A collection of eight Aston Martins, all barely driven and all painted orange. It is, actually, the entire 2010 lineup of the British carmaker. Well, that's something that you don’t see every day. Or better said, something you only see once in a lifetime. Two models estimated between $85,000 and $127,000 lead the collection.
Back in 2010, Aston Martin Lagonda received a special commission from an unnamed gentleman. He wanted each of the company’s road going models in a bespoke special-order shade of orange with matching leather interior.
Every single Aston Martin from The Orange Collection is painted in the striking Tangerine Orange and comes with an interior wrapped in orange leather. It is an octet that might be terribly attractive for the brand enthusiasts or a total failure. Before you go all 'OMG, they’re too expensive/orange/old!,' keep in mind that we are dealing with the 'money is no object' kind of specification for each and every model in the collection.
All the cars were built to Swiss specification, and together, they are worth over half a million euros (approximately $530,000). The most valuable of the lot, the open-top Volante and the Coupe, are estimated at 80,000 - 120,000 euros ($84,767 - $127,150). At the opposite end, the most affordable of them all are the four-door Rapide, the V8 Vantage Volante, and the V8 Vantage Coupe, each of them rated at 40,000 - 60,000 euros ($42,383 - $63,575).
2011 Aston Martin DBS Volante & 2010 Aston Martin DBSCoupe
The Aston Martin DBS Volante and Coupe are powered by the company’s 6.0-liter V12, mounted as far back as possible. This translates into 85% of the mass being sited between the axles and a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution.
The power plant generates 510 horsepower, steered to the rear axle via the six-speed Touchtronic 2 paddle-shift semi-autonomous transmission. The two of them can do the run from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 4.3 seconds, while top speed goes all the way to 190 mph (306 kph).
The 2011 DBS Coupe has only covered 113.7 miles (183 kilometers) in almost a decade. The model that came to the market as a replacement for the outgoing range-topping Vanquish S was based on the DB9 but sported more carbon fiber and an aluminum chassis known as the VH. Yet it was just as quick, doing the 0 to 60 mph run in 4.3 seconds.
Photo: Bonhams
The DBS Coupe was a cinema icon. It showed up in the movie that debuted Daniel Craig as James Bond, the 2006 Casino Royale blockbuster. It returned to the screen two years later, in 2008, to star in Quantum of Solace.
Meanwhile, the Volante, introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009, came with a retractable fabric roof. It was, naturally, heavier than the coupe due to the additional strengthening of the chassis required by a convertible. The car included in the Orange Collection, a 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante, has driven only 184 kilometers (114 miles).
2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Coupe
The 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Coupe has even fewer miles on the odometer: just 125 kilometers, translated into 78 miles. As with all others in the collection, it is a one-owner car. It is powered by the same V12 as the DBS Coupe and Volante, as the name implies.
Aston Martin was in quite a hurry with this car. They built the prototype in only four months, just in time to unveil it at the official opening of Aston Martin's new design studio in Gaydon, Warwickshire, on December 11, 2007. At the time, a production version was indeed in the cards but not yet approved. It eventually hit the market with its 6.0-liter V12 and 510 horsepower, 4.2 seconds from zero to hero, and a top speed of 190 mph (306 kph).
2011 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe
Up next is the 2011 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe, with only 129 kilometers (80 miles) on the odometer. Styled by Ian Callum with the help of Henrik Fisker, it was the company's first model to roll off the new assembly line in Gaydon.
Photo: Bonhams
A 5.9-liter 48-valve V12 sets this baby in motion. It generates 470 horsepower, just like it used to in the DB7 Vantage, for a top speed of 190 mph (306 kph) and neck-snapping 4.8-second run from 0 to 60 mph.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe & Roadster
Then there come the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe and Roaster. By the looks, we can tell they have more experience on the road. Not! We just read the odometers of both of them like everybody else. So the Coupe has driven as far as 342 kilometers (212 miles), while the Roadster covered 379 kilometers (236 miles).
Their 4.0-liter V8 brought along 380 horsepower, an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in 5.0 seconds, and a top speed of 281 kph (175 mph).
Aston Martin DB9 Volante
With only 113 kilometers (70 miles) on board in over a decade, the Aston Martin DB9 Volante looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. Just like its predecessor, the DB7, it was designed by Ian Callum, while Henrik Fisker applied the finishing touches.
The aluminum/composite body, which was robotically assembled using a combination of self-piercing rivets and adhesive, made it some 25% lighter than the DB7. Now it goes without reserve, just like its orange siblings, at the auction in Belgium.
Aston Martin Rapide
The Aston Martin Rapide looks like a teenager, indeed. With only 130 kilometers (81 miles) on the odometer and a single owner since the moment it drove through the factory gate, it is advertised as the supremely refined, smooth-riding luxury car, turning into a completely different car once the driver presses the Sport button.
Back in the 2010s, it was tagged as "the most elegant four-door sports car in the world."
Photo: Bonhams
The Rapide is not as ‘rapide’ as its siblings from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph), for which it needs 5.2 seconds. But it hits a top speed of 295 kph (183 mph), and it's all thanks to that 6.0-liter V12 integrated in a rear-wheel drive setup.
These orangified cars go together or separately in the Route Sale, scheduled on October 8 in Le Route, Belgium. If any of the cars remains in Belgium after the sale, it will be subject to Import Duty of 10% (+VAT) and 21% Import VAT, which is discouraging. Someone must really love orange Aston Martins inside out.
So here is the complete list of cars in The Orange Collection. Pick your favorite!
Aston Martin DBS Volante, estimate €80,000 - 120,000
Aston Martin DBS Coupe, estimate €80,000 - 120,000
Aston Martin DB9 Volante, estimate €60,000 - 90,000
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe, estimate €60,000 - 90,000
Aston Martin V12 Vantage Coupe, estimate €50,000 - 80,000
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante, estimate €40,000 - 60,000
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe, estimate €40,000 - 60,000
Aston Martin Rapide Sports-Saloon, estimate €40,000 - 60,000
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