Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 – shame Aston Martin haven’t done it

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 is a limited edition V12 Vantage created  to celebrate the Spitfire’s first flight.

The Spitfire – or Supermarine Spitfire, to give it its full title – is the plane that won the war in the public’s eyes (although, certainly in the Battle of Britain, it was the Hurricane that was the most numerous, and arguably more effective for that) and it’s 80 years this year since it first flew.

You would have thought that would have given British car makers, especially those who were around in 1936, the perfect opportunity to deliver a limited edition car to celebrate the Spitfire, but it’s actually fallen to a dealer – Aston Martin in Cambridge – to deliver a car to mark such a landmark event  – the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80.

But if no car maker is stepping up to pay tribute to t he Spitfire’s first flight, then Aston Martin in Cambridge is well-placed to deliver a tribute, located as they are few minutes up the M11 from Duxford –  home of the first Spitfire Squadron – and buyers of the car will receive their new cars at Duxford’s Imperial War Musem in October and get to fly in a Spitfire.

The car they get will be a V12 Vantage S in Duxford Green – put together by Aston Martin’s Q Division – with yellow stripes, some hand-built components from Duxford’s Aircraft Restoration Company, tail-pipe finishers with a Spitfire ‘Bloom’, solid silver Aston Martin Wings, ‘Spitfire 80’ logo on the headrests and sheepskin inserts on the floor mats to celebrate the flying jacket.

Not only that, but buyers will also get a unique Irvin Flying Jacket stitched with the Spitfire 80 log and an Irvin flying helmet and goggles.

There’s a chunky premium to pay for the V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 – around £40k – but an (undisclosed) amount will be going to the RAF Benevolent Fund.

There are only going to be eight V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80s, so if you have around £180k to spare and want to bag one then jump over to the Aston Martin Cambridge information and enquiry page for the car.