Aston Martin has quietly ceased the production of the V12-powered versions of the Vantage and has notified its dealer not to accept any new orders for this model. They haven’t clarified the reason for this decision yet, but we have witnessed the death of so many V12s this past couple of years that it’s not surprising anymore.

The V12 Vantage was first introduced as coupe back in 2009, followed by a Roadster version a year later, and a special Zagato version after that. It is powered by the same 520 horsepower you find in the DBS – now deceased – and comes with a manual gearbox. The V12 Vantage is a real enthusiast’s car.

In total Aston Martin has sold over 1320 units of the V12 Vantage, which is not a bad figure for a car like this. But you could argue that producing a compact V12 sports car is no longer a viable option for a company that is trying to cut down its CO2 emissions, and is in the middle of an expansion program with a new investor.

As Aston-Martin.com reports, there might be a small run of V12 Vantage “Centenary Editions” in the works as a send-off for this model. We are waiting for Aston’s comments on this.