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45 Articles

NOTHING EXPRESSES the rapid and far-reaching changes that have taken place at Aston Martin since Tobias Moers’ arrival better than Valhalla. First announced as a concept in 2019, the dramatic ‘Son of Valkyrie’ was planned to be a continuation of the close technical partnership between Aston and Red Bull Advanced Technologies. With plenty of input from Adrian Newey and a bespoke, clean-sheet, turbocharged 3-litre V6 supplemented by hybrid electric, it was to command an asking price of £1.2 million and be built in limited numbers. Then events overtook it: the impact of Aston’s troubled IPO, strained finances, a new cadre of investors, the formation of a factory Aston Martin F1 team and a new management team led by Moers resulted in a rethink. And Valhalla v2 is a very different machine. Gone…

THERE HAVE been three significant departures from AML in the past few months, with Miles Nürnberger (director of design), Matt Becker (chief engineer, vehicle attribute engineering) and David King (vice president and chief special operations officer) all leaving Gaydon for pastures new. None was available for comment as we went to press, but as all three have been featured in Vantage many times over the years it seemed appropriate to mark their exits and acknowledge their contributions. Of the trio, King (above right) was by far the longest serving, having joined Aston Martin back in 1995. A hugely experienced engineer, he was key to the development of many of Aston’s most successful series production models, right back to the DB7 Vantage. He was also instrumental in the marque’s motorsport activities, including…

IF YOU’RE A REGULAR READER you’ll know that this is my opportunity to bid you a warm welcome to the latest issue of Vantage. When we launched this magazine back in 2013 we secretly wondered if there would come a time when we simply ran out of things to write about. Once you’ve had a chance to sit down and read it, I hope you’ll agree that this issue proves we needn’t have worried, for the unfolding story of Aston Martin remains as riveting and unpredictable as ever. Sadly it’s a story we won’t be able to share with you, for it is my sad duty to announce that this issue of Vantage will be the last. At least in its present quarterly format. None of you will need reminding…

Richard Williams

RICHARD STEWART WILLIAMS, who has died at the age of 75 after a long illness borne with great dignity, was one of the best-known figures in the Aston Martin world. His Aston connection began in 1960 when, as a 15-year-old school leaver, he secured an apprenticeship at the Feltham works, quickly gravitating towards the engine build shop. After transferring to Newport Pagnell, he met film star Peter Sellers, who offered him a job looking after his fleet of cars, including a number of Astons, which Richard did for the next six years. In 1968 he felt confident enough to set up his own workshop as RS Williams underneath a railway arch in Brixton, to restore, race and sell Astons. Thus was born a business that would go on to become one of…

Richard Williams

IT IS NOT a stretch to say that, without Rex Woodgate, Aston Martin would not exist today. Born in Cricklewood, London, Rex was immersed in motor cars from an early age, having visited Brooklands and met Prince Bira. The lure of cars continued after the war, and at Prescott in 1947 he met Stirling Moss and became one of Moss’s first mechanics, the two forming a lifelong friendship. He had a stint at HWM and with an F2 Alta team, including a spell as a driver, but it was working on Reg Parnell’s Ferrari that led to Rex meeting John Wyer and in 1955 joining Aston Martin. He starting working on DB3Ss before moving on to DBR2s, heading out to the States in 1958 to run a DBR2 for Elisha Walker’s team.…

NOTHING EXPRESSES the rapid and far-reaching changes that have taken place at Aston Martin since Tobias Moers’ arrival better than Valhalla. First announced as a concept in 2019, the dramatic ‘Son of Valkyrie’ was planned to be a continuation of the close technical partnership between Aston and Red Bull Advanced Technologies. With plenty of input from Adrian Newey and a bespoke, clean-sheet, turbocharged 3-litre V6 supplemented by hybrid electric, it was to command an asking price of £1.2 million and be built in limited numbers. Then events overtook it: the impact of Aston’s troubled IPO, strained finances, a new cadre of investors, the formation of a factory Aston Martin F1 team and a new management team led by Moers resulted in a rethink. And Valhalla v2 is a very different…

