The Aston Martin Vantage GTE, which started life as a privately-entered GT2 car midway through the last decade, has been retired fully after the introduction of the current Vantage AMR GTE as a customer car. The old Vantage was last seen at Le Mans earlier this year, at the end of the 2018/19 FIA WEC Super Season in the hands of TF Sport and Aston Martin Racing’s #98 Am squad. With both teams now racing with the new model in the 2019/20 season, the old Vantage’s time is up.

Through the years, and in three different iterations/ evolutions, the Vantage scored 12 GTE Pro class wins, which in addition to its wins in Am have made it the winningest (still the DSC Ed’s most loathed ‘word’!) chassis in FIA WEC history. And notably, in addition to its multiple pole positions, fastest laps and podiums, it’s 12 class wins in GTE Pro were spread across first six years of the championship itself, with at least one victory earned each season.

While the car will continue to the race in the hands in the Masters Endurance Legends Series and similar historic championship’s, its time in contemporary motorsport is now over.

Popular with sportscar fans, from the UK and abroad, due to its V8 rumble and sharp looks, the Vantage GTE will be looked back on as a car which was remarkable in its longevity. While it came close to winning WEC titles and Le Mans so many times, it actually only achieved both feats in its final two seasons of competition; the elusive Le Mans win coming back in 2017.

While the ultimate send-off would have been winning both the GTE Pro World Championship and Le Mans in 2017, Jonny Adam’s barnstorming run to the flag in the final hour of the Le Mans 24 Hours will be remembered by many for decades to come. Not only was it a landmark win for the Vantage itself, but it was AMR’s first Le Mans class win since 2008, and it came up against stiff competition from other factory teams.

In customer’s hands, it saw title-winning success too in 2017, Mathias Lauda, Paul Dalla Lana and Pedro Lamy winning the WEC Am title for Aston Martin Racing.

Farewell, old friend, it’s been quite a ride.

Key achievements:

2012: FIA World Endurance Championship, 1 x GTE Pro Class Win

2013: FIA World Endurance Championship, 4 x GTE Pro Class Wins

2014: FIA World Endurance Championship, 2 x GTE Pro Class Wins

2015: FIA World Endurance Championship, 1 x GTE Pro Class Win

2016: FIA World Endurance Championship, 2 x GTE Pro Class Wins

2016: FIA World Endurance Championship, FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Pro Teams title and World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers title

2017: FIA World Endurance Championship, 2 x GTE Pro Class Wins

2017: FIA World Endurance Championship Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Drivers and Teams

2017: FIA FIA World Endurance Championship, 3 x GTE Am Class Wins

2017: Le Mans 24 Hours, GTE Pro Class Win

2018/19: FIA World Endurance Championship, 1 x GTE Am class win

Key customer teams and liveries

TF Sport

Aston Martin Racing (AM)

Beechdean AMR

Aston Martin Racing 2013 Le Mans art car

Aston Martin Racing 2015 Le Mans art car

Jota Sport

JMW Motorsport 2010 Le Mans art car

Drayson Racing

Gulf Racing

Rofgo

JWA