Aston Martin

2015 is proving to be a bumper year for Barons. Its sale at Sandown Park on July 28th is set to be the company’s biggest yet, both in terms of numbers of cars entered – more than 80 are expected – and in value of the lots on offer.  The star lot, an exceptionally rare and original 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk 1 Volante Vantage, has been joined by an equally rare 1964 Bentley S3 Continental at the head of the extensive and diverse auction entry list. In addition, following on from the success in April, when Barons had its highest-value sale to date and set a company record for an individual car when it achieved £739,000 for a 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback ‘barn find’ restoration project, the auction house has now been entrusted with a second example of […]

Founded in 1913 by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin as ‘Bamford & Martin Ltd’, Aston Martin has developed into an iconic brand synonymous with luxury and elegance. 1914 saw the birth of the name ‘Aston Martin’ following one of Lionel Martin’s successful runs at the Aston Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, England. Within a year, the first Aston Martin had been built and registered with the name, and an icon of the automotive world was born. Obviously, our Video of the Week this time around focuses on the iconic favorite of James Bond, Aston Martin and the DB range in particular. The DB9 is a true automotive icon. A badge and bloodline which represents all that is great about Aston Martin – and British supercars in general. Each Friday during January 2014 Aston Martin released an exclusive film exploring the design, engineering, […]

An exceptionally rare and highly original 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk 1 Volante Vantage is to go under the hammer at Barons at Sandown Park on July 28th. This beautiful and unspoilt machine is in extremely original condition, and bears the inimitable patina of age. Even the power hood is thought to be the original one. One of just 29 ever made, it is believed to be the final such Volante Vantage built. Chassis number DBVC-3738R has been in the same ownership since 1981, and now used only rarely – and only in the dry. It carries an estimate of £500,000-£750,000. This model rarely comes to market, and particularly not in such original condition. Not surprisingly, the car has already caused something of a stir in Aston Martin circles, with Barons receiving enquiries and many early bidding registrations from potential […]

Aston Martin has teamed up with the Royal Air Force, to attract the next generation of women into engineering roles in both organisations. A pioneering STEM Women in Engineering event took place at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Wednesday 24 June and saw around 140 female students attend. The event, organised for young women from school Years 9 to 13 was designed to promote career opportunities at Aston Martin, and in the RAF, to young women from across the South East and the West Midlands, in support of National Women in Engineering Day. Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer attended the event to deliver the keynote speech, along with Air Vice-Marshal Sue Gray, the most senior female Engineer in the RAF, while six female graduates from the luxury British sport car brand’s Engineering and Commercial functions, as well as […]

Months of anticipation for Aston Martin enthusiasts around the world are, today, brought to a close with the exciting global dynamic debut of the Aston Martin Vulcan – a track-only supercar and the British luxury brand’s most intense and exhilarating creation to date. Patrons attending today’s session of the 23rd Goodwood Festival of Speed in the grounds of historic Goodwood House, West Sussex, have been treated to a historic occasion of their own – with the first public running of the Aston Martin Vulcan following its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. The 800-plus bhp, all-carbon fibre, Aston Martin Vulcan today delivered on its promise of truly extreme performance with a series of spine-tingling sprints up the famous hill climb with Aston Martin Racing works’ driver Darren Turner at the wheel. Before its inaugural run, the new […]

A 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark III, which has lain dormant in storage for over 35 years, is to be restored by leading classic car restoration company Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth (CMC). The DB2/4 was recently purchased from the Bonham’s Newport Pagnell Aston Martin works sale on behalf of a client. The car was sold for £104,540, going over its estimate of £30-50k. “The car was an attractive restoration project in 1977 when it entered storage, despite the fact that it had lead a hard life,” said Nick Goldthorp, Managing Director of CMC, “There were splits in the front suspension turrets which had been welded and crash damage to the offside body and rear chassis which were repaired at the time. But it would now appear that the chassis needs re-aligning.” Nick added: “The Aston needs a total restoration, […]