THERE HAVE been three significant departures from AML in the past few months, with Miles Nürnberger (director of design), Matt Becker (chief engineer, vehicle attribute engineering) and David King (vice president and chief special operations officer) all leaving Gaydon for pastures new. None was available for comment as we went to press, but as all three have been featured in Vantage many times over the years it seemed appropriate to mark their exits and acknowledge their contributions. Of the trio, King (above right) was by far the longest serving, having joined Aston Martin back in 1995. A hugely experienced engineer, he was key to the development of many of Aston’s most successful series production models, right back to the DB7 Vantage. He was also instrumental in the marque’s motorsport activities,…

Normal service resumed

ANY LINGERING DOUBTS about the resilience of the top end of the market in the Covid era were put to bed during Monterey Car Week: between them, RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Co, Bonhams, Mecum and Russo & Steele sold $347m worth of cars. For context, that is a 37 per cent increase on the total from the 2019 Car Week auctions, and is more in line with the average haul achieved between 2013 and 2018 ($363m). Some cars came to the block with no reserve, and perhaps some bidders came to Monterey in high spirits and with cash to burn after a year of being stuck at home, but the overall sell-through rate of 80 per cent – 21 per cent up on 2019 – can largely be attributed to the…

Normal service resumed

1:8-scale DB4 GT Zagato model by Amalgam £11,935 | amalgamcollection.com The model is still in development, obviously, but this is sadly the last chance we’ll have to bring you news of Amalgam’s latest project: a perfect likeness of 1 VEV as driven by Roy Salvadori in the 1961 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. When the prototype is complete it will represent 5000 man-hours of painstaking work. Fender Tone Master Super Reverb guitar amp £1299 | fender.com The valve-powered Super Reverb was a favourite of Stevie Ray Vaughan and chiropractors everywhere. This new digital version gets as near as dammit to the sound of the original, but weighs almost half as much (36lb), and thanks to a power attenuator you can use it at home without getting an ASBO. AMR zip-up hoodie by Hackett £225 | hackett.com Part of Hackett’s…

Richard Williams

RICHARD STEWART WILLIAMS, who has died at the age of 75 after a long illness borne with great dignity, was one of the best-known figures in the Aston Martin world. His Aston connection began in 1960 when, as a 15-year-old school leaver, he secured an apprenticeship at the Feltham works, quickly gravitating towards the engine build shop. After transferring to Newport Pagnell, he met film star Peter Sellers, who offered him a job looking after his fleet of cars, including a number of Astons, which Richard did for the next six years. In 1968 he felt confident enough to set up his own workshop as RS Williams underneath a railway arch in Brixton, to restore, race and sell Astons. Thus was born a business that would go on to become…

Richard Williams

email us eds@vantagemag.co.uk write to us Vantage Magazine Editorial, Dennis Publishing, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP DB2 Dropheads at the double I read with great interest your cover story on 70 years of Vantage (issue 32). My attention was centred in particular on the ex-Prince Bertil DB2 Drophead. It’s wonderful to see her returned to her original baby blue colour, three-piece front grille and the chromed front and rear strips. Since 2004 I have owned and enjoyed another historic DB2 Drophead, chassis LML/50/10, the first ‘prototype’ demonstration drophead, originally owned by David Brown Tractors Ltd and later by David Brown himself. Apparently George, DB’s chauffeur, drove ‘the old man’ to the South of France in her on a number of occasions. Both cars share a lot of details, including subsequent changes to the original…

IT IS NOT a stretch to say that, without Rex Woodgate, Aston Martin would not exist today. Born in Cricklewood, London, Rex was immersed in motor cars from an early age, having visited Brooklands and met Prince Bira. The lure of cars continued after the war, and at Prescott in 1947 he met Stirling Moss and became one of Moss’s first mechanics, the two forming a lifelong friendship. He had a stint at HWM and with an F2 Alta team, including a spell as a driver, but it was working on Reg Parnell’s Ferrari that led to Rex meeting John Wyer and in 1955 joining Aston Martin. He starting working on DB3Ss before moving on to DBR2s, heading out to the States in 1958 to run a DBR2 for Elisha…

