Loyal Aston Martin customers will be able to show their appreciation for the brand in the most extravagant of ways after it announced the co-developed Airbus ACH130 Aston Martin Edition helicopter.
The next best thing to a flying car, this limited-edition helicopter has been developed to feel like an Aston Martin on the inside and, to a lesser extent, look like one on the outside.
Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) designers worked with their Aston Martin counterparts for over a year to marry the key values of excellence instilled into both brands. The result is a helicopter that respects Airbus’s commitment to mechanical quality and Aston Martin’s devotion to handcrafted automotive art.
Elite Traveler was invited to be one of the first to fly in the helicopter, taking to the skies above London to get a feel for what customers will be buying. The automotive-inspired cabin is unmistakably an Aston Martin environment. The luxury car company’s unmistakable wings are embossed onto leather features throughout the cabin.
The eight seats are dressed in a stylish Oxford Tan leather. Some of the design features, such as the brogue detailing on the rear of the front seats, have been taken directly from the Aston Martin DB11.
The brogue detailing on the rear of the front seats has been taken from the Aston Martin DB11
The exterior will be available in four different liveries, all bearing some resemblance to classic Aston Martin colors. The Stirling Green-themed external scheme features a painted gradient, which fades down into Jet Black on the underside of the helicopter with Skyfall Silver around the cowlings. The other liveries are Aston Martin paint colors Xenon Grey, Arizona and Ultramarine Black.
Each of the special-edition helicopters will come with a plaque on the instrument panel. The plaque shows the ACH and Aston Martin logos in harmony, the registration of the aircraft, and the unique edition number. The owner’s name can also be included upon request.
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.”
It is the first major project borne out of the new partnership between Airbus and Aston Martin Lagonda
Frédéric Lemos, head of Airbus Corporate Helicopters, also commented: “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 helicopter is the first major project borne out of the new partnership between Airbus and Aston Martin Lagonda. The latter has recently struck up a number of similar alignments with luxury brands – most notably with Waldorf Astoria Resorts and Hotels – in an attempt to widen its offering beyond supercars.
The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is available on request with deliveries taking place from Q1 2020. airbuscorporatehelicopters.com
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