Aston Martin is today revealing the DB9 GT – the luxury British sports car maker’s most compelling production ‘DB’ to date. Designed to offer the best of what DB9 can be, the new car delivers world-class grand touring and hand-built excellence. Claiming the title of the most potent DB9 yet devised, by virtue of its uprated 6.0-litre V12 engine which now boasts 547 PS – the DB9 GT makes its public debut as part of Aston Martin’s impressive presence at this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. The new sports car appears as Aston Martin also unveils a raft of colour, trim and equipment enhancements across its sporty Vantage and luxurious Rapide S model lines. Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “The arrival of 16 Model Year (16MY) cars, as well as the addition of the sophisticated DB9 GT, gives […]

Aston Martin arrives at the 22nd Goodwood Festival of Speed next week with a superb line-up of exclusive and exciting sports cars and super saloons which, together, represent its biggest presence yet at the world-renowned celebration of motoring and motorsport. The luxury British sports car maker will treat the Goodwood patrons to a feast of ‘firsts’, including the UK debut of the motorsport-inspired, and now sold-out, Vantage GT12 and the global dynamic debut of the strictly-limited luxurious new Lagonda Taraf super saloon. Aside from the raw, track-derived appeal of the Vantage GT12, Aston Martin will also be running examples of its V12 Vantage S Roadster and luxurious Rapide S four-door, four-seat sports car. There will also be the rare opportunity to see the CC100 – Aston Martin’s centenary celebration concept car from 2013 – in action on the hill. Meanwhile […]

Aston Martin Racing has qualified on pole in both GT classes of the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans with its #99 and #98 V8 Vantage GTEs. It might have been his first time racing at the world-famous Circuit de la Sarthe, but Le Mans ‘rookie’ Richie Stanaway (NZ) was quick to impress, posting the fastest lap and putting the #99 on pole. “That was the start we were looking for, but there’s still a lot of work to do to win the race,” commented Stanaway. “The car feels great and we’re all on top form so we just need to bring it all together on Saturday.” But it wasn’t only Stanaway who took pole position for Saturday’s 24-hour endurance event. In the GTE Am class, Pedro Lamy (PT) set the fastest time in the #98 Vantage GTE and will […]

Aston Martin Racing has unveiled a 24 Hours of Le Mans art car designed by artist Tobias Rehberger. The unique creation gives the Gulf #97 Vantage GTE the illusion of movement and speed, even when static. Rehberger is renowned for his abstract art and optical effects that distort perception and has received numerous international prizes and awards, including the Golden Lion for best artist at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Aston Martin Racing invited him to design a livery that would work with the Gulf Vantage GTE’s lines and colours in a way never attempted before. Thirty years since the first art car ran in the 24-hour race, Rehberger set out to create a design that uses geometric shapes and patterns to give the car, when static, the impression of movement and speed. The German artist, who will attend Saturday’s race […]

The Q by Aston Martin bespoke personalisation service is celebrating the fulfilment of a longstanding ambition for sports car enthusiast and businessman Markus Storck. Dr Matthew Bennett, General Manager of VIP sales and Q by Aston Martin personalisation service, delivered the first of seven uniquely built Vanquish Coupes to the German collector at an event held at the luxury marque’s headquarters in Gaydon. Mr Storck, founder and head of German hi-tech bicycle manufacturer Storck Bikes, commissioned the Q by Aston Martin team to develop the special ‘One of Seven’ Vanquish sports cars for himself, and six fellow sports car aficionados. Boasting a broad array of bespoke features including an exclusive exterior finish that sees multiple layers of carbon fibre cleverly interwoven to a perfectly smooth finish – a result that required Aston Martin to develop an entirely new addition to […]

Aston Martin Racing and the Hotel de France reunited after more than 50 years yesterday to relive some of the most iconic memories from the luxury sportscar manufacturer’s history at the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the 1950s and 1960s, Aston Martin’s racing team used the Hotel de France as its base for the 24-hour race. This year, it returned with three of its 2015 V8 Vantage GTEs and works drivers Darren Turner (GB), Richie Stanaway (NZ) and Mathias Lauda (AT) to recreate the photos and footage that captured some of the greatest moments in the brand’s 102-year history. David Richards, Chairman of Aston Martin Racing, said: “The Hotel de France is an important part of Aston Martin’s motorsport heritage, having been the team’s Le Mans base for many years in the late 1950s, including 1959 when the […]