TURNING THE CORNER

The Aston Martin Formula 1 team endured a difficult start to the 2021 season as it struggled to maintain the sort of form that it showed under its previous Racing Point identity. However, more recently some charging performances from Sebastian Vettel on days when opportunities opened up have indicated that there is some momentum behind Lawrence Stroll’s ambitious plan to one day challenge for the World Championship. Those races also demonstrated that the decision to hire Vettel, a man who knows how to win titles but was struggling for form in his latter days at Ferrari, was a wise one. Any questions about the 34-year-old German’s motivation have been answered, and it’s evident that he is also helping the team to raise its game. As previously recounted in Vantage, the team was…

TURNING THE CORNER

Earning its stripes

Forget the F1 Edition nomenclature. Yes, this is a civilian-spec Formula 1 Safety Car, but it is so much more than merely a stickers-and-stripes special edition. And it needs to be, for it’s no secret that the AM6 Vantage has been something of a problem child for Aston Martin. Divisive styling and punchy pricing compared with the outgoing model posed significant challenges at launch, but the greater problem was a conflicted character and a shortfall in all-round capability compared with that perennial class benchmark, the Porsche 911. The good news (great news, actually) is that the F1 Edition addresses the character and capability issues, transforming the Vantage from a car that confounded those who buy with head or heart into a machine that connects on an emotional level and truly delivers dynamically. The…

Earning its stripes

‘Barnard bought it in 1965 when he was just 19 years old. The engine blew up soon afterwards, so he installed a Chevrolet V8’ This is a tale of four Johns, if you include the one telling it. Its thread begins in early 2019 when I saw a fine-looking Aston Martin DB2/4, freshly painted in metallic grey, nearing completion of its restoration at Feltham-era Aston specialist Four Ashes Garage. Owner John Martin, there that day to do some work on his car and hurry the process along because he wanted to enter it in the Mille Miglia, told me that the Aston had a Ford Zodiac engine when he bought it, but it now had a correct 2.9-litre LB6. That Ford engine had been fitted long ago by one of the…

Normal service resumed

ANY LINGERING DOUBTS about the resilience of the top end of the market in the Covid era were put to bed during Monterey Car Week: between them, RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Co, Bonhams, Mecum and Russo & Steele sold $347m worth of cars. For context, that is a 37 per cent increase on the total from the 2019 Car Week auctions, and is more in line with the average haul achieved between 2013 and 2018 ($363m). Some cars came to the block with no reserve, and perhaps some bidders came to Monterey in high spirits and with cash to burn after a year of being stuck at home, but the overall sell-through rate of 80 per cent – 21 per cent up on 2019 – can largely be attributed to…

Normal service resumed

RIDE of the VALKYRIE

It’s hard to review any car from the passenger seat, something that hasn’t stopped many motoring journalists from trying to do so over the years. Usually such invitations are dead-batted by all but those with the most pressing need to fill editorial space. Yet sometimes, very rarely, the offer is special enough to make accepting it worthwhile. Like the chance to have a first experience of the Aston Martin Valkyrie at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with none other than company CEO Tobias Moers in the driver’s seat. The plan has already taken a couple of knocks when I arrive at Goodwood on the Saturday morning. The Valkyrie publicly failed on the the 1.16-mile course the day before, and Moers has unsurprisingly opted out of the day’s first Supercar Run so…

RIDE of the VALKYRIE

VALKYRIE VARIATIONS

With the long-awaited and oft-delayed first customer deliveries of the Valkyrie finally looming large, Aston Martin has revealed two more derivatives of its epoch-making hypercar: the open-top Valkyrie Spider and the track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro. Given the extreme nature of the regular Valkyrie, which has already pushed the limits of what is possible in a roadgoing machine, both new variants will set new benchmarks in their own respective niches, the Spider immediately raising the bar for open-cockpit road cars, the AMR Pro givingAston customers the opportunity to experience a car with the performance of a modern-day Le Mans winner. Though it has only just been announced, a Spider version of the Valkyrie was always in the plan. Thus all the myriad detail changes were considered in parallel with the coupé – vital…

