Aston Martin Now Sells Idiotic Tom Brady 'Signature Edition' Vanquish

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

I’ve already made the case against Aston Martin using Tom Brady as a brand ambassador. However, after months of marinating in a pool of semi-rational anger, I came to the realization that not everyone would view it as a step down from James Bond.

Brady was chosen specifically to appeal to the United States because Aston wants to bolster sales in North America. His eerily straight teeth and All American Good Looks™ were a marketing selection, albeit an incredibly boring one.

While I prattle on endlessly about how unsettling I find the man, what I find particularly bothersome is that we’re supposed to presume Brady is an automotive enthusiast and ambassador of good taste. However, I’ve never seen him doing guest spots on motoring shows and his penchant for the finer things appears to be nothing more than a byproduct of his being successful. So, when Aston announced the $360,000 car he spent five months helping design was finished, my eyes rolled so far back into my head that it induced a nose bleed and I subsequently passed out.

When I came to, I wondered if I had overreacted slightly. After all, I think I’ve seen photos of Brady driving around in an Audi R8 and a brief Google investigation turned up that he also drives (or has driven) a Rolls-Royce Ghost. Those are the kinds of cars you might buy when you care about what you’re driving. Still, I’ve never seen him spotted at an auto show, racing event, or openly discussing the finer points of motoring. Granted, he doesn’t often open that sexy little mouth without a paycheck coming his way — but one would hope for at least an inkling of genuine enthusiasm.

I suppose I haven’t witnessed Daniel Craig making an appearance on Top Gear, either. But then again, Aston Martin didn’t involve him in the production of a limited edition model with his name attached to it. I’m holding Brady to a higher standard because Aston has forced me to, and also because I don’t like him very much — a point which should be abundantly clear by now.


So what did we end up with under Brady’s guidance? The Vanquish S Volante ‘Tom Brady Signature Edition.’ Essentially, it’s a black and blue convertible going for a few thousand more than the base model. What makes it different is that Brady used Aston Martin’s bespoke vehicle service — called “Q” — to preselect most of the trim options for you. Instead of outfitting your own car, you get to have one where a quarterback has already checked all the boxes for you.

Additionally, the limited edition models come with Brady’s signature on the sill plates and features “TB12” badges on the headrests, fenders, and rear of the vehicle. Apparently, Aston thinks the key to America’s heart is blatantly tacky accoutrements. The automaker might as well convince Richard Petty to do the next celebrity-endorsed model, paint it light blue, and stick the number 43 anywhere it will fit — it least then it’ll have a direct connection to American motorsports.

Beyond the visual enhancements, there isn’t much going on with the TB12 model. The Vanquish still uses the same 580-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 you’d get if you chose the paint options yourself, and I’m not seeing any discussion of performance upgrades.

“It was an easy decision to go with the Vanquish S for the special edition — it is an incredible car to drive and is truly a work of art. Going through the process of curating a unique Aston Martin has been fascinating,” Brady said in a press release. “We started with a blank canvas and finished with this beautiful car. It’s been great to see it all come to fruition and I’m proud to share a name with it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!”

Despite having helped design the vehicle and being so proud, Tom probably won’t own one. That’s probably because driving around in a production vehicle with your own name on it is almost as stupid as driving one embossed with someone else’s.


Here’s my biggest problem with this: It feels like something you’d expect from a lesser brand. I know Aston Martin wants to improve sales in the United States, but this is so desperate. Every time Brady says something, there isn’t even the slightest hint of earnestness. It’s lazy, he doesn’t seem to care, and using him as Aston’s brand ambassador genuinely boggles the mind. It’s like trying to solve a crossword puzzle in a language you don’t even speak.

The only clue I’ve managed to find to all of this came via an interview the company’s chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, had with ESPN. In it, he attempted to associate Brady’s football career with automotive design before revealing something fairly telling.

“When he does something on the field, he sees the result immediately,” Reichman explained. “His world is very short in terms of timing. So one thing he made clear to us was that he wanted to be able to make a move and feel the immediacy of performance.”

“This car touches people through a voice in Tom that they understand,” he continued. “He speaks English in an American’s English, and he’s telling the world why he loves our product. It’s as simple as that.”

A voice they’ll understand? Tom Brady speaks exactly like someone who has endured multiple concussions. It sounds to me like Aston Martin views its North American client base as a jumble of simpletons, unable to appreciate a product without some kind of celebrity endorsement.

Aston Martin says it will only produce 12 Tom Brady Signature Edition Vanquish S Volantes for $359,650 apiece. If you’re seeking more-affordable products featuring your favorite NFL star’s name, Brady also has his own line of TB12 snacks, a meal service, and a $200 cookbook. Interestingly, those items all have some connection to physical health — a subject one might assume a world-class athlete would know a thing or two about.

Deliveries of the stupid Vanquish are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2018.

[Images: Aston Martin]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Ronnie Schreiber Ronnie Schreiber on Oct 29, 2017

    With all the Patriot haters, people are forgetting that Tom Brady played at the University of Michigan, whose Alumni Association is the largest alumni association of any university in the world, with 575,000 members. UofM has highly ranked law, medical, engineering, and business schools and they've produced a large number of people who have been very successful in their careers, the sort of people to whom Aston Martin would like to sell cars. I'm pretty sure that A-M would rather that my cousin, the ophthalmologist, was driving one of their cars instead of his BMW i8.

    • I_like_stuff I_like_stuff on Oct 29, 2017

      Bbbut bbbbut bbbutr deflategate!!!! Ronnie, you got it exactly. Brady is a winner. And other winners, ie people who can afford to drop $350K on a car, want to associate with other winners. A-M doesn't really care if 99.9% of people outside of Boston hate Brady. They care about that 0.1% that is their target audience.

  • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Oct 30, 2017

    I don't think it is because they win, it is because of how they win. Not that I care about football anyway. I barely know enough to know to take a walk on fourth and long.

  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
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