OREANDA-NEWS. On the eve of the 2016 World Endurance Championship opener at Silverstone, Aston Martin Racing has unveiled a bespoke selection of wings in celebration of the premiere endurance series.

Every Vantage produced for the road or race track is crafted by hand and the wings that adorn each model make no exception.

Commissioned by the British marque’s personalisation service ‘Q by Aston Martin’, the collection has been created by a highly accomplished and talented workforce based in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter. Each of these unique pieces celebrate each of the rounds of this year’s championship.

With the series to commence with the 6 Hours of Silverstone, all three V8 Vantage GTE entries will be treated to a union flag inspired piece. Alternative designs of the iconic wings logo will be proudly displayed for the following eight rounds of the championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans; the FIA WEC’s centrepiece event.

Each enamelled wing is created using a combination of state-of-the-art CAD equipment and age-old jewellery making machinery – some of which dates back over 120 years – at renowned manufacturer Vaughtons.

Starting with an initial pressing and annealing process to ensure the badge’s strength and durability, all wings are subjected to chipping; a sequence of removing any ridges in the metal. The colours which give this collection its unique finish are applied by hand and linished using a fine grindstone to ensure a perfectly smooth surface. The wings are then fired to glaze, polished to instil a lustrous shine and carefully plated for the finishing touch.

General Manager for Q by Aston Martin Dr. Matthew Bennett said, “Our service endeavours to provide customers with a range of unique and personalised options for their road cars and I’m proud to be able to bring a bespoke touch of luxury to our Aston Martin Racing entries for the 2016 season. We look forward to seeing these iconic Aston Martin wings badges take to some of the world’s leading race circuits”.

Paul Howarth, Aston Martin Racing Team Principal said, “This season really is a fresh start for us. With a re-balanced driver line-up and our new V8 Vantage GTE making its competitive debut this weekend, I’m confident that we can put in strong performances throughout the season and carry these wings to strong race results”.