White, gold: it's Aston's 60th anniversary Vanquish!

Next year will see Aston Martin Works - the historic Newport Pagnell home of 007's favourite sports car maker - celebrate its sixtieth birthday.

The result, somewhat predictably, will be special edition cars. We're used to seeing occasionally gaudily coloured Astons wheeled out, normally as a rolling advertisement for its ‘Q' personalisation division. Pink DB9s and eye-searingly blue leather seats are some of the more, ahem, memorable modifications...

But these Works cars are about more than their bold paint and leather combos, even if this Vanquish Volante - the first of six specials, all Vanquishes - is sporting some very conspicuous Clio Williams-esque gold wheels.

Each will feature parts of cars built in the decade they represent, with nods to everything from the classic DB5 to the MkI Vanquish.

That doesn't mean the transplant of a gloriously uneconomical old engine or a notchy gearbox demanding of double de-clutching, though.

Rather, the Vanquish's dash features rotary switches made from the pistons of the original engines, meaning every change of aircon temperature or satnav destination is now given extra gravitas.

It's an interesting move, and one far more subtle and considered than the yellow-and-white logo boldly stitched behind the driver's head...