Aston Martin, James Bond’s Car Maker Of Choice, Unveils Its Latest Limited Run
British car maker plans to build and sell 38 of its Valiant coupes—a road-legal, twin-turbo V-12 engine special-edition model
Aston Martin’s AML -2.65%decrease; red down pointing triangle magic number this time is 38.
That’s how many of its Valiant coupes—a road-legal, twin-turbo V-12 engine special-edition model—the luxury British car maker plans to build and sell. No more, no less.
It is the latest limited offering by Aston Martin—James Bond’s go-to brand—and part of a well-trodden strategy among car makers to heighten exclusivity for certain luxury models, and jack up pricing.
Aston Martin, announcing the production run on Tuesday, didn’t disclose pricing for the model, a two-seater tricked out with a titanium exhaust system and components made by 3D printers. A person close to the company said they go for about $2.5 million a piece. Aston Martin said all of them are already spoken for.
Such limited runs from the likes of super-luxury makers like Lamborghini and Ferrari—as well as less-rarified brands like BMW and Porsche—are time-tested marketing moves aimed at creating buzz and lifting prices and sales across its model range.
Aston Martin has also embraced collectable models as a key part of its business plan. It said its full order book for the model speaks to the demand for highly customized, special sports cars.
Since going public in 2018, the car maker has struggled with fickle demand for its less expensive models, operational issues and, more recently, high debt. Last month, it reported a widening loss for its first quarter but said new models would allow it to maintain its outlook for the year.
The Valiant, will debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, a high-end car show in the U.K., in July.
Despite its small production run, it isn’t the company’s rarest car. The world has only 22 DBR22s, a two-seater, open-cockpit sports car released in 2022. Aston Martin has made just 24 Vulcans, which debuted in 2015. The Vantage V600 was limited to just 14 built in 2018.
Why 38 for the Valiant? That was the vehicle identification number of the U.K. sports-car maker’s ‘Muncher’ model, which sped through France at the 1980 Le Mans, a 24-hour race of endurance in which the winner is the driver who covers the most ground.