UPDATE 03/27/2023: Aston Martin has also registered the Vanguard name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Aston Martin has filed three trademarks for the name Vanguard, two with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the third through the Japanese intellectual property office (JPO). This may be the name of the first electric Aston Martin.

Aston has a history of using names starting with a V - with the Vanquish and Vantage being the most well-known, while the Valkyrie and Valhalla have also joined the fray. Aston Martin will likely use the Vanguard name for a new model soon, although the nature of that model remains a mystery.

The Aston Martin Vanguard will unlikely replace one of the current series-production variants. The Vantage name is a staple in the Aston lineup, while the DB11 will be replaced by the DB12 when it is facelifted. The DBX nameplate is likely to live on for the brand's SUV.

However, Aston Martin may expand its lineup and has pledged to electrify its entire range by 2026. The brand will reinvent its entire product lineup, starting later this year when we expect the DB12 to be unveiled, and we will also soon see an electric concept from the brand. The timing is perfect as Aston Martin celebrates 110 years of existence this year.

It could use the Vanguard name for the electric model. Vanguard is defined as "a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas," which sounds like the perfect description for an electric Aston Martin, an entirely new development concept for the brand that has largely relied on frankly archaic engine architectures for far too long. Don't get us wrong, we love an Aston V12, but it's hardly the most contemporary powertrain.

There are other options, however. Aston Martin has built one-off models in the past that stick with the V naming convention. The Aston Martin Victor is one of the most recent, and there was also the limited-production Aston Martin Vulcan. So the Vanguard may be a one-off or limited-production model commissioned by avid Aston fans.

Of course, the name may not be used at all and could be trademarked simply as a 'just-in-case' exercise to use at a future date or not at all. That was the case with a 2019 trademark for the name Valen and a 2018 trademark for Varekai, neither of which came to fruition.

If we were betting folk, our money would be on the Aston Martin Vanguard being the Gaydon-based brand's first electric sports car. Time will tell.

Interestingly, in 2019, The Vanguard Group bought a minority stake in Aston Martin which we believe it still owns. Naming a model after its investors could be a little bit of lip service from the brand.