ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUB

THE VANTAGE POINT
WINTER 2010-2011
Issue No. 29
ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUB
North America Quarterly Journal
$12.50 US / $12.50 CDN
Spotlight on The Vanquish
Ian Callum Interview
Track Day at Thunderhill
THE VANTAGE POINT
Aston Martin Owners Club
North America Quarterly Journal
Fall 2010
AMOC Chair & Executive Publisher
Jim Hazen
Co-Editors/The Vantage Point
Bob Epstein, Gerry Hartung
Managing Editor–West
Guy Simpson
Editor–West Coast
Kohei Saito
Design Consultant
Bruce Crocker
Advertising Director
Jim Hazen
(617) 515-3695
Club Historian
Nick Candee
Copy Editors
John David, Robert Obie
Mark Ransome, Jane Ransome
Photographers
Robert Dennis–West, CJ Gutch–East
Tim Cottingham–UK
FROM THE EDITORS
PROFILE: VANQUISH
Get Ready for an Insightful Look at the Vanquish...and a Whole Lot More
Welcome to the (Winter/Spring) 2011
issue of The Vantage Point. In this issue we
highlight the Vanquish. This is an automobile that has always held a certain mystique
about it and is sought after by many car
enthusiasts. While we stop short of calling
this a “special issue” on the Vanquish, we’re
certain you will learn quite a bit about this
awesome automobile starting on page 22
with articles from Eric Stephans, Jim
Hazen, Stephan J. McColgan, MD and
Tom Appleton.
Speaking of awesome automobiles be
sure to check out some of the new offering that came out in 2010 from Aston
Martin on page 6. Continuing along the
“awesome” line, did you know there was a
Miss Aston Martin? Well, neither did we,
Andy Williams fills us in about this on page
18… of course it was back in 1969.
Be sure to take a look at Tom Smith’s
article about the Cavallino Classic, a
Ferrari extravaganza invaded by numerous
Aston Martins this year.
There are numerous events covered this
issue that we think you will enjoy reading
about, including this year’s success of the
Thunderhill Track Day written by George
Wood beginning on page 10 and the
Fairfield County Concours written by
Andy Williams.
While we don’t have enough room
here to touch on everything in this issue,
hopefully we’ve piqued your interest
enough that you’ll want to read this issue
cover-to-cover. We hope you enjoy this
issue, share it with a friend and write us to
let us know how we’re doing. Thanks!
Bob and Gerry
Publishing Services
Casey Annis, Group Publisher
Parabolica Publishing, LLC
5212 Katella Avenue, Suite 206
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
(562) 493-0737
Art Director
Brad Jansen
THE VANTAGE POINT
aspires to reflect the values and spirit of
Aston Martin: Innovation, Quality, Performance.
We are committed to both inform and entertain
our membership, but moreover to provide context
for connection and exploration, while fanning the
flames of our common passion.
“In this issue we highlight the
Vanquish. This is an automobile
that has always held a certain
mystique about it and is sought
after by many car enthusiasts.”
The Vantage Point (formerly the AMOC Quarterly) is the
official publication of the Aston Martin Owners Club—
North America, and published by the AMOC-NA Section
East. Statements appearing in The Vantage Point are those of
the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the
Aston Martin Owners Club or its officers. We reserve the
right to edit all materials as necessary and may refuse content
that is not Aston Martin Owners Club related, or otherwise not
deemed relevant, at the discretion of the Editor. The Vantage
Point is published quarterly for members of the Aston Martin
Owners Club, a non-profit corporation.
Submissions to the Editor:
vantagepointamoc@gmail.com
Deadlines are 30 days after the start of each
calendar quarter, for the next quarter issue.
www.amoc.org
1
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
5
5
FROM THE EDITORS
Gerry Hartung and Bob Epstein
BACKFIRE!
