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James Bond fans can now buy an Aston Martin-themed helicopter

Jan. 03, 2020
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3 min read
ACH130 Aston Martin Edition - Adrien Daste
James Bond fans can now buy an Aston Martin-themed helicopter
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Airbus Helicopters and famed British carmaker Aston Martin are joining forces to launch special-edition VIP helicopters, and they've just announced the first one: the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition. It's a limited-edition version of a VIP helicopter aimed squarely at a small but lucrative market, with projected sales of just five per year.

The ACH130 is the VIP version of the H130, one of the European company's workhorse helicopters. ("Airbus Corporate Helicopters," just like the VIP versions of Airbus jetliners are sold as "ACJ," for Airbus Corporate Jets.)

Airbus did not disclose the price of the new machine, but there are used H130s, without VIP interiors, currently for sale at prices around $3.3 million, so you can expect that a special-edition new one will cost significantly more. Even double that price would actually on the cheaper end for a VIP helicopter; the ACH130 is a single-engined "light helicopter," while many VIP birds are twin-engined and fall into the "medium helicopter" category.

The head of Airbus Corporate Helicopters, Frédéric Lemos, said in a statement that the new chopper "is optimally positioned in the market for hands-on owners who draw satisfaction from personally piloting their aircraft, and it generates strong brand-loyalty" — so Aston Martin can expect people who buy the helicopter to also want a matching car. A DB11 coupe, for example, will set them back another $200,000, but well-heeled owners might want a few options, pushing the price closer to a quarter million.

Personally piloting the Aston Martin-themed ACH130 would after all be very much in keeping with the likely aspirations of someone who buys into the Aston Martin aesthetic; the cars are famed for their association with James Bond, and of course 007 does his own helicopter piloting.

The H130 is a versatile machine, the latest evolution of the French-made Aerospatiale AS350 helicopter familiar to sightseers over New York City, which also holds the world record for highest-altitude landing in a helicopter. It can be configured for one or two pilots and up to seven passengers, flies at up to 128 knots or almost 150 mph, and can stay in the air for 390 miles or up to 4 hours, although most trips will be far shorter. (Aston Martin cars are faster: a DB11 can surpass 200 mph, and most helicopters wouldn't have a prayer of catching up.)

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The Aston Martin special edition comes in four different color schemes, all of them featuring the Aston Martin wings embossed onto the leather feature throughout the cabin, according to an Airbus statement.

An ACH130 special-edition helicopter with an Aston Martin DB11 (Image courtesy of Airbus)

Buyers can have their name engraved on a plaque on the instrument panel, Airbus said. The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is available for deliveries from the first quarter of 2020, according to its maker, which said it projects to sell about five a year – around one-quarter of all ACH130s made, according to FlightGlobal.

Featured image by adrien daste 2017

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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