Die Another Day featured one of the most objectively beautiful Bond cars of all time. The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is stunningly good looking, and perfectly fits the franchises' suave protagonist. You may be familiar with the motion picture and the various scenes in which the car is featured, such as the high-octane chase involving an equally stunning green Jaguar XKR.
And yet, for all that you may know about the film, what is less known is just what happened to the model in the immediate aftermath. Given its aesthetic and claim to fame of being in the Bond franchise, one might expect that it was pushed into the halls of an esteemed motor museum.
The reality, however, is arguably just as dramatic as the movie itself, so strap yourself in for the story of the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish from Die Another Day.
It Was A New Model
The V12 Vanquish was released in the summer of 2001. Given that the latest Bond film in the saga (the last that Piers Brosnan would feature in) came out the very next year, it was only right that this should, by decree, be the new Bond car. Throughout the 1990s, it seemed as if the James Bond franchise almost wanted to detach itself from the caricature of the British spy in the most quintessentially British car of all—the Aston Martin.
In response, the main Bond cars in Brosnan's first three films — Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough were all modern, slick BMW's. To many, this was sacrilege, as for the preceding few decades, an Aston Martin of some description was normally involved.
Thankfully for Aston fans the world over, the iconic brand would make its triumphant return in the 2000s, with Die Another Die ushering in a new era for 007. As you can probably imagine, the V12 Vanquish, with its gorgeous design and deafening sound, was a very popular choice.
The Aston Martin Originally Wanted To Keep It
Unsurprisingly, given its commercial and sentimental value, Aston Martin very much wanted to keep hold of their custom-built Vanquish model once filming was complete. This news wasn't received well by the man who had played Bond in the last four movies—the man who was about to hand over the role to Daniel Craig in the coming years. Craig, incidentally, would go on to drive the Aston Martin DBS in the very next film, Casino Royale.
Brosnan adored the V12 Vanquish. His obsession began before filming for Die Another Day had even begun, as he was invited to the Aston Martin factory to test drive the model. He fell in love with it instantly, presumably—in part—because it was the first time in his spell as Bond that got to drive an Aston Martin.
With the 2002 movie proving to be his final curtain call as 007, the actor quite rightfully assumed that he would get to keep the model after production was wrapped up. After all, he was the man who had driven in most during filming, so it only made sense. To his dismay, the company initially fought him on this, insisting that it had to remain in their possession so as it could appear in promos and features.
Piers Brosnan Finally Got His Way
In the end, the Bond actor finally got his way, but not before some toing and froing. Throughout filming and the subsequent press tour, Brosnan was informed by his agent that he wouldn't be getting a Vanquish of his own. However, Aston Martin finally relinquished three months later, agreeing to send him a model with personal inscriptions.
The custom-made vehicle may not have been laden with gadgets and ejector seats, but as Brosnan described, it was still very much unique: "There was no other car like it on the road," he later affirmed. The personal engravement plates were particularly special, as they read "Handbuilt in Britain for Piers Brosnan". Given that Die Another Day was Brosnan's last time playing the role of Bond (primarily due to his age) it was a touching departure from a franchise he had been so intrinsically involved in.
It Was Destroyed In A Fire At Brosnan's Home
The story, unfortunately, doesn't quite end there. To the dismay of Brosnan and car collectors everywhere, his prized custom-built Vanquish was destroyed in a fire in 2015. The fire was actually at Brosnan's Malibu home, and while everybody there escaped without serious injury, a number of beloved possessions were lost in the blaze.
Chief among them was the Aston Martin, which he had kept for just under 13 years. Ironically, all that remained in the aftermath were the engraved plaques that bared Brosnan's name, which he shared with the world via a 2015 Instagram post.
Today, the V12 Vanquish is still very much regarded as a brilliant Bond car, with its introduction proving to be a seminal moment for the franchise. As was mentioned previously, the absence of Aston Martin cars in the James Bond films of the late 1990s could have been a point of departure for the British car company.
And yet, in the end, Brosnan's final appearance also saw the reintroduction of Aston Martin as Bond's ever-dependable sidekick. Daniel Craig has continued the lineage ever since, with the cherished DB5 making a few cameo appearances in recent years. Long live Aston, and long live the gorgeous V12 Vanquish.
Sources: AutoEvolution, JamesBond.fandom, Motor1.com.