Aston Martin has been awarded a new Royal Warrant, by Appointment to His Majesty The King. It is the first time in the marque’s rich 111-year history that Aston Martin has been appointed by the sovereign. This follows Aston Martin’s royal recognition for innovation, having proudly received the King’s Award for Enterprise last week.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin said: “Continuing Aston Martin’s long and privileged association with the Royal Family, our appointment by His Majesty is an immensely proud and historic moment for the Aston Martin brand. The Royal Warrant also represents a recognition of our employees’ commitment to British design, craft and engineering excellence which His Majesty has long championed.”
As pictured attached, in 2020, as Prince of Wales, The King opened Aston Martin’s new state-of-the-art DBX SUV manufacturing facility in St Athan, South Wales – marking the first Welsh-built car in the Principality for more than 50 years.
About the Royal Family’s relationship with Aston Martin:
- A passionate advocate for British design, innovation, and engineering excellence, His Majesty King Charles III has driven an Aston Martin since October 1970 when he became the proud owner of a DB6 MKII Vantage Volante specified in Seychelles Blue.
- A present to mark his 21st birthday, the future King learnt to drive the car to its full potential on Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, under the expert tuition of two-time Formula 1® world champion Graham Hill.
- Between 1987 and 1995 The King also owned a 5.3 litre V8 Vantage Volante, a gift from the Emir of Bahrain. Carefully curated bespoke elements included a cup holder to accommodate a jar of sugar cubes for polo ponies and removal of the then standard ashtray to create an elegant sunglasses case. Becoming informally known as the ‘Prince of Wales specification’ Aston Martin subsequently built more than 20 identical Vantage Volantes for its most distinguished of customers.
- His Majesty leased a third Aston Martin, a Virage Volante, from 1994 to 2007. He visited Aston Martin’s Gaydon Headquarters in 2004 and in 2020 officially opened Aston Martin’s new SUV manufacturing facility in St Athan, South Wales.
- The King’s beloved DB6 Volante took centre stage of the wedding of the current Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011, with the sight of the Royal Couple departing down The Mall in an Aston Martin thrilling thousands of cheering onlookers.
- Aston Martin Lagonda has enjoyed an eight-decade long relationship with the Royal Family, dating back to 1954, when Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, took delivery of a three-litre Lagonda. The following year, Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, acquired a DB2/4 from the Aston Martin team that had won the 1955 Monte Carlo rally.
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