VALKYRIE VARIATIONS

Immaculate collection

It’s not often that a DB5 Vantage coupé in gleaming Silver Birch is the least remarkable car in a group of three, but in this exalted company the coupé – or Saloon in period Aston parlance – is very much the common or garden variety, as a glance at the build numbers will confirm. The silver car is one of only 60 DB5 Vantage coupés built in period, but that’s positively commonplace compared with the Convertible, of which just five (or possibly six) were made to Vantage spec. Five? Pfft. If you want real exclusivity you need to direct your attention to the DB5 Vantage Shooting Brake. Specifically, the car you see here. The one and only ’Brake that was equipped with the more powerful Vantage engine in period. These tiny numbers…

Immaculate collection

1:8-scale DB4 GT Zagato model by Amalgam £11,935 | amalgamcollection.com The model is still in development, obviously, but this is sadly the last chance we’ll have to bring you news of Amalgam’s latest project: a perfect likeness of 1 VEV as driven by Roy Salvadori in the 1961 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. When the prototype is complete it will represent 5000 man-hours of painstaking work. Fender Tone Master Super Reverb guitar amp £1299 | fender.com The valve-powered Super Reverb was a favourite of Stevie Ray Vaughan and chiropractors everywhere. This new digital version gets as near as dammit to the sound of the original, but weighs almost half as much (36lb), and thanks to a power attenuator you can use it at home without getting an ASBO. AMR zip-up hoodie…

The VH2 Vantage is Aston Martin’s biggest-selling model of all time. A more elegant, bespoke alternative to the Porsche 911, the cheaper, entry-level Vantage made Aston Martin more accessible to more people. Its design was overseen by Henrick Fisker’s team (after Ian Callum had worked some magic), and the fact that there are more than a few out there is a good thing, because it means more people can enjoy it. It may be knocking on 20 years old, but its shape has aged well, managing to stand out where others look a little dated. What about as a whole package, though? And while thousands of owners will tell all who ask how wonderful their pride and joy is, what does Aston Martin’s chief engineer, Matt Becker, reckon? Vantage decided to find…

email us eds@vantagemag.co.uk write to us Vantage Magazine Editorial, Dennis Publishing, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP DB2 Dropheads at the double I read with great interest your cover story on 70 years of Vantage (issue 32). My attention was centred in particular on the ex-Prince Bertil DB2 Drophead. It’s wonderful to see her returned to her original baby blue colour, three-piece front grille and the chromed front and rear strips. Since 2004 I have owned and enjoyed another historic DB2 Drophead, chassis LML/50/10, the first ‘prototype’ demonstration drophead, originally owned by David Brown Tractors Ltd and later by David Brown himself. Apparently George, DB’s chauffeur, drove ‘the old man’ to the South of France in her on a number of occasions. Both cars share a lot of details, including…

‘The doors go on today,’ says Nigel Woodward, head of Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth where the Bulldog is undergoing the most painstakingof resurrections. It’s not the first time the powered gullwing doors have been on during the Bulldog’s time at CMC. There was the first fit when the doors had been repaired, de-rippled and painted in primer, and the second after any necessary adjustments and corrections had been made. Now, resplendent in their final colour coat, comes their final fit. As Nigel takes me into the workshop where the Bulldog half-hides under a multicoloured spider’s web of wiring awaiting a home and final taping-up, I see that the rearhinged tail section, also in its final finish, is already attached so its alignment with the doors can be checked. It will…

