Someone Paid Aston Martin $26 Million For The Vanquish Tooling And Design Drawings

In preparation for Aston Martin’s IPO earlier this month on the London Stock Exchange, the company had released a share prospectus targeting potential investors.

In the 321-page document, Aston Martin “hid” some interesting pieces of information. One referred to the DBX crossover’s engine, which will be a twin-turbo V8 sourced from Mercedes-AMG. Another tidbit was about Aston Martin selling the tooling and design drawings for its outgoing Vanquish grand tourer.

The transaction took place in June when the luxury car manufacturer received £20 million ($26 million) from an unnamed buyer. Interestingly, the deal also includes an 18-month assistance from Aston Martin Consulting (AMC). The latter offers consulting services to companies looking to expand their portfolio with a touch of exclusivity.

The assistance will most likely include advice for the buyer on how to build a new Vanquish that doesn’t look like the Vanquish Aston Martin sold until this year.

Obviously, the question on everyone’s lips is who would be interested in buying the Vanquish’s tooling and design drawings. According to Automotive News, the most likely candidate would be a European luxury tuning company. Think an aftermarket specialist that also does coach-built projects and is looking to build its own cars, such as Ares Design or Mansory. We’ll no doubt learn if that’s the case in the future.

Launched in 2012, the Vanquish was Aston Martin’s flagship GT until this year when the DBS Superleggera replaced it. The outgoing model featured a V12 engine, carbon fiber bodywork, and a bonded-aluminum platform. It also offered a Volante convertible version.

Note: Aston Martin Vanquish S Ultimate pictured