It's 70 years since Aston Martin first sold a car in America, and to mark that auspicious anniversary, the brand will be creating quite a splash at the 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Aston has let slip that it will unveil a brand-new model, "an exciting new product which extends the brand's performance credentials a step further." That appears to be an open-topped version of the Valkyrie hypercar, as teased in our lead image.
An American Goodwood
What's the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance? Why, it's the annual opportunity for American classic car aficionados to drive their priceless Cords, Auburns, Dusenbergs and who knows what else across the neatly trimmed green sward of the famed Pebble Beach golf course in California. The event, rather like Goodwood on this side of the Atlantic, has become a strong draw for car makers wanting to show off their expensive new wares to the hordes of red-trouser-and-Panama-hat wearing well-to-dos.
The 940hp Valhalla
So, what's Aston bringing to this Gatsby party? Well, it's going to set up its own club house - called Aston Martin Club 1913; a 1,050 square metre edifice overlooking the 18th hole of the golf course - and in it will be stashed a number of delectable goodies.
Prime amongst those will be the new Aston Martin Valhalla - its mid-engined supercar, with a 940hp plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain. The Valhalla has already been shown off at the British Grand Prix a few weeks back, but this will be the first chance to show it to well-heeled American customers. The car - which Aston says "will be the perfect balance of hypercar performance and advanced powertrain, driving dynamics and uniquely sophisticated design materials to truly redefine the supercar sector" will be introduced to customers on Thursday, 12 August at a private VIP event ahead of the main show.
Good buy, Mr Bond...
Needless to say, both Formula One and cinema will be high on Aston's Pebble Beach agenda - there will doubtless be much discussion of the controversial Hungarian Grand Prix, as well as lots of publicity and info surrounding Aston's 2021 return to Formula One (yes, it's a return - the brand first tried F1 back in 1959 with the uncompetitive DBR4). With the latest James Bond film - No Time To Die - finally getting its much-delayed cinema release in September, there will be lots of Aston-y 007 content to enjoy too. The new film features much Aston action, including such models as the classic 1964 DB5, the 1987 DBS V8 Vantage from The Living Daylights, a DBS Superleggera and the Valhalla.
On top of that, there will be American debuts for other recent Aston Martin models such as the windscreen-less V12 Speedster, only 88 of which will actually be built.
The US market has been hugely significant for Aston Martin over the past 70 years. That first car to be sold in the US - a 1951 DB2/4 - was actually bought by famed racing driver, and future F1 world champ, Phil Hill who'd driven the car for a feature in Road & Track magazine. He took delivery on the 15th of September 1951, having just written in Road & Track that the Aston was "...one of the best handling and fastest cars ever tested..."
Almost one quarter of all Aston Martin production heads Stateside, and, reflecting on the 70-year association between Aston Martin and North America the marque's Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers, said: "For seven decades now, enthusiast drivers in the United States and Canada have had the chance to enjoy some of the greatest cars we have yet made. Around a quarter of all the cars we have ever made have been sold in North America; American and Canadian investment, management and support have played a major part in the company's history. I am very happy to see us celebrate not only this important anniversary, but also the enduring link between our brand and the knowledgeable and hugely enthusiastic brand of owners who enjoy our cars in North America today."