Aston Martin Rapide – First customer car

The first Aston Martin Rapide leaves the factory

It may not seem the biggest news in the world – Aston Martin Rapide leaves factory for customer’. After all, that is rather the point. But the gestation of the AM Rapide seems to have been so long it’s quite hard to remember who owned Aston Martin when the Rapide first poked its very elegant nose above the parapet, so it seems a big deal that complete cars are now heading out to customers.

In fact it was Ford who were at the helm when the Rapide first made a public appearance at the NAIAS in 2006 and revealed a glorious 4-door interpretation of the DB9. We all drooled. And Aston seemed keen to make the Rapide a reality not a concept. If four years is keen…

It’s also worth noting that the Aston Martin  Rapide isn’t built at Gaydon, but in Austria at Magna Steyr’s facilities. Why, you may ask yourself? Well, when AM had to decide how to get the Rapide from concept to production it was selling more cars than it ever had. It simply didn’t have the room at Gaydon to bolt the Rapdide together as well as all those Vantages and DB9s. Times change, but that’s why this Aston is Austrian.

But it’s here. It’s beautiful. It’s an Aston Martin. And we want one. And the first lucky customers are about to get one.

Lucky them.

By Cars UK