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| Autos |
Vanquishing Depreciation
Winston Goodfellow
04/01/2004
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When the 460-hp Vanquish roared onto the scene in late 2001, it was the most
expensive, powerful and sophisticated auto Aston Martin had ever built.
Anticipation for the model was such that a two-year waiting list greeted its
debut. “Aston really raised the bar with the Vanquish,” says Gordon McCall, a
consultant with Christie’s Motor Cars department. “It represented a milestone
for the company.” On the secondary market, the Vanquish commanded an $80,000 to
$100,000 premium above the $235,000 list price, an unheard of amount at the
time.
 | | THE ASTON Martin Vanquish is assembled in Newport Pagnell, near London. |
Its power partly explains the Vanquish’s successs. Aficionados point
to the all-alloy, 6-liter V-12 engine that can sprint from 0 to 60 in five
seconds with its 6-speed transmission. The gear-shifting paddles on the steering
wheel hearken to Formula One racing, though more sedate drivers can switch to
automatic. The result is enough speed to race the Vanquish’s main competitor:
the Ferrari 575 Maranello.
Less tangible is the Vanquish’s star appeal,
which spurred interest in the model. The vehicle appeared in the James Bond film
Die Another Day and in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Celebrity owners include the
Prince of Wales and actor Nicholas Cage.
Interest has remained strong and
the model remains nearly impossible to obtain. “Demand for the Vanquish has far
outstripped supply,” says Simon Rod, Aston’s operations manager for North
America. “One reason is that awareness of the Aston Martin [brand] in the U.S.
has increased over the past couple of years. Even though the Vanquish factory is
operating at capacity, just 150 cars a year have arrived here.”
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