Letter to the Editor
BACK EAST/OUT WEST
Jim Hazen, George Wood
6 NEWS OF THE MARQUE
TRACK DAY: THUNDERHILL
10 AMOC
George Wood
11 WEBSITE REVIEW: ASTONUTS
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S 75TH
12 AMOC
Story and Photos by Augie Kuo
MEMORIAM: ACE TOYAMA, ALEXIA GENTRY
14 IN
Don Rose, Chet Floyd
INVADES CAVALLINO II
16 ASTON
by Tom Smith, AMOC Membership Director
ASTON MARTIN ’69
18 MISS
by Andy Williams
VANQUISH
22 PROFILE:
Jim Hazen
Vanquish on the road.
4
CALLUM INTERVIEW
28 IAN
David Abecassis
OWNERS PERSPECTIVE
36 VANQUISH
Jim Hazen
LOVE AT FIRST LIGHT
43 VANQUISH:
Stephen J. McColgan MD
VANQUISH,,,REALLY?
44 AEricBARGAIN
Stephans
STICK-SHIFT CONVERSION
46 VANQUISH
Tom Appleton
VANQUISH OWNERS
48 FAMOUS
Jim Hazen
50 UPCOMING EVENTS
TUNNEL MODEL MOVES TO THE BARN
54 WIND
Jim Hazen
54 NEW MEMBERS
56 DIRECTORY
Photo courtesy of Aston Martin Media
AMOC-NA/WEST
AMOC-NA/EAST
OUT WEST
BACK EAST
The 75th anniversary year has come
and gone, and 2011 is here, so we look
forward to a new AMOC calendar of
events. Always a collective work in
progress it seems, we try to repeat what
works, improve what doesn’t, and look for
new ideas. Locally, our calendar kicks off with our annual track
day at Thunderhill Raceway on January 22. Supported by Aston
Martin of Marin and Los Gatos Luxury Cars, this should be the
best track day yet. And down south, the club is busy planning the
North/South meet, this year to be held in Palm Springs.
One of the joys of last year was seeing members at events
whom I had, until then, only spoken to by phone or through
email. It is my hope that such a trend will continue, and we will
continue to see participation grow, as at this year’s holiday party in
Northern California, where attendance doubled compared to the
prior year.
Right now, the sun is shining, and the road is beckoning.
Happy Motoring!
After the cold and interminably long
winter, it was great to visit “Rasputin” my
DB 2/4 at Steel Wings a week ago and to
get it out on the clear roads around Bucks
County. It made me feel like Spring was
coming.
For our members, 2011 provides plenty of events. They’ve
already been on the lawns at the Classic Sports Sunday at the Mara-Lago Club in Palm Beach and at the Amelia Island Concours.We
had Florida gatherings before each.
Coming up during the year will be our 41st gathering at Lime
Rock, the annual Midwest meet at Elkhart Lake, a road tour in
Canada East, a wine tour on Long Island and the 2nd annual
“Rhode Tour” in Rhode Island. On top of that we have events in
Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and a return to the British Car
Day in Cleveland, Ohio, where Astons will be the featured
marque. To date we have about 30 events scheduled, and we hope
to be adding more soon. See the Upcoming Events page for more
information.
The annual AMOC prize giving took place at the Barn in the
UK in January. The following members were suitably recognized.
David Van Schaick was awarded the Oskar Ruegg Memorial
Trophy, Nick Candee was awarded the Sammy Davis Trophy for
his work on this magazine, and John Stinsmen and Len Levine,
John David and Scott Fairly were individually given an Award of
Merit for their service to the Club.
I would also like to recognize the passing of long-term member Ace Toyama. If you did not know Ace, you missed a wonderful guy. Ace was a true gentleman who drove his Mk3 and later a
beloved pre-war Aston with great vigor.
Even after he moved back to Japan he kept an Aston in the
Northeast and would make time to get it out on the road when
he was back in the USA. Ace and Keiko always tried to make it
back for our annual Lime Rock event whenever they were able.
