Aston Martin Coupé Zagato Centennial and Spyder Zagato Centennial

American car collector Peter Read has commissioned a pair of Zagato-bodied Aston Martins that coincide with the British marque's centenary.

The DBS Coupé Zagato Centennial and DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial are the hard- and soft-top siblings are the latest in a long line of collaborations between the two companies. But while many have been – an admittedly more exuberant – expression of contemporary Aston design language, the Centennials have a stronger individual identity with an almost sedan-like aesthetic with forward-leaning noses and long Kamm tails.

Their noses are particularly distinctive, with lamps units integrated into the grille graphic reminiscent of William Towns' 1967 DBS. The coupé also features the classic Zagato double-bubble roof. Their interiors are more clearly based on the standard cars.

"Redesigning the DBS was a difficult job," explains Norihiko Harada, Zagato's Chief Designer. "The DBS is already one of the most beautiful modern sports cars around. Our challenge was to bring sporty styling together with a more Mediterranean luxury GT feel, all with typical Zagato quality."

The pair were designed and built by Zagato's Atelier arm, which deals with limited production runs and one-offs.

Gallery: Aston Martin Coupé and Spyder Zagato Centennial>

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