with scale models, paint and material samples. Zagato promises to keep on giving throughout the ownership, with invitations to events and experiences.
The first pair of Zagato TWINS will be on display at Aston Martin’s flagship dealer in St Gallen, Switzerland before going on a global tour in 2021. The cars will ultimately end up in Zagato’s own collection, leaving just 18 duos for well-heeled Zagato collectors.
In the lineage of Aston Martins that have been reimagined by Zagato, the greatest of all in the eye of collectors is the original, 1960 DB4 GT Zagato. However, arguably one of the coolest cars to have emerged from the partnership is the 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato. Whichever is your favourite, we’d love to hear your views on the latest addition to the family and whether they are a fitting way to celebrate 100 years of one of Italy’s most magnificent design houses.
