The upcoming Aston Martin motorcycle might actually be cool

This sketch is all we have to go by for now, but it shows something much sleeker than Brough Superior has produced to date.

It’s so easy to be cynical about collaborations between automakers and other companies. And not without reason; usually these wind up being little more than half-hearted co-branding exercises with little real substance.

But Aston Martin has just announced that it’s teaming up with motorcycle manufacturer Brough Superior to create a limited edition bike — the first motorcycle, in fact, to wear the Aston Martin badge — and it has the potential to be far more interesting than the average collab.

If you’re reading this you no doubt know about Aston Martin, but English motorcycle manufacturer Brough Superior might not be in your wheelhouse. Founded by George Brough in 1919, its “built to a standard, not to a price” approach to motorcycle design and construction led to frequent, and not inaccurate, comparisons to Rolls-Royce.

Moreso than almost anything else on two wheels, vintage Broughs are Holy Grail items for collectors; owning one puts you in an exclusive club of which noted Brough rider T.E. Lawrence was also a member. Even if you don’t give a whit about motorcycles, it’s worth taking a few minutes to examine their design and craftsmanship if you ever have the chance to see one in person.

The original Brough Superior stopped producing motorcycles at the outset of WWII and never resumed. The name was revived in 2013, and it began building new bikes in 2016. Like the originals, these new Brough Superiors are high-quality, hand-made, high-dollar machines; their styling styling blends elements from the old bikes with modern engineering.

The results are interesting in a dieselpunk sort of way, but to be frank, they’re not always as elegant as the originals.

Here’s where Aston Martin (hopefully) comes in. Aston Martin has experience with building beautiful vehicles, whether out of traditional materials or cutting-edge composites; Brough Superior can build a mean motorcycle. Leave the bike bits to Brough and let Aston handle the aesthetics — as well as the handling of any cutting-edge materials like carbon fiber — and we could be looking at something really special.

“This is a fascinating and very popular project for myself and my team,” says Aston Martin EVP and chief creative officer Marek Reichman. “The opportunity to collaborate with Brough Superior has given us the chance to bring our own unique views on how beauty and engineering can combine to create a highly emotive piece of vehicle design. We’re excited about the end result and can’t wait to see the reaction the motorcycle receives when it is revealed next year.”

We’ll get more information on the Aston Martin/Brough Superior bike on November 5, when additional details on the project will be revealed at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.

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