The Zagato Twins revive a classic niche Aston Martin design
Just 19 examples of the Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins by R-Reforged continuation will be made, and you’ll only be able to buy them as a pair
![Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins by R-Reforged in gold and white](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LBwiqE9yp22ozBDZzeh6sP-415-80.jpeg)
The contemporary car collector is spoilt for choice, with a plethora of special editions and limited series being produced by every high-end sports car and luxury manufacturer. On top of that, there are the limitless opportunities afforded by each company’s coachbuilding division, ensuring that a combination of imagination, patience and deep, deep pockets will result in something unique.
If you’re not so sure of your role as a tastemaker and fancy a return to a more celebrated golden age, you’re also in luck. For the past decade or so, the Continuation Car has become a major focus for the biggest automotive brands. The mix of highly skilled specialists, revived traditional methods and discrete updates for use on road and track make these iconic revivals attractive to drive as well as invest in. In many cases, the originals have ascended to such lofty values that day to day use is – for purposes of insurance – all but impossible.
While you can step into a nut-and-bolt recreation of sports cars from the 20s through to the 60s, revivals needn’t necessarily mean vintage cars. We spoke to Dr Andrea Zagato, CEO of the famous coachbuilding company started by his grandfather Ugo in 1919, about the forthcoming Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins by R-Reforged. Revisiting an acclaimed design from the turn of the last decade, the project continues a longstanding relationship that dates back to the early 60s.
‘We had this opportunity from Aston Martin,’ says Dr Zagato. ‘We knew the original project was very successful – the cars’ value had increased, which is rare over such a short time.’ This time, a partnership with the Swiss specialists R-Reforged gave Zagato a chance to enhance and upgrade the original model. ‘The V12 was a true Gran Turismo model,’ Zagato enthuses, ‘it represents the real ethos of Zagato.’ Back in 2011, the car was shown at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance in Italy before being shipped off to Germany for an attempt at the Nurburging N24, one of the world’s most famous endurance races. ‘This is the true definition of a Gran Turismo, a machine that can be exhibited as a show car and also run on the racetrack,’ he says, ‘Enzo Ferrari once said that ‘the car that wins the race is the most beautiful.’
Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins by R-Reforged: Roadster (left) and Coupe (right)
More than any other Italian coachbuilder, Zagato has become associated with this fusion of performance and aesthetics. As well as working with all the major Italian manufacturers, Dr Zagato points out that the company has a long history of working with British companies, citing designs created with AC, Bentley, Bristol, Frazer-Nash, Rover, Rolls-Royce and MG, in addition to the ongoing work with Aston Martin. In all, the company has a portfolio of 440 car designs, working with 44 different companies. Just 19 examples of the Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins by R-Reforged continuation will be made, and you’ll only be able to buy them as a pair of open and closed cars. The most notable addition to the original is the incorporation of a dynamic rear-spoiler. ‘Back in 2012 we didn’t have time to develop a movable rear wing, so they were all built with a fixed wing,’ Zagato says, ‘now we can use the air blade from the Aston Martin Vanquish family.’ The design is also slightly fettled and upgraded and there’s a welcome power boost of 80hp over the original.
Zagato credits the renaissance of so-called ‘Continuation’ cars that have become hugely popular in the high-end market to a search for familiarity in an age of uncertainty. ‘We have what we call a neo-classical approach to car design, evoking the cars of the 50s and 60s,’ he muses, ‘we have a long relationship with so many companies.’ It helps that the collectors seeking out these contemporary updates of classic design are bolstered by economics; limited edition cars tend to appreciate in value, even in the short term. And if you’re still hell-bent on driving your new investment, your insurer will happily note that a Continuation model is usually an order of magnitude less expensive than the original.
Zagato has another trump card in its hand; it is the progenitor of some of the most striking original car designs ever made. As well as its bespoke suite of Aston Martins, made in close collaboration with the manufacturer since the 1960s, there are numerous other classics in its archives. That allows Zagato to build Sanction Lost models of little-known or one-off designs, such as the elegant Porsche 356 Carrera Zagato Coupe created to honour a one-off design from 1959, a car that was subsequently crashed and destroyed. ‘We have the pictures and plans, so you can create a car today that celebrates the past.’ Another Porsche project is in the works.
The hand-stitched interior of the Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Roadster
Zagato’s facility just north of Milan turns out just one hand-built car a month, with other models being produced under license by regional specialists. No-one builds cars without customers, and Zagato is safe in the knowledge that is has a loyal fanbase of well-heeled collectors. ‘Our relationship with our customers is like the owner of a small restaurant. We know every client and we have a good number of collectors who like our philosophy. Just like the restaurant customers who have a favourite restaurant – they trust in the chef to prepare and recommend their food.’
INFORMATION
Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins by R-Reforged. £1.75m GBP + local taxes for the pair
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Could a car be any more muscular? Aston Martin unleashes the bold and brutalist Valiant
Equipped with a V12 engine, manual gearbox and chiselled bodywork, the limited-edition Aston Martin Valiant is the company’s most extreme front-engined road car to date
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin Vantage review: we take the wheel to find out if it makes the supercar grade
The new Aston Martin Vantage is an upgrade on every conceivable metric, resulting in a machine with more power, luxury and dynamic ability than ever before
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin DBX707 SUV is updated with a new interior and infotainment
The new Aston Martin DBX707 has better tech, better design but the same raw power, keeping its spot at the top of the ultra-SUV tree
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Aston Martin Ginza showroom brings customer personalisation to life
Aston Martin Ginza showroom is a two-storey space in The Peninsula Tokyo hotel and a new hub for the car maker
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Aston Martin Vantage is reshaped and revitalised for a new generation
The Aston Martin Vantage is a sports car with an authentic racing heritage, now upgraded and enhanced with new styling and fresh interiors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Year in review: the top 10 cars of 2023, as selected by Wallpaper’s Jonathan Bell
What were the best four-wheeled offerings of 2023? Transport editor Jonathan Bell takes us through the year’s most intriguing automobiles
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Riva Yacht’s Italian shipyard and HQ is refined and expanded courtesy of MMAA
The home of Riva Yacht’s superyacht division on the shores of the Ligurian Sea has been transformed by Studio Manfroni e Associati di La Spezia
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The J.Laverack Aston Martin .1R bicycle is a pedal-powered, two-wheeled hypercar
Aston Martin and J.Laverack reveal their exquisitely crafted road bike
By Jonathan Bell Published