During Venice Film Festival, the luxury British car manufacturer unveiled their new V12 flagship sports car at Arsenale Vecchio.
Last night, Aston Martin Lagonda unveiled the new Vanquish at the Global Launch Dinner, with A Rabbit’s Foot in attendance.
As expected, it was a night straight out of a James Bond film. Located in the historic Arsenale Vecchio, a naval shipyard that dates back to 1104, we began by crossing the water in a private boat that took us into the heart of the party. The event—co-produced by Finch + Partners—included guests from the world of arts and film such as Daniel Craig, Michael Douglas, George Clooney and Amal Clooney, Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman, Gemma Chan and Dominic Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Costner, Joe Alwyn, Cailee Spaeny, Michael Ward, Poppy Delevingne, founder of streaming platform MUBI Efe Cakarel, Joe Wright and Haley Bennet and Marisa Abela. Sandy Powell also attended with Catherine Buyse Dian (who designed costumes for Mission Impossible, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade).
All enjoyed signature cocktails surrounded by a collection of Aston Martin’s legendary cars, which floated majestically above the water’s surface while a special video projected onto the walls displayed Aston Martin’s key cameos in cinematic history, from James Bond to The Bourne Identity. Grammy-nominated Masego performed along with award-winning jazz performer Walter Ricci and DJ James Righton (with a surprise cameo on the decks from Benedict Cumberbatch).
James Bond’s DB5 could be seen in the near distance. The Formula 1 car was beside a grand submarine. Under a sheet in the garden was the obscured new Vanquish, which teased guests as they enjoyed the festivities beneath the night sky. When we sat for dinner in one of the shipyard’s beautifully decorated warehouses, CEO Lawrence Stroll stood up to make a speech—thanking the Navy for the rare opportunity to dine in such a historic space, and also mentioning the amount of time gone into building the new Vanquish.
And then…. the unveiling! Settled on a platform above a body of water, the car appeared like an incredible work of art, with red carbon-fibre bodywork and a roaring 824-horsepower V-12. Centre stage, Vanquish completes Aston Martin’s portfolio of next-generation sports cars. Naturally, Michael Douglas was one of the first people to go and have a look.
Few brands can command such star-power as Aston Martin. So it is little wonder so many of Venice’s biggest names found themselves celebrating the Vanquish that evening. It was a night worthy of its most famous fan (or at least the one in the movies). The entire evening had a touch of Bond about it. (Finch + Partners guests were gifted luxurious Aston Martin green Vibi Venezia slippers at the end of the night). And one can’t help thinking we might soon see the Vanquish in the next instalment, whenever that time comes. If that’s the case, the next Bond to get behind the wheel is a lucky man indeed.
