Aston Martin presents a compelling piece of its racing past at Monterey Car Week 2026 Three one-off DB12 S Coupés from Q by Aston Martin reinterpret competition cars that raced more than seven decades ago.
The collection coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and pays tribute to three DB2 race cars – VMF 63, VMF 64 and VMF 65 – built in 1950 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A Racing Heritage of Three Cars
The original DB2s would go on to compete against Aston Martin’s factory team and private entries in the early 1950s. Each had a different color grille, a functional detail from the racing era, which has become the defining detail of the new DB12 S trio.
All of the Q by Aston Martin cars are constructed in Carbon Black and then each car is treated to an individual accent – Rosso Red for VMF 63, Speed Yellow for VMF 64 and Ellwood Blue for VMF 65.
The colors carry through to the grille vanes and certain exterior details, which are paired with carbon-fibre side strakes and an Aeroblade. The link is finished off with “75” fender graphics and a DB2-influenced rear treatment, but not to the point of sending the cars into retro territory. It is an exercise in abstention, not in amusement.
Heritage in the Particulars
That goes on in here. Colour-matched stitching, embroidered Aston Martin wings and subtle DB2 silhouettes on the front seatbacks all salute the original competition cars. Bespoke finishes include the rotary controller, paddle shifters and sill plaques, with the rear seats carrying commemorative “75” detailing.
The DB12 S cabin isn’t overbearing at all. Instead, the racing references are woven in like the details of a tailored suit: you can spot them if you look, but they never fight for attention.
Aston Martin Rolls Into Monterey
The trio will headline a larger Aston Martin presence throughout Monterey Car Week. Astons On The Avenue will bring generations of the marque to Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea on August 12 and Aston Martin will join the collection of significant classics, supercars and hypercars at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, on August 14.
The House of Aston Martin, close to Poppy Hills Golf Course, will offer a more private experience for guests who have been invited, combining the cars with hospitality from luxury partners including Bollinger, Bowers & Wilkins, Breitling, Glenfiddich and Elemis.
Aston Martin will also be showing off the Valquiria, alongside the DB12 S, Vantage S and DBX S. Nearby will be a display of an original DB2 so collectors can get a view of the lineage behind the VMF editions.
The Vanquish 25 Special Edition from Q by Aston Martin will be another rare car at the gathering, marking 25 years since the original V12 Vanquish debuted. Limited in numbers, it draws on elements of the original car but with modern materials and bespoke craftsmanship.
Race History Reimagined
For Aston Martin, Monterey is the perfect setting for this reunion of past and present.
The DB12 S special editions don’t pretend to be copies of the DB2 racers that inspired them. Instead Q has taken some of their most basic identifying details and made them into something much more sophisticated. Seventy-five years later, the colors might be familiar. Everything’s changed around them.