TURNING THE CORNER

The Aston Martin Formula 1 team endured a difficult start to the 2021 season as it struggled to maintain the sort of form that it showed under its previous Racing Point identity. However, more recently some charging performances from Sebastian Vettel on days when opportunities opened up have indicated that there is some momentum behind Lawrence Stroll’s ambitious plan to one day challenge for the World Championship. Those races also demonstrated that the decision to hire Vettel, a man who knows how to win titles but was struggling for form in his latter days at Ferrari, was a wise one. Any questions about the 34-year-old German’s motivation have been answered, and it’s evident that he is also helping the team to raise its game. As previously recounted in Vantage, the…

TURNING THE CORNER

Proof of concept

It was the spring of 1980. Bulldog was a fully functioning road car and the team was rightly proud, having designed and built most of it in our special projects workshop at Newport Pagnell, with help from others in the company when the pressure was on. Even the initial ‘big bits’ had been extensively re-worked. Just a few days after the launch on 27 March, it was due to be tested by Autocar, Car, Motor and Road & Track magazines. We’d only had time to do a shakedown run at MIRA, in the rain, to make sure everything worked and the car was safe. The first test was at Mallory Park circuit, organised at the last minute because of permit problems with MIRA. Paul Frère of Road & Track, being based…

Proof of concept

Earning its stripes

Forget the F1 Edition nomenclature. Yes, this is a civilian-spec Formula 1 Safety Car, but it is so much more than merely a stickers-and-stripes special edition. And it needs to be, for it’s no secret that the AM6 Vantage has been something of a problem child for Aston Martin. Divisive styling and punchy pricing compared with the outgoing model posed significant challenges at launch, but the greater problem was a conflicted character and a shortfall in all-round capability compared with that perennial class benchmark, the Porsche 911. The good news (great news, actually) is that the F1 Edition addresses the character and capability issues, transforming the Vantage from a car that confounded those who buy with head or heart into a machine that connects on an emotional level and truly…

Earning its stripes

LIVING THE DREAM

You may not have heard of McKeel Hagerty, but if you own a classic car the chances are you’ll be familiar with the business that bears his family name. Founded almost four decades ago by his parents in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty Insurance has grown under McKeel’s leadership from a provincial insurance provider offering specialist cover to Michigan’s boating community into the world’s largest insurer of classic vehicles. Hagerty’s ascendance from humble beginnings to insurance powerhouse is straight from the American Dream, and an example of how hard work and smart moves can create multi-billion-dollar business success. The really interesting thing, at least if care about your cars, is that the business is founded on a deep and genuine love of cars and driving. A love that starts with the man…

LIVING THE DREAM

THE LAST RESORT?

Finding myself in reflective mood the other day, I began leafing through issue 1 of Vantage from early 2013, Aston Martin’s Centenary year. Amongst the celebratory features was a news piece on AML’s then-fragile finances (plus ça change and all that), which reported that CEO Ulrich Bez was on the verge of securing the investment needed to develop crucial new models. ‘Media reports have already suggested that Astons will be switching to Mercedes-AMG V8 and V12 engines in the near future,’ it went on, ‘and Dr Bez has made no secret of his continuing ambition to build an SUV…’ They were words to strike fear into the hearts of sad old traditionalists (yep, that’s me – maybe you too), who felt Astons should always have Aston engines and that an SUV…

THE LAST RESORT?

‘Barnard bought it in 1965 when he was just 19 years old. The engine blew up soon afterwards, so he installed a Chevrolet V8’ This is a tale of four Johns, if you include the one telling it. Its thread begins in early 2019 when I saw a fine-looking Aston Martin DB2/4, freshly painted in metallic grey, nearing completion of its restoration at Feltham-era Aston specialist Four Ashes Garage. Owner John Martin, there that day to do some work on his car and hurry the process along because he wanted to enter it in the Mille Miglia, told me that the Aston had a Ford Zodiac engine when he bought it, but it now had a correct 2.9-litre LB6. That Ford engine had been fitted long ago by one of…

