Cars on the ground floor of a department store. And not just anywhere: three Aston Martins are standing beneath the iconic Statue of the Goddess at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store.

As part of “The British Exhibition Nihombashi Mitsukoshi 2026,” held from August 21 to 30, British ultra-luxury high-performance brand Aston Martin is presenting three models—the Valhalla, DB12 S, and Vantage S Roadster—in the Central Hall on the first floor of the Main Building, which is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.


Courtesy of Aston Martin

Seeing automobiles not in a showroom or at a motor show, but within a historic department store reveals another side of Aston Martin—one that cannot be understood through specifications and performance figures alone.

Three Aston Martins Beneath the Statue of the Goddess

The Central Hall on the first floor of Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store is home to the towering Statue of the Goddess, installed in 1960 to commemorate Mitsukoshi’s 50th anniversary. Today, three Aston Martins stand at its base.

Courtesy of Aston Martin

A historic department store interior, a monumental work of art, and contemporary automobiles share the same space. The coexistence of elements that would rarely encounter one another creates an unexpected sense of tension.

Viewed not simply as a means of transportation, but as a product in which design, technology, materials, and craftsmanship converge, the automobile takes on a different presence. From that perspective, the department store’s Central Hall begins to look different as well.

Why Cars in a Department Store?

The presentation forms part of “The British Exhibition” at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store.

Britain is a country shaped by traditions and craftsmanship cultivated over centuries, while at the same time continually generating new culture across fashion, music, art, and design.

Courtesy of Aston Martin

Founded in 1913, Aston Martin is one of the brands that embodies this duality. Through a combination of cutting-edge technology, craftsmanship, and distinctive style, it has continued to create luxury automobiles.

Presented within an exhibition devoted to British food, craft, and culture, the automobile emerges as another form of contemporary British creation—one that communicates the country’s approach to making and its aesthetic sensibility.

Valhalla: A Vision of Aston Martin’s Future

Among the three models, the Valhalla is particularly symbolic.

Aston Martin’s first plug-in hybrid supercar and a technological flagship for the brand, the Valhalla is being shown to the general public outside an Aston Martin dealership or brand center for the first time.

Courtesy of Aston Martin

Its hybrid powertrain produces a combined 1,079 PS and 1,100 Nm of torque, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 350 km/h.

Yet what makes seeing the Valhalla at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi compelling goes beyond those numbers.

Behind its futuristic form stands the historic architecture of the department store and the Statue of the Goddess. The traditions accumulated over generations of British automotive design meet contemporary hybrid technology. Experiencing these different layers of time together is part of what makes this presentation unique.

Three Models, Three Expressions of Luxury

Although all three bear the Aston Martin name, each expresses a different character.

The DB12 S belongs to the brand’s high-performance “S” lineage. Its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 700 PS and 800 Nm of torque, while the model is positioned as a next-generation Super Tourer combining performance, luxury, and everyday usability.

Courtesy of Aston Martin

The Vantage S Roadster, meanwhile, is an open-top sports car conceived around the driver. Its hand-built all-aluminum 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 delivers 680 PS and 800 Nm, while its roof can be opened or closed in just 6.8 seconds.

Courtesy of Aston Martin

The Valhalla embodies future-facing technology; the DB12 S balances elegance with performance; and the Vantage S Roadster pursues the pleasure of driving. Seeing all three together reveals the breadth of what luxury means for Aston Martin today.

Encountering British Luxury in a Department Store

Luxury is not defined by price alone. It can also be found in the selection of materials, the refinement of technique, attention to detail, and the distinctive aesthetic sensibility a brand brings to what it creates. Like fashion and jewelry, automobiles carry a culture of making developed over generations.

Courtesy of Aston Martin

More than a century after its founding in 1913, Aston Martin continues to bring together style, luxury, performance, and craftsmanship as a brand rooted in Britain.

To encounter its cars away from a purpose-built automotive environment, in the Central Hall of Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, changes the way they are seen. Beneath the Statue of the Goddess, the three Aston Martins can be viewed not only as machines designed to move, but as contemporary expressions of British design, technology, and craftsmanship.

Courtesy of Aston Martin

Encountering a car from a slightly different perspective than one would in a showroom may itself offer a new way of experiencing luxury—one made possible precisely because the setting is a department store.