Aston Martin Vanquish 25 – Unfinished Business

Ian Callum has got more than one impressive car on his design CV. He penned the Escort RS Cosworth, the RS200 and the classic Puma. He worked on the Jaguar XK, X Type Estate and XF to name but a few. All impressive feats, and all worthy of individual attention. However, it was arguably his time at Aston Martin that saw some of the most dramatic and exciting designs. Cars like the DB7 and the DB9 are still as iconic now as they were when they were new. And then there’s the Vanquish, a V12 powerhouse that boasted sleek yet muscular looks with more than enough performance to match. This, by Ian’s own admission, was his favourite work. It’s a car that has stayed with him from sketchpad through to being a tangible machine (he actually owns one). So it’s fitting, then, that the Vanquish is the car he has revisited and re-worked.

The car was launched officially at the Hampton Court Palace Concours event held in September 2019. Of course, Car & Classic had to go along to see the car, but we also wanted to have a chat with Ian to find out just what has motivated him to take on this project, something that is far greater in scale than anything he’s ever done. As he admits himself, before, the cars were the product of a team of people, and while more than one person is involved here, the reality is that Ian is much more exposed and ultimately much more responsible for the end result. This is his baby, his unhindered and undiluted vision. It’s pure Callum. 

“It’s one of my favourites” explained Ian. “It was at a time when I’d finished the DB9 and V8, I was waiting for the face-lift of this car to come through. I could see at the time, in my own mind, what I’d want to do to it. But it never happened, as I’d left Aston by then.”

Ian had the ideas, but having moved on to Jaguar, he was seemingly destined to never realise the true potential of the Vanquish. “From my point of view, the car didn’t get its due worth that it deserved. I think it’s a hugely significant car for Aston. It deserved a face-lift and it probably deserved to last a lot longer. It became unfinished business.”

Ian, at this point, had never owned a car he had designed, but keenly took the plunge with the Vanquish (in fact, the standard car on display is his). But he didn’t buy it to enjoy, he actually bought it with the intention to modify it, to use it as the basis of the Vanquish realising what Ian deemed to be its full potential. “I felt this burning desire to take it to another level.”

And take it to another he has. Being the car’s original designer, it was easy in a sense for Ian to take the evolution on. As he said to us, the trick with a face-lift is to be sympathetic to the original car, to not push it beyond or wedge in design features that aren’t coherent to the original design philosophy, and that’s exactly what Ian has done. 

The lights have been reworked to be more a part of the design, and of course, to be more modern and effective. The body has largely been left alone, with the exception of functional carbon fibre elements such as the skirts and the intricate rear diffuser. The interior has been completely re-imagined, as this was an area Ian felt the Vanquish was weak. As such, Bridge of Weir have come in and helped to put together an interior that is rich and sumptuous, while also lightweight and befitting of the car’s performance.

Every panel of the interior has been reworked, where there was once a monochrome cabin there is now a vibrant, leather and carbon fibre laden space that brings with it a sense of occasion. It’s admittedly a bit Marmite in its blue hue, but we like it. And customers will have the option to choose from a myriad of colour options. This car is Ian’s vision, not what customer x HAS to buy.

When asked about what it’s like to be at the forefront of a project like this, Ian explained that “you feel very exposed, you feel naked almost. There’s not this huge team of people behind it, it’s just me. I can’t go blaming it on the engineers!”

Of course, the Vanquish 25 (so named because there will be 25 built) isn’t just an aesthetic exercise. There has also been some considerable engineering work to advance the car and bring it up to date. Car & Classic spoke to the brilliantly named Adam Donfrancesco who has been charged with the task of bringing the bark and bite to this project.

“The big limiting factor when you’re working with older technology is the chassis, so you have to work within the boundaries of some of the chassis’ structural requirements, or perhaps look to update them. We played around with some shear plates at the rear end to stiffen it up a little bit, it’s about being sympathetic to the car. Not engineering it for the sake of it. There has been a lot of trial and error, but we’ve given the car some new structure and strength and we’re happy with how it’s translating to the drive, though we are still developing the dynamics.”

Arguably the most significant area of development, the Vanquish 25’s chassis now featured thicker anti-roll bars, tuned dampers, custom springs and a lower ride height. The steering response has been improved while also being tuned to reduce roll, but the whole lot doesn’t overpower the suspension, it can still breath, to use Adam’s words. The car feels lighter now, more alive.

And what about the engine, what has been done there? Adam was keen to give us the answer. “Engine performance is an area we’re really pleased with. 60-70 extra horsepower, a flat uplift in torque. The engine really did unlock a bit of performance.”

The 5.9 litre V12 now delivered some 580bhp. There is a new carbon induction system as well as a completely new exhaust system. It’s a demonstration of the careful restraint that has been shown here, the car is still a GT car, it has not been forced to evolve into something beyond that. 

This project was an idea of Ian’s that has grown beyond what he ever imagined. This was unfinished business, very much a personal passion project. But now, with partners like Michelin, Bridge of Weir and Aston Martin itself, it’s become more. There is also the partnership with Swiss company, R Reforged, who will be charged with distributing the 25 cars for customers, while the build will be by the CALLUM company. 

At £550,000 each, the Vanquish 25 isn’t what you’d call cheap. But does that matter on a car like this? You’re getting the machine in the purest form of the designer’s vision here, undiluted by regulations, budgetary concerns or red tape. This is the pure, unabashed vision of what Ian Callum saw in the Vanquish, and that’s special. It’s also the kind of provenance that other cars can only dream of. 

Furthermore, the reception and positive buzz around it has perhaps helped Ian and the team make the next step. The Vanquish 25 won’t be a one-hit wonder. There are already plans afoot to afford this kind of re-imagining to other cars, and as Ian told us, it may even evolve into a completely new car. These are exciting times for Ian Callum, and the Vanquish 25 is, for us, a clear indicator that he’s going to continue to make waves in the motoring world.