2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S  Registration Number: RK55AYU ...

Estimate

£75,000 - £80,000

2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S 

Registration Number: RK55AYU                            
Chassis Number: SCFAC14326B502075
Recorded Mileage: 41,000 miles

- Full Aston-Martin service history from new

Developed from the 1998 Project Vantage concept car, the V12 Vanquish entered production in 2001. Marking a large step in the company’s engineering, the new model featured a bonded aluminium chassis, with a body tub of extruded aluminium and carbon fibre. This extremely rigid and safe body-shell was then clothed in hand-finished, Superformed aluminium panels, housing a 460bhp version of the Aston Martin V12 engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox controlled by an electro-hydraulic paddle shift gear change.

Launched at the Paris Motor Show, the new Vanquish S was at the time, “the fastest production model ever to be built by Aston Martin”. The new claimed maximum speed of 200 mph was a real landmark moment, made possible with the fitting of new cylinder heads featuring fully machined inlet ports and combustion chambers to improve airflow, revised engine mapping, and new fuel injectors. The result was an increase in output of around 60 horsepower above the standard non-S model.

The suspension was upgraded with stiffer springs and dampers, and shorter steering arms. Revised steering geometry provided a 20% quicker response, allowing the driver to apply more precise input and receive more accurate feedback from the chassis. The brakes were upgraded to larger six-piston calipers and the rear discs modified to improve heat dissipation. 

Changes to the coachwork included a redesigned boot lid and front splitter to improve drag efficiency, balance and stability, and a revised deeper-profile front grille with six horizontal slats instead of the previous nine. The introduction of the Vanquish S gave the model a mid-life refresh that would keep it in production until 2007, by which time 1086 examples had rolled off the production line at Newport Pagnell.

Finished in Pentland Green with a Beige and Dark Green leather interior, this beautiful example of the Vanquish S was first delivered in the UK in late December 2006 for the 2007 model year. In the intervening years the Vanquish has only ever been maintained by Aston Martin, with no expense spared in its upkeep. A very genuine example of a true modern classic.