Week ending: 21 December 2025
(Final edition of 2025 — back in late January 2026)
Dan, FTP - Editor’s Introduction
There’s something about the final week before Christmas that makes everything feel a little more reflective. The news cycle doesn’t stop, but it does seem to soften, and you start to notice the bigger themes underneath the headlines. Momentum. Confidence. The changing direction of the industry. And, closer to home, the small but meaningful moments that make Aston Martin ownership what it is: the people, the places, the cars… and the stories that come with them.
This is our final FTP Weekly Report for a few weeks. I’m taking a short break over the festive period, and we’ll be back in late January with fresh energy and a new run into 2026. But before we pause, this week deserved a proper “end-of-year” edition because it quietly pulled together several threads that will matter next year: the shifting global view on combustion engines, a steady but cautious share-price picture, and some lovely community moments that remind us why the Aston world feels like a family.
And yes, a little teaser from me too…
because this week I spent time at Aston Martin Leeds, and what we captured behind the scenes is going straight into the next FTP video just after Christmas.
And note the larger text, responding to feedback from readers. I hope this version is easier to read.
Top Aston Martin News
The industry is changing course, and that matters for Aston Martin - EU 2035 ICE shift
This week, one story landed that could influence the direction of performance car brands for years: the EU’s direction of travel on the 2035 combustion-engine deadline appears to be shifting into something more flexible, with increased emphasis on pragmatism and industrial support. In plain terms, the political language has moved from “hard stop” to “managed transition” and that matters for a brand like Aston Martin, where the emotional connection is still deeply tied to sound, character, and combustion.
There’s a reason this hits the enthusiast world differently.
If regulation becomes more flexible, even in small ways, it buys time for brands to develop future powertrains without abandoning the qualities that made people fall in love with them in the first place.
Whether you’re optimistic or cautious about it, the bigger point is this: the ground under the car industry is still moving, and the next few years will be defined by how manufacturers balance technology, identity, and policy.
Partners that stick around say something - JCB partnership continues
In Formula 1, partnerships aren’t just logos. they’re a public signal of confidence.
This week we saw confirmation that JCB’s relationship with the Aston Martin F1 team continues, reinforcing the sense of stability and long-term alignment around the project at Silverstone.
It’s the kind of headline that doesn’t shout, but it does matter: when partners renew, it usually means the internal story is strong enough to justify staying in the fight. Aston Martin F1
Heritage & Community
Aston Martin Heritage Trust: A Year to Remember
FTP Vantage outside the AMHT Museum earlier in 2025
The Aston Martin Heritage Trust (AMHT) shared its end-of-year newsletter this week, offering a warm and thoughtful reflection on 2025.
Highlights included:
Taking the Ulster to Austria to celebrate AMOC’s 90th anniversary, meeting European supporters face-to-face in unforgettable surroundings
The close of the Trust’s Vantage Exhibition, with preparations already underway for 2026
Confirmation of a Vanquish Exhibition in summer 2026, marking 25 years of the model, one to circle in the diary
The appointment of Clare Hirst as Collections Manager
The welcoming of several new Trustees, strengthening the Trust’s future governance
A few names worth highlighting from the Trustee information:
Stephanie Sykes-Dugmore (museum / collections expertise, Silverstone Museum)
Ryan Preece (technology & digital transformation; heritage storytelling through information)
Kerry Green (USA / AMOC rep; plus a genuinely personal Aston Martin family connection via David Brown era racing involvement)
Steve Waddingham (AML Historian - a name many in the community already know well)
That mix feels like a Trust preparing not just to preserve history, but to present it better, reach wider audiences, and make the archive more usable for enthusiasts, researchers, and future generations.
It was also confirmed that the museum will close over Christmas, reopening on Monday 5 January 2026.
As ever, the Trust continues to play a vital role in protecting Aston Martin’s story, not just the cars, but the people, moments, and craftsmanship behind them.
FTP Garage Update
Aston Martin Leeds - behind the scenes (next video teaser)
It’s like waiting for the Dentist! The FTP Vantage waiting outside prior to ‘treatment’!
This week I spent time at Aston Martin Leeds because the FTP Vantage had an issue that needed sorting. and here’s the key point: it’s not something commonly seen on my era of Vantage, which made the visit all the more interesting. I’m not going to spoil the story here (because the next video will cover it properly), but what I can say is this: we were treated brilliantly.
We were allowed behind the scenes and I was with the mechanic every step of the way, seeing the process up close rather than being kept at arm’s length.
That kind of access is gold for a channel like Fuel the Passion, not just because it makes for great content, but because it lets us tell the ownership story honestly, with real detail and real people.
One of the Vanquish plaques as you open the door - great to see ‘Hand Built in Great Britain’ badge!
