Aston Martin DB9 and Vanquish

Book excerpt: Aston Martin broke new ground with the Vanquish at the start of the 21st century, having previewed the model with a fully driveable prototype called Project Vantage at the Detroit Show in 1998. The Vanquish became the company's new flagship model, with a sleek and readily recognisable shape penned by Ian Callum that would later be further developed for the slightly less expensive (but no less exotic) DB9. The importance of these two models to Aston Martin went far beyond publicity and the company image. For the Vanquish, a completely new and highly advanced body structure had been created, and this was further developed for the DB9 as the VH platform. Deliberately designed to provide flexibility and underpin further new models, this went on to become the basis of every new Aston Martin in the early years of the century. This book tells the complete story of the DB9 and Vanquish, the models that established a new and successful era for the company that made them.