Looks like car makers have found a new excuse to bring out new special edition models, and this excuse is World War II. We’ve already seen Jeep introducing a couple special models celebrating the occasion, now it’s Aston Martin’s turns and they’re doing it with the V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80.
Unlike America, the Brits didn’t have a car of any notable significance in the war. But what they did have was an iconic fighter plane, one that has gone down in the history books as not only a great war fighter, but also one of the most romantic machines ever built. That is partly due to the Spitfire’s cool name and partly the missions it undertook.
The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80, commissioned by the car maker’s Cambridge dealership and built by Q department, is a limited edition of just units celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Supermarine Spitfire. The car not only has a Duxford Green Pearlescent paint with yellow pinstriping reminiscent of the aircraft’s, it has also a V12, though Aston’s V12 is a lot more powerful than the Spitfire’s. There’s also a number of badges including Raven Black ‘Spitfire 80’ logo and Aston Martin wings made from solid sterling silver with a tailored Old English White inlay.
Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 comes with a number of accessories such as a unique Irvin Flying Jacket stitched with the Spitfire 80 logo, an Irvin flying helmet and goggles, embossed owner manual and a leather photograph album documenting the handover ceremony, the last of which is a complete event on its own: “The new owners will be treated to a day of activities including a Spitfire flight experience, armoured vehicle driving experience and a personal museum tour. The finale will be an opportunity to test the limits of their new cars along Duxford’s runway, before watching a display of one of the last Mk1 Spitfires.”