Chassis No. SCFEBBCF6CGS01152

In the winter of 2009, Aston Martin announced a new limited-edition version of the V12 Vantage with its 510 bhp engine. The Carbon Black, as it was dubbed, featured a unique, subtly metallic finish of the same name, as well as a side strake fashioned from carbon fiber, gloss-black 10-spoke diamond-turned alloy wheels, and a bright-finished grille. The interior was upholstered in Obsidian Black leather and Alcantara, stitched in silver, with piano black-finished trim, lightweight carbon fiber and Kevlar seats, unique tread plates and sill plaques, and a premium 700W audio system. All cars were also equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox, suiting the model's lightweight, performance-focused energy. In the same spirit, each car's original owner was offered a Performance Driving Course so that they could learn to truly master their new Aston Martin.

The V12 Vantage Carbon Black was limited to one car per dealer, but created another desire among the company's clientele that a second run was produced in 2012. Forty were built for that season, 28 of them for the U.S. market. It was then that Jim Taylor acquired his example new from his preferred official Aston Martin dealer, Miller Motorcars of Greenwich, Connecticut. It was specified with all the standard refinements, as well as heated front seats and, most pointedly, satin-finished paint, the latter alone adding $6,745 to the final price. In typical Taylor fashion, it has been enthusiastically driven and enjoyed, having accumulated 4,358 miles at the time of cataloging. It is accompanied by a tire inflater kit, Aston Martin battery charger, and a small history file, including the window sticker as well as a clean CARFAX report.

This is a truly mean Aston Martin, well-suited to the performance connoisseur.