Pierce Brosnan’s – Pierce Brosnan secured an Aston Martin Vanquish for himself after filming “Die Another Day.” It arrived months after production ended, but a house fire in Malibu destroyed the car on February 11, 2015. Today, only two build plaques remain.
Pierce Brosnan didn’t just admire the Aston Martin on his “Die Another Day” set—he pushed to get one built for himself.
In an Instagram reel posted by HaphazardStuff. Brosnan describes how he asked during filming if he could take a Vanquish with him. A build slot was arranged, and he even visited the factory to watch the car being assembled. After filming wrapped, it took three months for the finished Vanquish to be delivered to him.
Then, it all ended quickly and brutally.
On February 11, 2015, a fire broke out at Brosnan’s Malibu, California home and destroyed the car. What’s left now are just two plaques affixed to the kick plates reading “Hand built in England for Pierce Brosnan.”
It’s a sad coda for a vehicle that mattered long before it became a movie prop. In “Die Another Day,” the original Vanquish served as the capstone of Aston Martin’s 1990s resurgence under Ford ownership. It built on design language introduced with the DB7, while bringing power from Aston’s 5.9-liter V12.
Early versions produced 460 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, helping the Vanquish reach 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph, according to Aston. Later, the Vanquish S—introduced in 2005—jumped to 520 hp and 426 lb-ft.
The transmission was also a point of compromise: the Vanquish S used an underdeveloped paddle-shifted six-speed gearbox described as essentially a manually with an electronically-actuated clutch. Still, it was a genuinely compelling car for a new generation.
Brosnan’s connection to it ran deeper than the brand badge, too. “Die Another Day” was his last Bond movie. and the Vanquish fit the character’s look in a way that matched his previous Aston Martin association. The car wasn’t subtle either—it came with machine guns that popped out of hood vents and rockets in the grille.
It also featured adaptive camouflage that Q famously called “the Vanish. ” along with a remote-control feature previously seen in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” The movie’s chase sequence—between the baddie’s Jaguar XKR convertible and Bond’s Vanquish—was filmed on a glacier. and it had the kind of over-the-top engineering detail that made the scene stick.
That chase was filmed using four-wheel drive cars made from Vanquish body shells and Ford Explorer V8 engines and drivetrains. Real Vanquishes still appeared as “hero cars” for close-ups and promotions. One of those real cars was put up for sale in 2024 with a $129,000 asking price.
Even after Brosnan’s loss, the story of the Vanquish isn’t over. The piece notes that a new Vanquish carries on the V12 tradition and, unlike the original, is also available in convertible Volante form—framed as the kind of replacement ride that could suit whoever steps into the role next.
Pierce Brosnan Aston Martin Vanquish Die Another Day Malibu fire hand built in England kick plate plaques Vanquish S 5.9-liter V12 adaptive camouflage
Wait so it burned up and now it’s like… just plaques? That’s brutal.
I don’t get how it was delivered months later if production already ended. Like who stores a whole car for months? Also Malibu fires are insane.
This is why I don’t trust Instagram reels. Next thing you know the plaques are fake or whatever. But also isn’t this the same car from the movie? So why would they burn the movie prop like that?
Sounds like he “pushed to get one built” for himself, then it takes three months, then boom fire. Murphy’s law but for rich people. I swear every celeb house in CA has a different disaster story, and it’s always the car that gets cooked. Two plaques is such a weird ending though like that’s supposed to make it better or something.