We take historic racing for granted these days, but there was a time when old racing cars were just that: yesterday’s cars, superseded by new machinery; uncompetitive and largely unwanted. So how did historic racing begin and who was behind it? One of the prime movers, one of the handful of people who established historic racing in the 1960s and ’70s, was Neil Corner. Anyone who attended Silverstone or Brands in that era will have seen Neil winning races at the wheel of some of the all-time greats – including some of the most celebrated Astons. In some cases he was able to demonstrate their full potential years after they officially retired from racing. As I personally witnessed many of his triumphs from the 1960s onwards, it was a pleasure to…

ENGLAND EXPECTS

Paul Richards is one very driven individual. As a teenager he seemed destined for a career as a professional golfer until injury struck. Instead, he taught himself the craft of coach-trimming and began to take commissions from local classic car owners – all while still living at home in Lincoln with his parents. When the business outgrew the family home, he rented a unit on an industrial estate on the edge of town, took on more and more work, and began to recruit. Today his company, Richards of England, employs a team of eight, stretches across five units on the same gated estate, and encompasses full ground-up restorations, mostly Astons. As a mark of how well-regarded its work is, its latest resto was accepted for this year’s prestigious Salon Privé at…

ENGLAND EXPECTS

RIDE of the VALKYRIE

It’s hard to review any car from the passenger seat, something that hasn’t stopped many motoring journalists from trying to do so over the years. Usually such invitations are dead-batted by all but those with the most pressing need to fill editorial space. Yet sometimes, very rarely, the offer is special enough to make accepting it worthwhile. Like the chance to have a first experience of the Aston Martin Valkyrie at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with none other than company CEO Tobias Moers in the driver’s seat. The plan has already taken a couple of knocks when I arrive at Goodwood on the Saturday morning. The Valkyrie publicly failed on the the 1.16-mile course the day before, and Moers has unsurprisingly opted out of the day’s first Supercar Run…

RIDE of the VALKYRIE

MODEL LISTINGS: EVERY ROAD CAR

ALL THE ROAD CARS 1920s-1930s Sports/Super Sports 1920-1925 SPECIFICATION Engine 1.5-litre in-line 4 Power 55bhp Torque n/a 0-60mph n/a Top speed 90mph Although the first ‘Aston-Martin’ had been created in 1915, the Great War meant production didn’t actually start until 1920. And because the early years were all about motorsport, it wasn’t until 1923 that cars went on sale to the general public. The Sports was advanced for its time, with four-wheel brakes and a fully floating rear axle, and in Super Sports form it got a twin-cam, 16-valve four with a lusty 55bhp. Business was tough, though, and after around 60 cars had been sold, the company went into receivership in 1925. Second Series/New International/Le Mans 1932-1934 SPECIFICATION Engine 1495cc, in-line 4 Power 70bhp Torque n/a 0-60mph n/a Top speed 85mph Price reductions, made possible by out-sourcing more components, and continuing motorsport success at Le…

MODEL LISTINGS: EVERY ROAD CAR

It wouldn’t have been possible without…

We couldn’t close this issue without saying thank you to everyone who has supported and contributed to Vantage over the last nine years and 35 issues. So, with apologies for any omissions, our thanks go to: Sir Gerry Acher, Chris Adams, Dave Adams, Tom Alexander, Tim Andrew, James Arbuckle, Stephen Archer, Keith Artus, Rowan Atkinson, Marc Aylott, Michael Bailie, Tony Baker, John Barker, Ben Barry, David Barzilay, Mike Beake, Matt Becker, Steven Behrens, Andy Bell, Roger Bennington, Ulrich Bez, Chris Bietzk, Robert and Ali Blakemore, André Bloom, Jethro Bovingdon, Dave Brassington, Mark Brayson, Martin Brewer, Adam Brown, David Burgess-Wise, Simon de Burton, Tim Butcher, Ian Callum, Henry Catchpole, Paul Chase-Gardener, Paul Chudecki, Eric Clark, Chris Clougher, John Colley, Robert Cook, Tim Cottingham, Bruce Cox, Bob Creese, Gavin Culshaw, Alan Curtis, Clive…

