Despite being big fans of the latest Aston Martin models like the DB11 and Vantage, we still have a soft spot for previous generation models such as the Vanquish. The second generation Vanquish was released in 2012 as a replacement for the DBS, acting as the sportier version of the DB9. Aston eventually killed off the Vanquish in 2018 after releasing the DB11 and gave the 6.0-liter V12 a final sendoff with a whopping 580 horsepower.

While the Vanquish was starting to feel old, it was still a beautiful car. Now, as Aston Martin plans for its initial public offering, it has reportedly found a buyer for the old Vanquish tooling and designs.

According to Automotive News, page 168 of Aston Martin's 321-page IPO filing on the London Stock Exchange mentions a £20 million (around $26 million) sale of the tooling and design drawings for the Vanquish. The deal took place in June and also includes 18 months of assistance to build it from Aston Martin Consulting (AMC).

The documents don't specify who has purchased the tooling for the Vanquish, though it seems pretty clear that someone is looking to build cars using the Aston Martin platform.

Lotus may be a potential candidate, though a front-engined V12 grand tourer doesn't really fit the company's brand portfolio. The most likely buyer is a European tuning company like Mansory or Ares, who could design a new body using carbon fiber. No matter who purchased the rights to the Vanquish, we have to be excited because it means someone out there is currently developing a new GT car with a naturally aspirated V12 and we can't wait to see it.