When we recently reviewed the Aston Martin Vantage AMR Manual, we posited that some people find “building elite supercars is unnecessary and out of fashion.” What would those people say, then, about Aston Martin’s first motorcycle?
After over 100 years in business, the luxury British marque has announced its first bike: the AMB 001, which was unveiled at the EICMA motorcycle trade show in Milan, Italy. The name acknowledges the automaker as well as its partner in the endeavor, storied motorcycle builder Brough Superior.
The AMB 001 is an object lesson in exclusivity, luxury and sheer force of will. Only 100 will be made, and hand assembled, for just under $120K each (for reference, the cheapest Aston Martin car, the Vantage, starts at $150K). It puts out an intimidating 180 horsepower (for reference, that’s more than a base 2020 Honda Civic) and is off limits on regular roads, making it a track-only bike. And it’s a huge vote of confidence for Brough Superior, a company that only officially restarted production in 2016, after shutting down in 1940.
Despite that massive gap in Brough Superior’s history, when we say “storied,” we mean it. Their motorcycles are known for being a favorite of the real Lawrence of Arabia — that is, T. E. Lawrence. And anyone who gets their gloved hands on the AMB 001 will likely fall under a similar spell courtesy of a V-twin turbocharged engine (the first from Brough), UFO-like carbon fiber construction, and even a hand-stitched leather saddle.
“This is what we believe a cutting-edge motorcycle should be and we are very proud to see the Aston Martin wings on a motorcycle for the first time,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, in a press release. “In addition to applying the skills we have developed for cars such as the ground breaking Aston Martin Valkyrie we have also been able to bring our special expertise in the traditional craft techniques to this project.”
Interested buyers can get in touch with Aston Martin to reserve one of the 100 available AMB 001s, but they won’t be ready in time to park under the tree; deliveries are scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2020. But according to the two companies, this is just “the first chapter of an exciting new partnership,” so expect more bikes to be announced in the future.
The big question is: when will we see James Bond on one?
Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