It wouldn’t have been possible without…

VALKYRIE VARIATIONS

With the long-awaited and oft-delayed first customer deliveries of the Valkyrie finally looming large, Aston Martin has revealed two more derivatives of its epoch-making hypercar: the open-top Valkyrie Spider and the track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro. Given the extreme nature of the regular Valkyrie, which has already pushed the limits of what is possible in a roadgoing machine, both new variants will set new benchmarks in their own respective niches, the Spider immediately raising the bar for open-cockpit road cars, the AMR Pro givingAston customers the opportunity to experience a car with the performance of a modern-day Le Mans winner. Though it has only just been announced, a Spider version of the Valkyrie was always in the plan. Thus all the myriad detail changes were considered in parallel with the coupé…

VALKYRIE VARIATIONS

Immaculate collection

It’s not often that a DB5 Vantage coupé in gleaming Silver Birch is the least remarkable car in a group of three, but in this exalted company the coupé – or Saloon in period Aston parlance – is very much the common or garden variety, as a glance at the build numbers will confirm. The silver car is one of only 60 DB5 Vantage coupés built in period, but that’s positively commonplace compared with the Convertible, of which just five (or possibly six) were made to Vantage spec. Five? Pfft. If you want real exclusivity you need to direct your attention to the DB5 Vantage Shooting Brake. Specifically, the car you see here. The one and only ’Brake that was equipped with the more powerful Vantage engine in period. These…

Immaculate collection

The VH2 Vantage is Aston Martin’s biggest-selling model of all time. A more elegant, bespoke alternative to the Porsche 911, the cheaper, entry-level Vantage made Aston Martin more accessible to more people. Its design was overseen by Henrick Fisker’s team (after Ian Callum had worked some magic), and the fact that there are more than a few out there is a good thing, because it means more people can enjoy it. It may be knocking on 20 years old, but its shape has aged well, managing to stand out where others look a little dated. What about as a whole package, though? And while thousands of owners will tell all who ask how wonderful their pride and joy is, what does Aston Martin’s chief engineer, Matt Becker, reckon? Vantage decided…

‘The doors go on today,’ says Nigel Woodward, head of Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth where the Bulldog is undergoing the most painstakingof resurrections. It’s not the first time the powered gullwing doors have been on during the Bulldog’s time at CMC. There was the first fit when the doors had been repaired, de-rippled and painted in primer, and the second after any necessary adjustments and corrections had been made. Now, resplendent in their final colour coat, comes their final fit. As Nigel takes me into the workshop where the Bulldog half-hides under a multicoloured spider’s web of wiring awaiting a home and final taping-up, I see that the rearhinged tail section, also in its final finish, is already attached so its alignment with the doors can be checked. It…

Proof of concept

It was the spring of 1980. Bulldog was a fully functioning road car and the team was rightly proud, having designed and built most of it in our special projects workshop at Newport Pagnell, with help from others in the company when the pressure was on. Even the initial ‘big bits’ had been extensively re-worked. Just a few days after the launch on 27 March, it was due to be tested by Autocar, Car, Motor and Road & Track magazines. We’d only had time to do a shakedown run at MIRA, in the rain, to make sure everything worked and the car was safe. The first test was at Mallory Park circuit, organised at the last minute because of permit problems with MIRA. Paul Frère of Road & Track, being…

Proof of concept

LIVING THE DREAM

You may not have heard of McKeel Hagerty, but if you own a classic car the chances are you’ll be familiar with the business that bears his family name. Founded almost four decades ago by his parents in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty Insurance has grown under McKeel’s leadership from a provincial insurance provider offering specialist cover to Michigan’s boating community into the world’s largest insurer of classic vehicles. Hagerty’s ascendance from humble beginnings to insurance powerhouse is straight from the American Dream, and an example of how hard work and smart moves can create multi-billion-dollar business success. The really interesting thing, at least if care about your cars, is that the business is founded on a deep and genuine love of cars and driving. A love that starts with the…

LIVING THE DREAM

THE LAST RESORT?

