Aston Martin is using Monterey Car Week 2026 to draw a clean line between its early post-war racing story and its current grand touring performance cars.
The marque’s headline Monterey moment is a trio of DB12 S Coupes created by Q by Aston Martin, each paying tribute to the DB2 race cars that carried the VMF registration prefix in 1951.
It’s a fitting play for the 75th Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance, where period sports cars, collector culture and competition history are never far apart.
At a glance
- Aston Martin will debut three DB12 S VMF special editions during Monterey Car Week 2026.
- Each car is inspired by one of the 1951 DB2 VMF racers, with colour-coded detailing by Q by Aston Martin.
- The cars form part of Aston Martin’s wider Monterey programme from Wednesday 12 August, including The Quail and The House of Aston Martin.
A DB12 S trio with 1951 racing roots
The three new DB12 S Coupes take their cues from a set of DB2 race cars built in 1950 for the Le Mans 24 Hours and campaigned through the early 1950s by Aston Martin’s factory team and private entrants.
Those cars carried British registration plates VMF 63, VMF 64 and VMF 65, and each was distinguished by a different coloured grille.
Q by Aston Martin has translated that idea into three modern commissions with Carbon Black exterior paint and individual accent colours.
VMF 63 receives Rosso Red detailing, VMF 64 uses Speed Yellow, and VMF 65 is finished with Ellwood Blue highlights.
The exterior treatment includes painted grille vanes, “75” fender roundel graphics, painted carbon fibre side strakes, a painted carbon fibre Aeroblade and a DB2 foil overlay at the rear.
It’s a subtle set of changes rather than a dramatic restyling exercise, which suits the brief.
The point is not to make the DB12 S look old, but to let a very specific piece of Aston Martin competition history sit naturally on a contemporary performance coupe.
Q by Aston Martin keeps the detail work focused
The cabin follows the same disciplined approach, with each car receiving colour-coordinated contrast stitching and Aston Martin wings embroidery.
There’s also a DB2 silhouette embroidered into the front seatbacks, “75” roundel graphics on the rear seatbacks, a painted start-stop rotary control and painted paddle shifter tips.
Bespoke sill plaques reference the DB2 inspiration and complete the commission.
For collectors, that interior work may be the most telling part of the exercise.
It gives each car a clear link to the Pebble Beach anniversary without leaning too heavily on nostalgia or decorative excess.
Vittorio Gabba, Head of Q at Aston Martin, described the project as an honour for the team and said the models were intended as a tribute to one of the world’s major automotive occasions.
Monterey week presence beyond the concours lawn
Aston Martin’s Monterey programme begins on Wednesday 12 August with Astons On The Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Organised with the Aston Martin Owners Club, the gathering brings historic and modern Aston Martins to Ocean Avenue while supporting the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
The brand will also return to The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering at The Quail Lodge & Golf Club on Friday 14 August.
That event remains one of the key collector fixtures of the week, bringing together rare classics, modern supercars, hypercars and design-led automotive displays in a tightly curated setting.
The House of Aston Martin will again provide private hospitality for invited guests, this year from a property near Poppy Hills Golf Course.
The space will allow guests to explore specification possibilities for new Aston Martin models, with partner experiences involving Bollinger, Bowers & Wilkins, Breitling, Glenfiddich and Elemis.
Cars on display will include the Valhalla supercar, the DB12 S, Vantage S and DBX S, along with a DB2 heritage model that gives the VMF editions their historical anchor.
Aston Martin will also show the Vanquish 25 Special Edition, another Q by Aston Martin creation marking 25 years since the debut of the original V12 Vanquish.
Andrea Baldi, Aston Martin’s Chief Commercial Officer, framed Monterey as the right setting for both the DB12 S VMF cars and the Vanquish 25 Special Edition, connecting the marque’s heritage work with its current performance direction.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Aston Martin |
|---|---|
| Model | DB12 S VMF special editions |
| Body style | Coupe |
| Creator | Q by Aston Martin |
| Number of cars | Three |
| Inspiration | 1951 Aston Martin DB2 VMF racing cars |
| Individual editions | VMF 63 with Rosso Red accents, VMF 64 with Speed Yellow detailing, VMF 65 with Ellwood Blue highlights |
| Exterior finish | Carbon Black paint with painted grille vanes, “75” fender roundel graphics and painted carbon fibre side strakes |
| Additional exterior details | Painted carbon fibre Aeroblade and DB2 foil overlay at the rear |
| Interior details | Colour-coordinated contrast stitching, Aston Martin wings, DB2 silhouette embroidery, “75” rear seatback roundels, painted start-stop rotary and painted paddle shifter tips |
| Debut setting | Monterey Car Week 2026 and the 75th Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance celebrations |
The DB12 S VMF trio is a measured collector commission, not a loud anniversary graphic package.
By tying three contemporary coupes to three identifiable early racing cars, Aston Martin gives Monterey’s 75th Pebble Beach celebrations a tribute with real specificity and the kind of detail-led restraint that tends to age well.
