Aston Martin Unveils Three One-Off DB12 S Cars for Monterey Car Week

Aston Martin has pulled the wraps off a run of exclusive new models ahead of Monterey Car Week 2026 and the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which opens Wednesday, August 12. The headline reveal is a trio of one-off DB12 S sports cars built by Q by Aston Martin, the brand's bespoke personalization division, created to mark a significant motorsport anniversary: 75 years since the DB2 first lined up on the grid at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1950.

Three Cars, One Racing Bloodline

Each of the three DB12 S models carries its own exclusive color scheme layered over a Carbon Black exterior: VMF 63 in Rosso Red accents, VMF 64 in Speed Yellow, and VMF 65 in Ellwood Blue. All three share a common design language built around commemorating the anniversary — painted radiator grille lamellae, "75" graphics applied across the wings and body panels, carbon-fiber aerodynamic components, and a graphic silhouette tracing the profile of the original DB2.

Inside, the theme continues with contrast stitching, embroidered headrests, themed graphics across the rear seats, and bespoke sill plates. It's the kind of detailing that only a manufacturer's in-house personalization division can execute at this level — Q by Aston Martin exists specifically to turn requests like these into production-ready, road-legal cars rather than static show pieces.

Honoring the DB2's Le Mans Legacy

The reference point for all three cars is the DB2, the model that gave Aston Martin its first real foothold in international endurance racing. When a DB2 took the start at Le Mans in 1950, it marked the beginning of a competition heritage that would eventually carry Aston Martin to an outright Le Mans victory in 1959 with the DBR1 — a lineage the brand still leans on heavily when it wants to underline that its road cars share DNA with genuine racing machinery, not just badges and styling cues.

Building a limited series specifically to mark that 75th anniversary, rather than simply attaching a special badge to standard cars, reflects how central motorsport heritage remains to Aston Martin's identity even as the brand's current lineup — the DB12, Vantage, and DBX — moves toward more overtly modern design language.

A Second Special Edition: Vanquish 25

Alongside the DB12 S trio, Monterey Car Week will also host the debut of the Vanquish 25 Special Edition, built to mark 25 years since the original V12 Vanquish went on sale in 2001. The car blends styling cues from that original model with Aston Martin's current-generation trim and finishing techniques, giving longtime collectors a modern car that visibly nods to one of the brand's most recognizable early-2000s flagships.

The House of Aston Martin

Aston Martin's presence at Monterey extends well beyond the two special editions. At The House of Aston Martin, a dedicated showcase near the Poppy Hills Golf Course, the brand will display its Valhalla mid-engine supercar alongside performance-focused variants of the DB12 S, Vantage S, and DBX S, plus a historic DB2 for direct comparison against the modern range. Aston Martin vehicles will also feature in the Astons On The Avenue display in Carmel and at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering — two of the week's other marquee automotive showcases.

Monterey Car Week has grown into one of the most closely watched weeks on the automotive calendar precisely because of this density of events: the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance draws the world's most significant historic and concept cars for judged competition, while surrounding showcases like The Quail and Car Week's various brand-hosted displays give manufacturers a captive audience of serious collectors, historians, and enthusiasts. For a brand like Aston Martin, whose value proposition leans heavily on heritage and craftsmanship, few events offer a more relevant stage.

A Watch to Match

The Monterey unveilings follow a related announcement from July, when Aston Martin and watchmaker Breitling revealed their first joint project: the Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute to Aston Martin DB5. The watch, which will be produced in three limited runs, borrows its design language from one of the most recognizable British grand tourers ever built — a car forever associated with Sean Connery's portrayal of James Bond, and one of the clearest examples of how thoroughly Aston Martin's road-car heritage has bled into wider pop culture.

Taken together, the DB12 S trio, the Vanquish 25 Special Edition, and the Breitling partnership form a coordinated push around a single message heading into Monterey: that Aston Martin's modern lineup, however contemporary its engineering, is still built on the same competition pedigree that put the brand on the map three-quarters of a century ago.