Finding myself in reflective mood the other day, I began leafing through issue 1 of Vantage from early 2013, Aston Martin’s Centenary year. Amongst the celebratory features was a news piece on AML’s then-fragile finances (plus ça change and all that), which reported that CEO Ulrich Bez was on the verge of securing the investment needed to develop crucial new models. ‘Media reports have already suggested that Astons will be switching to Mercedes-AMG V8 and V12 engines in the near future,’ it went on, ‘and Dr Bez has made no secret of his continuing ambition to build an SUV…’ They were words to strike fear into the hearts of sad old traditionalists (yep, that’s me – maybe you too), who felt Astons should always have Aston engines and that an…

THE LAST RESORT?

We take historic racing for granted these days, but there was a time when old racing cars were just that: yesterday’s cars, superseded by new machinery; uncompetitive and largely unwanted. So how did historic racing begin and who was behind it? One of the prime movers, one of the handful of people who established historic racing in the 1960s and ’70s, was Neil Corner. Anyone who attended Silverstone or Brands in that era will have seen Neil winning races at the wheel of some of the all-time greats – including some of the most celebrated Astons. In some cases he was able to demonstrate their full potential years after they officially retired from racing. As I personally witnessed many of his triumphs from the 1960s onwards, it was a pleasure…

ENGLAND EXPECTS

Paul Richards is one very driven individual. As a teenager he seemed destined for a career as a professional golfer until injury struck. Instead, he taught himself the craft of coach-trimming and began to take commissions from local classic car owners – all while still living at home in Lincoln with his parents. When the business outgrew the family home, he rented a unit on an industrial estate on the edge of town, took on more and more work, and began to recruit. Today his company, Richards of England, employs a team of eight, stretches across five units on the same gated estate, and encompasses full ground-up restorations, mostly Astons. As a mark of how well-regarded its work is, its latest resto was accepted for this year’s prestigious Salon Privé…

ENGLAND EXPECTS

MODEL LISTINGS: EVERY ROAD CAR

ALL THE ROAD CARS 1920s-1930s Sports/Super Sports 1920-1925 SPECIFICATION Engine 1.5-litre in-line 4 Power 55bhp Torque n/a 0-60mph n/a Top speed 90mph Although the first ‘Aston-Martin’ had been created in 1915, the Great War meant production didn’t actually start until 1920. And because the early years were all about motorsport, it wasn’t until 1923 that cars went on sale to the general public. The Sports was advanced for its time, with four-wheel brakes and a fully floating rear axle, and in Super Sports form it got a twin-cam, 16-valve four with a lusty 55bhp. Business was tough, though, and after around 60 cars had been sold, the company went into receivership in 1925. Second Series/New International/Le Mans 1932-1934 SPECIFICATION Engine 1495cc, in-line 4 Power 70bhp Torque n/a 0-60mph n/a Top…

MODEL LISTINGS: EVERY ROAD CAR

It wouldn’t have been possible without…

We couldn’t close this issue without saying thank you to everyone who has supported and contributed to Vantage over the last nine years and 35 issues. So, with apologies for any omissions, our thanks go to: Sir Gerry Acher, Chris Adams, Dave Adams, Tom Alexander, Tim Andrew, James Arbuckle, Stephen Archer, Keith Artus, Rowan Atkinson, Marc Aylott, Michael Bailie, Tony Baker, John Barker, Ben Barry, David Barzilay, Mike Beake, Matt Becker, Steven Behrens, Andy Bell, Roger Bennington, Ulrich Bez, Chris Bietzk, Robert and Ali Blakemore, André Bloom, Jethro Bovingdon, Dave Brassington, Mark Brayson, Martin Brewer, Adam Brown, David Burgess-Wise, Simon de Burton, Tim Butcher, Ian Callum, Henry Catchpole, Paul Chase-Gardener, Paul Chudecki, Eric Clark, Chris Clougher, John Colley, Robert Cook, Tim Cottingham, Bruce Cox, Bob Creese, Gavin Culshaw, Alan Curtis,…

It wouldn’t have been possible without…

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