Aston Martin Reveals Airbus ACH130 Aston Martin Edition Helicopter

Aston Martin just can’t help but outdo itself. From its entry in Le Mans, to building James Bond cars that actually work, to Aston Martin-themed motorcycles, and even embracing the manual gearbox after everyone else abandoned it—it seems that the British luxury marque is always looking to do the unexpected.

For its next trick, Aston Martin announced a team-up with airplane and helicopter maker Airbus to unveil the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition, a stylish helicopter embellished with four different interior and exterior designs provided by Aston Martin.

Exterior options include Stirling Green, Xenon Grey, Ultramarine Black, and a color simply dubbed Arizona. For the cabin, buyers get to choose between Oxford Tan, Cormorant, Ivory, and Pure Black. Matching leather and Pure Black ultra-suede makes up the rest of the interior. Aston Martin badging is embossed on the leather headrests to further distinguish this special edition for the standard ACH130.

“We have our own set of automotive design principles but in recent years we have been learning how to apply our principles to other areas of design, such as architecture, motorcycles and now helicopters,” said Aston Martin Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman.

Right behind the helicopter’s front seats lie brogue detailing that runs down the center of the seat, similar to the one found in the Aston Martin DB11. Doors are leather-trimmed to provide more comfortable surfaces for the craft’s occupants. Using materials from the Aston Martin automotive palette, the helicopter’s interior bears a lot of similarities with Aston Martin’s sports cars.

“This first application of our design practices to a helicopter posed a number of interesting challenges but we have enjoyed working through them. Beauty is of vital importance to Aston Martin and to our customers and we think the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is an inherently beautiful machine. It provided a wonderful canvas for our team to work on so we now look forward to seeing everybody’s reaction,” Reichman added.

Each special edition helicopter sold will be accompanied by a plaque placed on the instrument panel that displays the partnership logos of Aston Martin Lagonda and Airbus Corporate Helicopters, the registration of the aircraft, and the edition number. Owners can have their names included in the plaque if they wish.

“The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is optimally positioned in the market for hands-on owners who draw satisfaction from personally piloting their aircraft and it generates strong brand-loyalty,” said Frédéric Lemos, Head of Airbus Corporate Helicopters. “In the same way Aston Martin’s products are cars for drivers who relish being at the wheel and they inspire a comparable attachment to the brand. So they are the perfect partner for us in developing this superb new ACH130 Aston Martin Edition.”

Both companies did not divulge how much the upgraded helicopters will cost. The helicopters are available through custom order, with deliveries set to begin from the first quarter of 2020 onwards.

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