ACH130 A S TON MAR TIN E DITION
T he impetus that brings two well-known brands
to collaborate on new products is often fascinating.
In the case of the partnership between Airbus
Corporate Helicopters (ACH) and James Bond’s preferred
sportscar maker, Aston Martin, it was largely down to an
overlap in customer base. The two companies unveiled the
result – a special edition of the ACH130 single-engine
helicopter – in December 2019.
“We both kind of approached each other,” says Marek
Reichman, executive vice president and chief creative officer
at Aston Martin. “We have been expanding our Aston
Martin partnerships and looking at various sectors in terms
of where we could collaborate. The obvious ones are aircraft,
trains, automobiles and buildings. We’ve got buildings
underway and have started personalised interiors for aircraft
too. We were approached by Airbus, who said, ‘We have
a unique opportunity to develop something. We don’t
often do this, but this particular helicopter is
typically chosen by owner-flyers, just like your
cars are chosen by owner-drivers. It is a singleengine
jet, very manoeuvrable and quite a few
of our owners are Aston Martin owners
too’. So it was a fortuitous
coming together.”
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Automotive TRENDS
Marek Reichman of Aston
Martin has seen a change
in terms of the materials
customers are requesting.
“There’s an emphasis a
little bit away from traditional
leathers because more
consumers are looking for
vegan-based products,” he
comments. “Aston Martin’s
sister brand, Lagonda, is a
perfect example where we
have used silks, ceramics,
cashmere and wool.”
Reichman also expects to
see more 3D-printed elements
in future cars, responding to
demand for personalisation.
“For instance, you could alter
the height of the centre console
based on where your elbow
needs to be by 3D-printing the
substrate,” he says. “Five years
ago that was a rarity.”
The liveries
make use of Aston
Martin paint
colours including
Stirling Green and
Skyfall Silver
Frédéric Lemos, head of Airbus Corporate
Helicopters, also emphasises the common ground shared
by the companies. “Our people are dedicated to delivering
amazing customer experiences and beautiful products,”
he says. “These are common values we share with Aston
Martin. It’s a brand with an outstanding heritage and this
led us to engage in discussions more than a year and a
half ago to see how we could put what makes Aston
Martin so special into a helicopter. Although we make
very different products, we share some of the same
customers. Discerning individuals who love sportscars
are passionate about aviation and typically hands-on.
They love the thrill of piloting or driving so what better
than a single-engine helicopter? And the coolest
helicopter is a single-engine Airbus.”
/businessjetinteriorsinternational.com