by Steven Perez
posted on December 11, 2017
Tonight, Tom Brady will once again grace television screens across America as his Patriots face off against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. With a 10-2 record, the Pats have been predictably successful this season, and are 11-point favorites tonight in Miami Gardens. But Tom Brady has another reason to be confident, which is that he has recently signed an endorsement deal with Aston Martin and has his own signature model to boot.
Brady’s limited-run Vanquish S celebrates the new partnership between the quarterback and the British supercar maker with characteristic exclusivity. The (deep breath) “Aston Martin Vanquish S Volante Tom Brady Signature Edition” will go for $360,000, about $50,000 more than a regular Vanquish S Volante. Only 12 will be made.
For the multi-millionaire Tom Brady ultra-fans lucky enough to secure one of the 12 (Brady wears jersey number 12), the Aston comes with many bespoke flourishes. Brady’s TB12 logo will appear on the side fenders and the headrests, and his signature will garnish the doorsills. There are carbon aero pieces and gold Aston Martin badges to further notify onlookers that yours isn’t just an Aston Martin. It’s a shiny drop-top excuse for well-heeled Patriots diehards to convince anyone who will listen that “Tom Brady is the GOAT.”
Source: Aston Martin
Source: Aston Martin
Brady himself helped pick out the Ultramarine Black paint, but don’t be fooled, it’s actually just a very dark blue. Changes for the special edition are purely cosmetic and the 6.0L 580hp V12 remains unchanged. TB won’t receive one of his own signature edition Astons, but he’s plenty set in the car department — he already owns the new DB11.
Very few professional athletes are on a level high enough to even score a deal with a major automaker, much less release a signature edition. To put the achievement of Boston’s patron saint in perspective, let’s quickly run through some of the more notable athletes who have endorsement deals with car manufacturers.
Lebron James — Kia
Source: Kia Motors
King James’s resume is easily impressive enough to warrant a signature edition from his auto sponsor Kia. At the 2015 NBA All-star weekend, Kia unveiled the one-off “King James Edition” K900, which was subsequently auctioned off for charity. LeBron’s customized K900 features pearl red metallic paint, giant 10-spoke red wheels, and LBJ’s logo all over the diamond-stitched suede interior. As an auction item, the custom K900 is a nice move for LeBron to collaborate with his signed manufacturer. But the King has yet to convince anyone that he actually does drive a Kia.
Stephen Curry — Infiniti
Source: Infiniti Motor Company
Earlier this year, Golden State’s golden boy added Infiniti to his list of endorsement deals. Nissan’s luxury brand hopes to capitalize on Curry’s superstar status and universal likeability, even recruiting his scene-stealing daughter Riley for a TV spot promoting the new Q50 sedan. In the spot, Riley gives her now-famous “I’m watching you” hand signal before sending her dad to drive on a track she’s drawn in crayon. If Steph isn’t careful, Infiniti might drop his deal and stick with Riley as an endorser.
Roger Federer — Mercedes-Benz
Source: Dougal Paterson
Federer and Mercedes-Benz have enjoyed a fruitful relationship since 2010. Though there have been no signature editions, Mercedes has recruited the tennis star’s help for many campaigns over the years. Federer is one of the all-time tennis greats, has been named the world’s most marketable athlete by the London School of Marketing, and reportedly has a sizable personal car collection, which of course includes many Mercs. Mercedes’s profile of their endorsement with the 19-time Grand Slam champion includes many words like “success” and “excellence,” so it seems a natural fit for the brand.
Peyton Manning — Buick
Source: Buick
To many, Tom Brady is like Darth Vader of NFL quarterbacks, with Coach Bill Belichick pulling strings as Emperor Palpatine. Which makes the humble and relatable Peyton Manning Luke Skywalker, a perfect spokesman for companies appealing to the bulk of football-watching America. If you watch any amount of television in the United States, chances are you’ve seen a commercial with Peyton Manning sitting in a Buick, goofing off with Papa John, or singing about chicken parm. The odds are not high that Peyton will see a special edition car, but you’re far more likely to see him in a Buick than LeBron in a Kia.
Steven Perez
Steven is an avid car guy and content maker at Turo. Between Golden State Warriors games he can be found getting lost somewhere in California.
