The new Aston Martin that can fly!
ASTON Martin has launched a new model - and this one can fly.
The car maker’s name is now on a helicopter but if you’re worried the prestige Warwickshire car maker might have overstretched itself, this particular model is part of a partnership with established aero company Airbus Corporate Helicopters.
The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is the first offering from the recently-announced partnership between the two companies and was revealed this week at Courchevel in the French Alps.
The stylish special edition of the ACH130 helicopter comes equipped with a range of four interior and exterior designs created by Aston Martin.
With many helicopter owners being people with deep pockets, the aim is to cater to the demand of those who appreciate the pleasures of possessing and driving high performance bespoke luxury cars.
The aeronautical designers at Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) and the automotive designers at Aston Martin have worked closely together for over a year on the project.
They set out to combine ACH’s values of excellence, quality and service with Aston Martin’s commitment to beauty, handcrafting and automotive art to bring something altogether new to the helicopter market.
Available in four external liveries with complementary interiors, the helicopters are embellished with Aston Martin signature elements, starting with the Aston Martin wings, which are embossed onto luxury leather features positioned throughout the cabin.
The Stirling Green-themed external scheme, which is already flying on the first aircraft, features a painted gradient, which fades down into Jet Black on the underside of the helicopter with Skyfall Silver around the cowlings.
Further external liveries are available with other Aston Martin paint colours - including Xenon Grey, Arizona or Ultramarine Black exteriors.
Inside, the automotive-inspired cabin - which offers a higher level of comfort - is trimmed in Pure Black ultra-suede with a palette of selectable leathers comprising Oxford Tan, Pure Black, Cormorant and Ivory.
On the rear of the front seats the same brogue detailing found in an Aston Martin DB11 runs down the centre of the seat and the doors have been trimmed with leather to provide passengers with comfortable touch points during their flight.
Each of these special edition helicopters will have a plaque included on the instrument panel which shows the partnership logos, the edition number and the owner’s name, should they wish to have it included.
Aston Martin vice president and chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, said: “We have our own set of automotive design principles but in recent years we have been learning how to apply our principles to other areas of design, such as architecture, motorcycles and now helicopters.
“This first application of our design practices to a helicopter posed a number of interesting challenges but we have enjoyed working through them.
“Beauty is of vital importance to Aston Martin and to our customers and we think the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is an inherently beautiful machine.
“It provided a wonderful canvas for our team to work on so we now look forward to seeing everybody’s reaction.”
Frederic Lemos, head of Airbus Corporate Helicopters, said: “The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is optimally positioned in the market for hands-on owners who draw satisfaction from personally piloting their aircraft and it generates strong brand loyalty.
“In the same way Aston Martin’s products are cars for drivers who relish being at the wheel and they inspire a comparable attachment to the brand.
“So they are the perfect partner for us in developing this superb new ACH130 Aston Martin Edition.”
The first ACH130 Aston Martin Edition deliveries are expected within the next three months.