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Tailor-made: the first Aston Martin One-77

2011-02-02 13:55

What: Aston Martin One-77
Where: Place du Casino
When: keep your eyes peeled

Bounded by the Casino and the Hôtel de Paris, the Carré d'Or is the place to be seen whether you're sporting the latest heels or the latest wheels - and the latter don't come much smarter than when they're being worn by the Monaco-plated car spotted there this week, the first Aston Martin One-77.

Created for an exclusive clientele by the renowned carmaker, the One-77 is a limited edition of that number - and most of the remaining seventy-six have already been snapped up, despite a price tag of nearly $2m.

Aston Martin is a name steeped in history and the romance of the movies. In 1913, the founders' avowed mission was to produce 'a quality car of good performance and appearance: a car for the discerning owner driver with fast touring in mind, designed, developed and built as an individual', and that has remained their principle for nearly a century.

Thanks in large part to the successful handling of the company over many years by the legendary David Brown (whose initials precede many of the most popular model numbers), and a much-respected partnership with a certain secret agent, the car has maintained its appeal in the both the new and second-hand marketplace.



Interestingly, the marriage of MI6 and Motor was not an invention of the film studio; it was Ian Fleming’s original intention in the original Goldfinger novel that Bond should drive an Aston Martin DB3 fitted with reinforced bumpers and a Colt 45 in a concealed gun compartment. But it was the DB5 driven by Sean Connery (registration JB 007) which turned the Aston Martin into the car of choice in 1964 - and it's no surprise that the car used in that film was sold at auction in 2009 in London for a staggering £2.6m.

This latest from the Aston stable, the One-77, is just as exclusive, if not more so, than anything driven by 007. From a driver's perspective, its customized cabin is a dream - and it's a powerful animal, boasting an enhanced 7.3-litre V12 engine of the kind originally developed for earlier vehicles including the DB9 and DBS. With a top speed in excess of 200mph, and delivering 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, this is a high-performance motor - and the perfect getaway car, whether for spies or for those romantic lovers who prefer to be stirred, not shaken.

Only seventy-seven have been manufactured, and each one is customized entirely for the client, from gearbox to interior trim. As Aston Martin's boss, Ulrich Bez, quite rightly points out, 'the car should fit the owner like a tailored suit'.