And while I was there… I also spent time in the showroom, where there were two new Vanquishes on display, plus some of the latest ‘S’ models.
All of that is coming in the next film, which will likely land just after Christmas.
The Aston Martin Community - Nicholas Mee’s end-of-year reflections
One of the highlights this week came from the wider Aston community: Nicholas Mee & Company released an end-of-year “round-up” style video, the kind of content that feels like sitting down with people who live and breathe the marque. It’s not just sales talk; it’s perspective. Events, market mood, what’s interesting, what’s changing and it’s always worth watching because it taps into that broader “Aston landscape” beyond the factory headlines. I’ve included the video below, just click and watch.
Reviews & Recognition
EVO Car of the Year 2025: Vanquish makes the cut, and why that matters
EVO’s Car of the Year 2025 week in the south of France brought together a seriously heavyweight field, the sort of lineup that makes you double-take when you hear it read out loud: a manual Porsche 911 GT3, a hybrid Lamborghini Revuelto, Ferrari’s V12 12Cilindri, plus wildcards like the Morgan Supersport, Defender Octa, and even an Audi RS3. And right there among the heavy hitters was Aston Martin’s flagship: the new Vanquish.
What I loved in EVO’s commentary is that they didn’t treat the Vanquish like a “token GT” in a supercar test.
They framed it as one of three modern V12 experiences that all do the same headline job in completely different ways; Ferrari naturally aspirated, Lambo hybrid, and the Aston sitting proudly in its own lane with that twin-turbo V12 and unmistakable long-bonnet Super GT silhouette.
Their take was refreshingly honest and very “EVO”. They praised the Vanquish for feeling more compact than you’d expect for a big car, even noting that it can “shrink around you” and be threaded down the road with real confidence. The engine, when you lean on it, was described as “pretty epic” the kind of pace that takes your breath away.
But they also pointed out the flip side of that flagship muscle: in this particular company, on narrow and technical roads, the Vanquish’s size and sheer speed can sometimes work against it. Their view was that the car is a true Super GT, packed with feel, hugely capable, and massively charismatic, but it’s not chasing the same razor-edged “sports car highs” as the smaller, lighter, more single-minded machines in the test.
And that’s the key takeaway for me:
EVO didn’t criticise the Vanquish for being what it is, they simply highlighted that its brilliance lives in a slightly different place. The Vanquish isn’t trying to be an Alpine A110 on a mountain road. It’s a modern Aston Martin flagship: dramatic, effortless, ridiculously fast, and built to make the journey feel like an occasion.
FTP thought: in a year where the performance car world somehow delivered more V12 magic, not less, the fact the Vanquish is in EVO’s top group at all feels like a quiet win. And for anyone who cares about Aston Martin’s identity, it’s a reminder that the brand is still building cars with presence, theatre, and a heartbeat.
If you want to watch the full video or skip to the Vanquish segment, just click on the video below. The Vanquish segment is 13:35 in.
Shares & Sentiment
Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) - Week view + 2025 year-in-review
This week’s share movement felt like a continuation of the broader theme we’ve seen for much of 2025: small rises and dips, but no decisive momentum.
The tone remains neutral to slightly cautious, with the price generally consolidating rather than trending strongly.
But since this is our final roundup of 2025, it’s worth stepping back and looking at the year as a story:
2025, in share-price terms, has been a year of volatility and reset. There were moments that spiked optimism, a sharp lift earlier in the year, but those gains didn’t hold. Over time, the line softened back down and settled closer to the lower end of the range, finishing the year around 61.95p, and notably down year-on-year (your screenshot shows -40.72% across the 1-year view). The feeling isn’t panic, it’s hesitation.
The market seems to be waiting for clearer proof points: sustained operational progress, consistent demand signals, and confidence that the longer-term strategy converts into stability.
Plain-English takeaway:
If 2025 was about surviving the swings, 2026 will be about earning belief through consistency. That’s when the line tends to change shape.
Final Thoughts
That’s a wrap on 2025 and I’m genuinely grateful you’ve been along for the ride.
The Aston world can be noisy, but weeks like this remind me why it’s special: a living heritage scene that’s still growing, still documenting, still welcoming new people into the story, from the museum trustees shaping the archive, to the specialists reflecting on the year, to the factory and dealer network quietly keeping our own cars alive.
FTP will be taking a short Christmas pause, and then we’ll be back in late January with fresh Weekly Reports and, before that, the next video where we go behind the scenes at Aston Martin Leeds, get hands-on with the fix, and spend some very dangerous time around two new Vanquishes!
Until then, have a brilliant Christmas, look after each other, and if you get five spare minutes over the holidays… go and open the garage. Even if you don’t drive it. Just look at it. That’s part of the joy too!
Kind & Festive regards to all, Dan
Fuel the Passion.
