The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum and unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show, was produced from 2001 to 2007 as the flagship of the marque.

The concept car evolved directly into the V12 Vanquish, and featured an advanced carbon fibre and alloy structure, Aston Martin's most powerful V12 engine, and host of new technologies.

[1] In 2004, a mildly updated version of the first-generation model named "V12 Vanquish S" was introduced featuring a more highly tuned engine and more track-oriented ride and handling.

The second-generation "Vanquish" was introduced in 2012, this time based on Aston Martin's existing VH platform – similar to the one that underpinned the DB9.

The production car closely resembled the Project Vantage Concept which debuted with a V12 engine at the North American International Auto Show in January 1998.

Underneath, the V12 Vanquish car featured a unique and bespoke bonded aluminium composite chassis with a carbon fibre backbone developed in partnership with Lotus,[8] an advanced independent suspension, and a more highly tuned version of the naturally aspirated 5,935 cc (5.9 L; 362.2 cu in) Aston Martin V12 engine that had debuted in the DB7 two years earlier.

The interior featured full instrumentation, advanced electronics, and a choice of leather upholstery with metallic details – the latter was an intentional move away from the wood trim seen in the DB7.

As such, the Vanquish represents both the end of an era as the last model assembled at Newport Pagnell, and the beginning of another with its forward-looking engineering and performance.

The V12 Vanquish is the only Aston Martin car loaded with gadgets in the Pierce Brosnan James Bond era as the franchise's deal with BMW expired following The World Is Not Enough.

[14] The V12 Vanquish also appears in the 2003 The Italian Job remake where it is driven by the film's main antagonist Steve Frazelli, portrayed by actor Edward Norton.

Aston Martin announced that the last 50 cars built would have a new 'Ultimate Black' exterior colour, upgraded interior, and personalised sill plaques.

[17] The car was offered at a Bonhams auction in Carmel in August 2015 at the Quail Lodge and Golf Club with an estimated price of US$700,000–850,000.

The car was originally shown in silver in 2004 and in gold in 2013 again at the International Geneva Motor Show at the reveal of the Aston Martin Rapide Bertone Jet 2+2.

[20] The production of the V12 Vanquish ended on 19 July 2007, coinciding with the closing of the company's Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation.

The second-generation Gaydon-built "Vanquish" (the "V12" part of the name was dropped for this generation of cars) started life as the Project AM310 Concept and was unveiled at the 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este held on the shores of Lake Como, Italy.

The concept car was based on the latest generation of the VH platform that had debuted in the DB9, and then evolved into the V8 and V12 Vantage, DBS, Virage V12, and Rapide.

[23] It included a tweaked version of Aston Martin's familiar grille and headlight design and a more pronounced bulge in the bonnet – with One-77-inspired flourishes saved for the sides and the rear, the side vents run almost to the door handles (shared with the One-77), new rear light design shared with the One-77, and a 5.9-litre V12 engine that has a power output of 410 kW; 550 hp (558 PS).

[35][36][37] On 2 September 2024, Aston Martin unveiled the third-generation Vanquish, powered by a new twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12, mated to an eight-speed ZF gearbox.

The 5.2-litre V12 has been completely re-engineered from the original which debuted in the DB11 in 2016, featuring a new block, new heads, new intakes, new exhaust ports, and new turbos, making 835 PS (614 kW; 824 hp) and 1,001 N⋅m (738 lb⋅ft) of torque.

[43] It features a rear mid-engine layout, aluminium bonded chassis and a new 3.0-litre V6 engine that can develop over 520 kW; 700 hp (710 PS).