Aston Martin is heading into Monterey Car Week 2026 with one eye firmly on its racing past. The British automaker will celebrate the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with three specially commissioned DB12 S coupes from Q by Aston Martin, each inspired by the company’s early 1950s competition cars. The trio will be joined by several of Aston Martin’s newest performance machines, including the Vanquish 25 Special Edition, as the brand once again makes the Monterey Peninsula a major showcase for both its history and its future.

The centerpiece is a collection of three DB12 S models created as modern tributes to Aston Martin’s 1951 racing team. That squad campaigned three DB2 race cars carrying the British registrations VMF 63, VMF 64 and VMF 65. Originally built for the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans, the cars continued competing through the early 1950s in factory and privateer hands. One of their most memorable visual touches was the use of individually colored grille details, giving Aston Martin’s Q division a natural starting point for translating that history onto a modern grand tourer.

Each new DB12 S wears Carbon Black paint but receives its own period-inspired accent color. VMF 63 gets Rosso Red highlights, VMF 64 uses Speed Yellow, and VMF 65 is finished with Ellwood Blue details. Q by Aston Martin has carried those colors across the painted grille vanes while adding “75” fender roundels, painted carbon-fiber side strakes and a painted carbon-fiber Aeroblade. A DB2-inspired foil graphic at the rear adds another connection to the race cars without turning the DB12 S into a rolling museum piece. The result appears to be exactly what a good heritage edition should be, recognizable to enthusiasts who know the story but still attractive on its own merits.

The historical theme continues inside, although Aston Martin has kept the treatment relatively restrained. Color-coordinated contrast stitching appears alongside embroidered Aston Martin wings, while silhouettes of the DB2 are stitched into the front seatbacks. The rear seats receive additional “75” roundel graphics, and the start-stop rotary controller and paddle shifter tips are painted to match each car’s individual accent color. Bespoke sill plaques finish things off with another reference to the DB2 racers that inspired the project. Rather than simply applying a vintage paint scheme to an existing car, Q has worked the story into smaller details owners will continue discovering from behind the wheel.

Aston Martin will have considerably more on display throughout Monterey Car Week. Astons On The Avenue returns Wednesday, August 12, bringing a mix of old and new Aston Martins to Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea in partnership with the Aston Martin Owners Club. The event will also support the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Two days later, Aston Martin will have a presence at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on Friday, August 14, one of the week’s most exclusive gatherings and a familiar setting for manufacturers looking to put their latest exotics in front of collectors and enthusiasts.

The House of Aston Martin will also return as the company’s private hospitality destination for invited guests, this time at a property near Poppy Hills Golf Course. More importantly for car fans, the venue will bring together a particularly interesting cross-section of the current Aston Martin lineup. The Valhalla supercar will be displayed alongside the performance-focused DB12 S, Vantage S and DBX S, while a historic DB2 will provide some useful context for the new VMF tribute cars. Also making its show debut will be the Vanquish 25 Special Edition, another Q by Aston Martin creation that celebrates 25 years since the original V12 Vanquish first appeared.

Monterey Car Week is one of those rare automotive gatherings where an 80-year-old race car can be every bit as important as the newest supercar parked beside it, which makes Aston Martin’s approach especially fitting. Instead of treating its heritage as something separate from the current lineup, the company is using the DB12 S VMF collection and Vanquish 25 Special Edition to connect different generations of Aston Martin performance. With the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance providing an especially historic backdrop, these three racing-inspired DB12 S coupes should feel right at home among the priceless classics, new exotics and serious collectors descending on California’s Monterey Peninsula this August.