Aston Martin Celebrates 110th Anniversary, Unveils New Model in 2023
Aston Martin will celebrate its 110th anniversary throughout 2023, with new models to be unveiled throughout the year.
Aston Martin has designated January 15 as its official anniversary, the day in 1913 when founder Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford officially entered into a partnership and the first Aston Martin car was born. Aston's choice to pose alongside the Valkyrie hypercar was the Razor Blade, a 1923 racing car from over a decade earlier.
In a press release, Aston Martin announced that as part of this commemorative venture, it plans to unveil "a new, strictly limited edition Aston Martin exclusive model to be unveiled later this year. It could be a new special edition like the V12 Speedster, but the release says that Aston plans to "unveil the first of its highly anticipated next-generation sports cars" in 2023.
The Aston Martin Valhalla supercar was originally slated to debut in 2023, but Aston previously told Motor Authority that the launch has been pushed back to 2024. The Valhalla has already been rebooted from the first concept version unveiled in 2019, with new styling and a new powertrain; a mid-engine Vanquish is expected to follow in 2025.
Aston also plans to celebrate its centennial at prominent automotive events, including the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the centerpiece of Monterey Car Week. This year marks other milestones for Aston, including the 75th anniversary of the DB line, the 60th anniversary of the DB5 made famous by "James Bond," and the 20th anniversary of Aston's headquarters in Gaydon, England.
These milestones came after a major upheaval for Aston. In May 2022, Aston named Ferrari veteran Amedeo Felisa as CEO, replacing Mercedes-AMG veteran Tobias Moers after only two years. The Public Investment Fund, a Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, also increased its stake in Aston, becoming the second largest shareholder after Yew Tree, a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, father of Aston F1 driver Lance Stroll. Subsequently, Geely Automobile, Volvo's parent company, also acquired a 7.6% stake in Aston Martin.
