The History of the Aston Martin Volante When most high-performance manufacturers create convertible versions of their top-of-the-range models, they tend to use a variety of names. Spider, Roadster, Cabriolet, sometimes Targa. But Aston Martin, for the most part, have associated their convertibles with a very unique name, Volante. In Italian, Volante is an acronym for quick or flying and certainly Aston loves to give off the impression that their cars indeed do this. The name Volante first came to be in 1965 with the launch of the Short Chassis Volante. This car sat directly between the end of the DB5 model years and the launch of the DB6. Only 37 were built, and it featured the same 4.0l 282-horsepower l6 as the DB5. 0-62 took around 6.2 seconds, and the top speed Aston claimed to be 150mph. Truth is, back then, unlike today, cars were a lot slower than what the manufacturer claimed. However, it was a beautiful, desirable, and effortlessly cool convertible. A recipe that was followed with the DB6 Volante launched a year later, and every single Volante that followed. Generally, this namesake stuck with most Aston Convertibles. The only exceptions were the Vantage Sports cars launched in 2005 and the first-generation Vanquish, which, interestingly, was never launched as a Volante. Read More Aston Martin Vanquish Volante: Aston’s Most Powerful Cabrio-GT Celebrates 60 Years of Aston Martin Volantes This is ever so clear with the two Volantes that are currently on sale. The 671-horsepower, twin-turbo V8, mid-range, $210,000, 207mph DB12 Volante, and the 825-horsepower, twin-turbo V12, flagship, $330,000, 214mph Vanquish. Two very similar yet different takes on the Volante recipe, but both harken the spirit of the original Volante. And now, with it being 60 years of the Volante, Aston Martin have decided to celebrate this namesake. The 60th Anniversary Volante Editions: Taking Icy Cool Style to an All-New High Obviously, Aston’s bespoke craftsmen of the Q division stepped in and created the 60th Anniversary of Volante Editions. 60 examples of the DB12 Volante, 60 examples of the Vanquish Volante, both the best they’ve ever looked. Both models feature a gorgeous Q Pentland Green livery only contrasted with a Q Westminster Green hood, contrasted perfectly by Bronze accents on both the precision-milled side strakes and Iconic Aston Vaned Grille. Exclusive 21-inch Q wheels, finished in satin bronze with diamond-turned edges, complete the commanding stance. Inside, both cars feature a tri-tone interior of Centenary Saddle Tan, Ivory, and Woven leathers, all paired with Dark Walnut Open Pore veneers. This is further enhanced by bronze touchpoints and bespoke 60th Anniversary embroidery. Really, the icing to complete this beautiful cake. Aston Martin will only be selling these cars to their most specialised clientele, as they have done with many of their previous bespoke models, in Q4 of 2025. But really, these cars are there to celebrate what made the original Volante so special in the first place. They are both beautiful, desirable, and effortlessly cool convertibles that truly capture the spirit of the original Short-Chassis Volante. Truly a celebration well-celebrated. Source: Aston Martin