Aston Martin is once again returning to the shores of Lake Como in Italy this weekend as it showcases the stunning new DBX Concept in the esteemed 2015 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Entered in the event’s prestigious Concept Cars and Prototypes class, the DBX Concept defies conventional thinking about the high luxury segment and points to a bold new future for GT travel in the 21st Century. Unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show, the DBX Concept widens the appeal of the iconic British luxury brand and reaches out to a more diverse global audience than ever before. Ahead of its appearance this weekend, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman said: “As we explained when we debuted the car, the DBX Concept is designed to challenge the existing status quo in the high luxury GT segment. It promises to […]

Aston Martin celebrated ten years of competing at the world-famous Nürburgring this weekend (16/17 May) and, in fitting tribute, the #49 Vantage N430, donning the same livery as the brand’s debut entry in 2006, crossed the line in first place in the SP8 class. The weekend marked a decade since the Aston Martin engineering team entered a race-prepared V8 Vantage road car into the Nürburgring 24-hour race. The car, affectionately named Rose, marked the birth of a new generation of Vantage-based sports cars and paved the way for Aston Martin Racing’s Vantage GT4. To mark the occasion, the Aston Martin Vantage N430 – running in the close-to-production-specification SP8 class – was adorned in Rose’s yellow livery and, at 1600hrs CET today, it crossed the line in first place with Aston Martin’s non-executive Chairman Dr Ulrich Bez behind the wheel. “Watching […]

The Aston Martin Owners Club (AMOC) held its annual Spring Concours event – the blue riband of competitions for Aston Martin owners – on Sunday 10 May, with support from Aston Martin Works. The annual Spring gathering of Aston Martin owners from across the UK and further afield, was this year staged in the elegant grounds of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, just a few miles from the historic home of Aston Martin in Newport Pagnell. This year’s Concours was the largest to date with around 350 cars on show and was attended by Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer. For the first time, the Concours included a special class dedicated to the limited edition Aston Martin Works 60th Anniversary Vanquish. Five of the six Anniversary Vanquish models were entered in the event, with Aston Martin Works’ Commercial Director Paul Spires […]

In its 60th anniversary year Aston Martin Works played host to another hugely busy Bonhams Aston Martin Sale on Saturday, 9 May 2015, with £10.3m worth of rare and prized sports cars changing hands. The historic home of the great British luxury brand was the venue for the 16th annual Bonhams Aston Martin Sale, which saw around 50 classic Aston Martins sold. The annual sale is recognised as a globally-significant occasion for Aston Martin collectors and enthusiasts around the world. The 2015 event was the biggest to date, setting a sales total of £10,280,275 and witnessing a fascinating and diverse collection of Aston Martin-related automobilia go under the hammer in several hours of exciting and highly-charged bidding. Highlights of the day included the 1962 DB4 Series IV Vantage Convertible – originally the property of Sir Peter Ustinov – which sold […]

Luxury British sports car maker Aston Martin, along with its race team Aston Martin Racing, announced an ambitious five-car assault on the 2015 ADAC Zurich N24 endurance race at Germany’s infamous Nürburgring. Aston Martin Racing heads to the world-renowned endurance event on 16/17 May with a pair of works V12 Vantage GT3s, and has its sights set firmly on the outright race win in the top SP9 class. While Aston Martin has been racing at the annual Nordschleife event for a decade, 2015 is only the third time that its works race team has entered the top SP9 class for GT3 cars. In 2013, with the car running in the iconic blue and yellow livery of Aston Martin’s technical partner Bilstein for the first time, the team finished tenth after leading the gruelling race for more than half the running […]

Aston Martin Lagonda today announced that with the leadership of its major shareholders, it has arranged additional committed funding of £200 million, enabling the 102-year old luxury sports car manufacturer to develop significant new luxury models that will drive the future of the company under its strategic business plan. The additional capital investment comes in the form of £200 million of preference shares; £100 million of which were issued on 29 April 2015 with the remaining £100 million – already subscribed for – to be issued in the next twelve months, and will further expand the previously announced investment plan. This major investment in new luxury models is at the core of Aston Martin’s strategic vision. Under the plan, the company will expand into the luxury GT crossover market with the introduction of a new vehicle based on the DBX […]