The 2003 Aston Martin Vanquish Is Beautiful and Underrated

TL;DR

The original Aston Martin Vanquish earns its underrated status through stunning design, a 460hp V12, and surprisingly athletic driving at bargain used prices.

Key Points

• 1.The Vanquish was Aston Martin's renewed flagship debuting in the early 2000s. It replaced the outdated Virage and was developed under Ford ownership, which had taken a controlling stake in Aston Martin in the late 1980s–early 1990s.
• 2.Its design is the standout feature among all Aston Martins of the era. The muscular rear hip line, pronounced fenders that rise over the hood, and wider aggressive stance distinguished it from the DB9, DBS, and Vantage, which shared a more classical look.
• 3.The Vanquish starred as James Bond's car in Die Another Day, marking a return to Aston Martin after several BMW-era Bond films.
• 4.The 5.9L naturally aspirated V12 produces 460hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, with 0–60 in the low 4-second range and a 190 mph top speed. The later Vanquish S bumped power to 520hp, rivaling the Ferrari 575's 515hp.
• 5.Ford parts-sharing is evident throughout, including identical key fobs to the Ford Explorer and Escort, Jaguar cylindrical keys, and window switches lifted from Ford models. Even the side reflector traces back to the Land Rover Freelander, another Ford brand of the era.
• 6.The sequential manual transmission is the car's quirkiest feature, requiring both paddles pulled simultaneously for neutral, a double-press of the reverse button to engage reverse, and the parking brake must be engaged before the key can be removed.
• 7.The interior mixes genuine luxury touches with dated Ford-sourced plastic buttons. The center stack has 30 radio buttons plus a cassette slot, but thoughtful details include leather-wrapped shift paddles, leather seat belt buckles in the rear, a heated windshield, and a metal owner's manual binder.
• 8.Only about 2,500 total units were built worldwide — roughly 1,500 original Vanquish and 1,000 Vanquish S — making it genuinely rare. Original MSRP was ~$235,000, but Doug considers today's used pricing a strong bargain, scoring it 60/100 and calling it preferable to the Ferrari 575 in many use cases.