Aston Martin Moves Onto Two Wheels
Two icons of the motoring world have teamed up to see the Aston Martin winged badge for the first time adorning a motorcycle.
The British carmaker says it has created its first two-wheeler in league with the historic Brough Superior motorcycle brand, made world renowned as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’s’ ride of choice in the 1930s. While the motorcycle manufacturer is now back creating exotic V-twins from its factory in France, the British brand will always be remembered for its links to Colonel T.E. Lawrence, hero of the WW1 desert campaign who lost his life riding a Brough Superior SS100 while avoiding two children cyclists on a Dorset country lane in 1935.
This partnership between the premium automotive manufacturers hopes to showcase the integration of design and engineering in a number of strictly limited edition motorcycles. While details beyond a line-drawing of a silhouette have yet be published, the machine will probably employ Brough’s 998cc 88-degree V-twin four valve per cylinder in-house motor, at present developing 102bhp and 64ft-lbs of torque.
The project was born out of the vision of Aston Martin executive vice-president and chief creative officer Marek Reichman and Brough Superior CEO Thierry Henriette, who are both motorcycle enthusiasts. Reichman said: “The opportunity to collaborate with Brough Superior has given us the chance to bring our own unique views on how beauty and engineering can combine to create a highly emotive piece of vehicle design.” Henriette added: “Aston Martin and Brough Superior are two luxury automotive manufacturers sharing the same passion for exclusive design and performance, the idea of developing a motorcycle in a frame of a close partnership came naturally.”
The new motorcycle will make its world debut at next month’s EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy.
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
