Aston calls in the lawyers over Vanquish in drag

Aston Martin has described Henrik Fisker’s conduct as “wholly unacceptable”, after the former design chief revealed his reimagined Aston Martin Vanquish at this month’s Concours d’Elegance in Florida.

In a legal dispute that could hit court, Aston Martin described Fisker’s Thunderbolt as an “unauthorised copy” and issued a statement announcing its reasons behind the legal challenge:

“This lawsuit centres on Henrik Fisker’s creation and promotion of automobiles that Aston Martin contends infringes Aston Martin’s rights, by an improper and unauthorised attempt to exploit and free-ride off them. Aston Martin regards such conduct as wholly unacceptable and reserves all rights available at law to challenge it.”

As well as copyright infringement the British supercar maker also alleges Fisker used an earlier DB9 or DBS as a donor car and the claim that the Thunderbolt is based on a Vanquish is only to link it with the Aston’s newer model.

Fisker, who designed both the DB9 and V8 Vantage while working for Aston Martin during 2000-2005, has yet to comment on the legal challenge.

The Danish designer left Aston Martin back in 2004 to set up Fisker Automotive that subsequently went bust in 2013 after launching just one car, the Karma plug-in hybrid.

Since then, Fisker, who now describes himself as an ‘entrepreneur and automotive designer’, has collaborated with LA-based Galpin Motors.

Their first car was the re-styled Ford Mustang-based Galpin Rocket, unveiled at last year’s LA motor show, but it’s the second Thunderbolt concept that has seen the lawyers called in.

The legal challenge is thought to have been triggered by Fisker’s announcement at the Concours d’Elegance in March that his Thunderbolt would enter production and be built to order for $500,000, if there was demand.

When revealed, Henrik Fisker said his motivation behind the Thunderbolt was to “create an elegant beautiful GT sports coupé, with pure emotional sculpture, that would stay timeless.”