Aston Martin digs up a new ‘Centenary’ for a special edition Vantage Roadster

Aston Martin celebrates the centenary of their oldest surviving car – dubbed ‘A3’ – with the Q by Aston Martin Vantage Roadster A3. Just three available.

There’s no denying Aston Martin likes an excuse for a ‘Special’ model, and a centenary is as good an excuse as any for a new Aston.

But, we hear you say, wasn’t Aston Martin’s centenary back in 2013? Well, yes it was, but AML has declared this year the 100th anniversary of their oldest surviving car – the car dubbed ‘A3’, as the third of five prototypes Aston built in 1921 and shown in the photo above. So that’ll do for a centenary celebration.

That celebration comes in the guise of a run of three, catchily-named, Vantage Roadsters – the Q by Aston Martin Vantage Roadster A3 – commissioned, officially, by AML dealer HWM in Walton-on-Thames and paying tribute the 1.5-litre, 11hp A3 with a 4.0 litre, 500bhp Vantage Roadster. 

So what has Q by Aston Martin done to the Vantage Roadster to evoke that A3?

Well, there’s a new grille with aluminium surround and black square mesh, and Aston’s Heritage Badge, to look a bit like the A3’s, front wings with leather straps and bronze brake calipers.

Inside there are micro-perforated fluted seats, heritage script embroidery, Chestnut Tan for the leather accents and stitching, and brass rotary knobs (we can’t decide whether they’re naff or glorious).

Orders are now being taken for the ‘A3’ by Aston Martin HWM.