Aston Martin will celebrate 75 years of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with three highly exclusive DB12 S models inspired by the marque’s DB2 racing cars of the early 1950s.
Created by Q by Aston Martin, the company’s bespoke division, the three ‘VMF’ editions will make their debut during 2026 Monterey Car Week in California, where Aston Martin is planning a substantial programme of displays, events and new model appearances.
But behind the modern carbon fibre and 21st-century performance lies a story stretching back three quarters of a century.
Three cars, three colours, one racing story
In 1951, the Aston Martin Racing Team campaigned three DB2 competition cars carrying British registrations VMF 63, VMF 64 and VMF 65.
The cars had originally been built for the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours and continued competing during the early years of the decade, both as factory entries and in private hands.
One small detail helped distinguish them: each carried its own coloured grille.
It is that characteristic which Q by Aston Martin has revived for three DB12 S Coupés commissioned to mark the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
VMF 63 receives Rosso Red accents, VMF 64 uses Speed Yellow detailing and VMF 65 is distinguished by Ellwood Blue highlights.
All three share Carbon Black exterior paint, creating a deliberately restrained backdrop against which those individual colours stand out.
The treatment extends beyond the grille. Each car receives ‘75’ fender roundel graphics, painted carbon-fibre side strakes, a painted carbon-fibre Aeroblade and a DB2-inspired foil overlay at the rear.
The result is intended to reference Aston Martin’s competition history without turning the DB12 S into a replica of its 1950s ancestor.
Q brings the DB2 story inside
The historical theme continues in the cabin, although here the references are more subtle.
Colour-coordinated contrast stitching is joined by embroidered Aston Martin wings and DB2 silhouettes on the front seatbacks, while the rear seats carry special ‘75’ roundel graphics.
Q has also painted the start/stop rotary control and paddle-shifter tips to correspond with each car’s individual colour theme.
Bespoke ‘75’ sill plaques complete the package and provide another reference to the DB2 racers that inspired the project.
Vittorio Gabba, Head of Q at Aston Martin, described creating the collection for Pebble Beach’s anniversary as an honour for his team.
“I hope and believe these very special models are a fitting tribute to what has become one of the largest automotive occasions.”
Why Pebble Beach matters
The choice of inspiration is particularly appropriate for 2026.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with the event placing additional emphasis on early-1950s sports cars, period competition machinery and the development of performance design.
That puts Aston Martin’s original DB2 racers almost precisely at the starting point of the story Pebble Beach is celebrating.
And while the three DB12 S ‘VMF’ cars provide the headline connection between Aston Martin’s past and present, they represent only part of the British manufacturer’s Monterey programme.
Aston Martins take over Carmel
Aston Martin’s activities begin on Wednesday, 12 August with Astons On The Avenue, organised in conjunction with the Aston Martin Owners Club.
Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea will once again be filled with Aston Martins spanning different generations.
Following the success of the 2025 gathering, Aston Martin says this year’s event will be larger, while continuing its support for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
Attention then moves to one of Monterey Car Week’s headline gatherings.
On Friday, 14 August, Aston Martin will return to The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, staged at The Quail Lodge & Golf Club.
The event has become one of the week’s major showcases for significant classic cars, supercars, hypercars and new luxury models, attracting collectors and manufacturers from around the world.
The House of Aston Martin returns
Away from the main public events, The House of Aston Martin will again provide the company’s private hospitality base throughout the extended weekend.
This year’s venue is adjacent to Poppy Hills Golf Course and will combine displays of new and historic Aston Martins with private specification opportunities for prospective customers.
Among the cars taking centre stage will be the Valhalla supercar alongside Aston Martin’s latest performance-focused ‘S’ models — the DB12 S, Vantage S and DBX S.
Significantly, an original DB2 heritage model will also be displayed, allowing visitors to see the historical connection behind the new VMF editions.
Vanquish marks another anniversary
The DB12 S trio won’t be the only Q by Aston Martin special edition appearing during Monterey Car Week.
The House of Aston Martin will also host the new Vanquish 25 Special Edition, created to commemorate 25 years since the debut of the original V12 Vanquish.
Produced in strictly limited numbers, the new model takes inspiration from the detailing and launch specification of the original Vanquish, combining those references with contemporary materials and Q by Aston Martin craftsmanship.
It gives Aston Martin two distinctly different heritage stories to tell in California: one reaching back to its early post-war competition history and another celebrating one of the defining GT cars of its modern era.
Andrea Baldi, Aston Martin Chief Commercial Officer, said Monterey provides an appropriate setting for both.
“Monterey Car Week is the ideal background for the unveiling of our very special DB12 S ‘VMF’ cars celebrating this, the 75th running of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.”
He added that the event also provides Aston Martin with an opportunity to celebrate its heritage through the Vanquish 25 while showcasing the company’s future models.
Motoring Echo – At a Glance
Aston Martin DB12 S ‘VMF’ Collection
Number of cars: Three
Inspiration: Aston Martin DB2 competition cars from 1951
Original registrations: VMF 63, VMF 64 and VMF 65
VMF 63 accent: Rosso Red
VMF 64 accent: Speed Yellow
VMF 65 accent: Ellwood Blue
Exterior: Carbon Black
Created by: Q by Aston Martin
Occasion: 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Public debut: 2026 Monterey Car Week, California
Motoring Echo Verdict
There is always a danger with heritage-inspired special editions that history becomes little more than a convenient excuse for a different paint scheme.
Aston Martin has considerably more substance to work with here.
The connection between the DB12 S trio and the three VMF-registered DB2 racers gives Q by Aston Martin an authentic competition story dating directly to the era being celebrated at Pebble Beach.
More importantly, the references appear relatively restrained. The coloured details, DB2 embroidery and competition-style roundels acknowledge the originals without attempting to turn a modern DB12 S into a pastiche of a 1950s racing car.
And Monterey is exactly the place to do it.
With an original DB2 appearing alongside the new cars, the Valhalla representing Aston Martin’s technological future and another piece of modern history being celebrated through the Vanquish 25, the company’s 2026 Monterey presence neatly spans three very different eras.
Sometimes the best way to demonstrate where a marque is going is to remind everyone where it came from.
