Aston Martin Vulcan Supercar Meets Arvo Vulcan Bomber

By Zach Doell

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. In this instance, perhaps you can add a few more zeros onto that figure.
Aston Martin recently brought its clandestine track-only supercar—the Vulcan—into the light of day for a special occasion, to meet its namesake. No, not a humanoid alien race from Star Trek, nor a Roman god of fire. Aston Martin’s Vulcan came face-to-face with the Avro Vulcan, a Cold War-Era long-range delta-wing bomber, which saw service with the British Royal Air Force from the mid ‘50s until its retirement in 1984.
The end result of that paternal reunion was an admittedly brief teaser trailer, seen below. The real takeaway are the breathtaking images that accompanied the trailer. Heavens above, what a car…and what a plane.


The reunion comes as a somewhat somber one unfortunately, as this Avro Vulcan—number XH558 and the last airworthy example—is set to be retired from flight indefinitely after two final outings on October 10th and 11th over the British skies. In 2007, the bomber was reconditioned for flight thanks to donations totaling over £6 million ($9 million at today’s rates), however the owners of the plane say no amount of money can keep it airborne forever.
After its final flights, it is scheduled to be retired to the Vulcan Aviation Academy & Heritage Center at Robin Hood Airport, in Doncaster, United Kingdom. A final resting place for that quartet of screaming Rolls-Royce Olympus turbojet engines.