The impact of colour in the world of luxury brands cannot be overstated. Think Tiffany & Co.’s iconic turquoise, Hermès’ vibrant red-hot orange or signature Burberry beige.
When talking about Aston Martin, it is impossible not to mention Racing Green, the colour that symbolises endeavour and racing glory for the marque. At the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season, it took pole position as the number one choice of colour among Aston Martin customers – a development attributed to the success of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team on track the following year, notably Fernando Alonso’s historic first podium in green.
But there have been many defining moments in the marque’s history, each leaving a lasting impact on how an Aston Martin customer perceives colour. One such moment was the release of Goldfinger in 1964, marking the enduring association of the Silver Birch Aston Martin DB5 with James Bond and solidifying Aston Martin’s reputation as the epitome of luxury and style.
Fast-forward to 2024 and the highly anticipated new Vantage was revealed to the world in Cosmopolitan Yellow – a bold, strong colour perfectly matching Aston Martin’s statement of intent. An unadulterated celebration of pure performance, the next-generation sports car was engineered to deliver maximum thrills with maximum confidence.
While every Aston Martin offers a wide scope of specification options, Q by Aston Martin unlocks another level of personalisation – and a whole new spectrum of colours – for its bespoke customers.
“The car configurator features 60 colours, with small updates each year to align with trends and customer preferences,” explains Vittorio Gabba, Commercial Head of Q Operations at Aston Martin. “Among these, 34 are Q colours, reflecting Aston Martin’s commitment to providing our customers with something truly special.”
The customisation journey often begins from within, where personal sentiments intersect with individual tastes and desires. “Buying an Aston Martin is driven by emotions,” Gabba says. “For some, it’s about the luxury aspect, preferring quieter colours with special metallic flakes that emphasise the richness of the colour; others opt for vibrant racing colours inspired by our F1 and GT racing cars, while some are influenced by our heritage.”
Yet external inspiration also plays a pivotal role, with customers seeking to encapsulate their favourite locales in their vehicle’s paintwork and interior detailing.
“We have a long history of colours named after destinations, especially with the green and greys relating to the UK landscape, which allows us to emphasise the British provenance of our brand,” says Gabba. “Just recently a customer took inspiration for his exterior colour combination from a mountain. He didn’t want one specific colour but rather the different layers of the mountain reflected on the paint scheme of the car. We were able to reproduce the fading effect of the grey of the mountain stone from the upper to lower part of his Aston Martin.”
Indeed, Gabba posits that nature provides the best palette, especially evident in two Aston Martin colours reminiscent of the ocean’s allure. “With Caribbean Blue, we focused on the first image that comes to the customer’s mind: the region’s clear and transparent waters and added an additional layer of pearlescent effect on the colour. For Seychelles Blue, we used a very deep hue to capture the depth of the Indian Ocean.”
The personalisation process for Q customers is both creative and collaborative – and offers a journey through a historical range of colours, exclusive to Aston Martin’s bespoke arm, many inspired by different parts of the globe like Santa Cruz Yellow and Lindisfarne Gold. “Upon receiving their initial briefing, we begin our research to provide them with a selection of samples showcasing various nuances: solid, metallic, pearlescent,” explains Gabba. “After they receive these initial samples, they can request modifications to the tone or quantity of metallic flakes. Once they’re satisfied with the result, the customer signs off on the sample, which is then codified for production.”
While Aston Martin typically determines the paint name for consistency, Gabba adds that there have been instances where a customer has collaborated on the name, resulting in a colour unique to them such as Hong Kong Purple for a V12 owner and Bahrain Purple for another’s One-77 hypercar.
After all, Aston Martin’s breathtaking portfolio is built on a desire to capture the pure human emotion of the driving experience, amplified by the exhilarating destinations its global customers boldly venture to.
Find out more at Aston Martin Configurator
