The Aston Martin Rapide is an executive saloon car produced by the British carmaker Aston Martin from 2010 until 2020. Development began in 2005 as the company’s first series-produced four-door automobile.
Aston Martin Rapide at a glance
| Produced | 2010–2020 |
|---|---|
| Development | began in 2005; initial design completed in about seven weeks by Marek Reichman |
| Prototype | completed 22 December 2005, shown at the 2006 North American International Auto Show |
| Production version debut | September 2009, International Motor Show Germany |
| Series production | started 7 May 2010 at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria; moved to Gaydon in 2012 |
| Platform | the aluminium “vertical/horizontal” (VH) platform |
| Annual output | cut from 2,000 to 1,250 in June 2011 |
| Electric version | Rapide E concept (2015), production-ready model shown in 2019 but never series-produced |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only (a trusted source), so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Aston Martin Rapide
Design work began in 2005 under Marek Reichman, whom Aston Martin appointed lead design director in May. Before assuming his position, Reichman studied the characteristics of Aston Martin’s cars and made several sketches for a four-door concept. Chief executive Ulrich Bez gave him the brief in the same month, and Reichman, with a team of clay modellers, developed the initial project in seven weeks. Between August and December a team of twenty-six engineers, led by Reichman and Ian Calnan, general manager of prototype operations, built a full-scale prototype, completed on 22 December 2005.
The prototype debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. Aston Martin released the first official images of the production version on 26 November 2008 and 16 April 2009, and it debuted at the 2009 International Motor Show Germany in September. Series manufacture began on 7 May 2010 at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria.
Production moves to Gaydon
Aston Martin chose to end its production arrangement with Magna Steyr in the middle of 2012, six years earlier than expected. Production had temporarily halted in May 2011, and, responding to declining demand for luxury saloons, Aston Martin reduced annual output from 2,000 to 1,250 in June 2011. In 2012 production moved to Gaydon, Warwickshire, after a £1.6 million funding package from the British government’s Regional Growth Fund.
The VH platform, which the Rapide uses, extensively incorporates aluminium throughout the body, reducing weight; the other VH-platform cars, the DB9, the DBS, the Vantage and the second-generation Vanquish, were produced at Gaydon. The car was praised by critics for its appealing exterior and interior design. In 2015 Aston Martin debuted an electric concept version, the Rapide E; the production-ready model debuted in 2019 but was never series-produced.
Design and features
- Platform: the aluminium VH platform used by the DB9, DBS, Vantage and second-generation Vanquish.
- Design: by Marek Reichman, the lead design director from 2005.
- Layout: the first series-produced four-door Aston Martin.
Aston Martin Rapide versions
- Rapide (2010–2013): the first production version, built in Graz.
- Rapide (2012–2020): built at Gaydon.
- Rapide E (2015, 2019): an electric concept and a production-ready version that was not built in series.
More Aston Martin cars are in our Aston Martin collection, for example the Lagonda, the earlier four-door Aston, the DB9 and the Vanquish.
Aston Martin Rapide questions and answers
When was the Aston Martin Rapide built?
From 2010 to 2020.
Who designed it?
Marek Reichman, with a team of clay modellers and twenty-six engineers.
Where was it built?
At Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, until 2012 and then at Gaydon.
What platform does it use?
The aluminium vertical/horizontal (VH) platform.
Was there an electric Rapide?
The Rapide E was shown as a concept in 2015 and as a production-ready car in 2019 but never built in series.
Video: 2012/2013 Aston Martin Rapide Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth Review
Video by Saabkyle04 on YouTube.
Sources
- Aston Martin Rapide, English Wikipedia: development and production