Ace and I were part of a Feltham run at Lime Rock in 2006. After
we finished the Concours, the Feltham owners hit the road. It was
possibly the largest group of Feltham cars being driven with reckless abandon in North America in years.
Don Rose has written a very nice remembrance of Ace in this issue.
George Wood,
Chair, AMOC West
BACKFIRE!
Please direct all correspondence for publication to the Editor:
vantagepointamoc@gmail.com
To the Editor
The [Evel Knievel] article is very nice and so is the magazine.
The only thing that bothers me is that the California shop did not
do any of the modification to the car except reupholster the interior. All other mods were done by me, from top to bottom. I louvered the hood and made it open with the rams, sheet metaled the
hood and fenders, gutted the interior and hand built the dash and
console, and installed all the wiring and air conditioning. I also
built the car with pro fuel injection, that's why I engraved the
cover to say “injected,” but Evel wanted it changed to the carb. It
was too modern for him. Evel blew up the first three R-700s I put
in the car until I had Hughes’ converter transmissions race department (Hughes Performance, Phoenix, Arizona—Ed.) build me a
bulletproof one. I also have a photo album of all the work in
progress, and a complete parts list of everything that went into it.
Evel loved that car. He sat with me for weeks as the build was
nearing finish, and even when he got the call for his liver transplant and flew back to Florida to have the operation, he was back
in nine days, driving his motorhome just to be there as I finished
the car. The day I finished it we took a drive together and at 80
mph we passed a couple of girls in a car and Evel slowed down
and opened the hood up and pointed into the engine compartment so they could see it, all at 65 mph. That was Evel.
To the Editor
Re: Review of Jesse Alexander book, Inside the Archives - TVP
Fall 2010
Thank you for this; it was lovely to read both the interview and
the ITA review. The people familiar with Jesse just love him - it's
not just the phenomenal work he's produced; it's his character and
beautiful personality, and that really came out in the article.
The ITA review was well written and well balanced. It gave a
great overall and detailed description.
When is the next quarterly TVP?
Al Kurdzialek
Desert Dog Auto
Fountain Hills, AZ
Melissa Bull
David Bull Publishing
Phoenix AZ
Jim
Chair, AMOC East
5
NEWS OF THE MARQUE
QUANTUM LEAP
ASTON MARTIN CELEBRATES 2010: The Year of the Specials
In 2010, Aston Martin celebrated its product lineup demonstrating its ability to react quickly to customer demands and to
create tailor-fit sports cars. Aston Martin is agile as a small-volume manufacturer, and this year has created: V12 Vantage
Carbon Black, DBS Carbon Black, DBS UB2010, V8 Vantage
N420 and now new DB9 offerings will cater for individual
tastes across the world.
This attention to individual tailoring began in February
when production of the Carbon Black editions began, followed in March with a Works Tailored commission made by
Aston Martin to celebrate CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez’s tenth
anniversary at the helm of the marque by creating 40 limited
edition UB-2010 DBSs. The unique specification includes
metallic leather with a woven leather seat insert. The car bears
the signature of Dr. Bez, who is personally signing-off each
example.
In July, Aston Martin announced the V8 Vantage N420
limited edition; a race inspired version of the V8 Vantage celebrating the marque’s close links with the famous Nürburgring
Nordschleife where the development of all Aston Martins takes
place, and where each year, multiple Vantage entries compete at
the Nürburgring 24-hour race.
The new DB9 editions offer three juxtaposed options. The
Morning Frost luxury specification gives the DB9 an extra sense
of sophistication resplendent in a pearlescent white exterior
with a befitting metallic bronze leather interior. In contrast, the
6
two menacing sport specifications take advantage of the special
edition Carbon Black paint and Quantum Silver made famous by
the DBS featured in the last James Bond movie, Quantum of
Solace. The exterior finishes perfectly compliment the Obsidian
Black interior along with a highly polished Piano Black center
console and interior door handles.
Both the DB9 Carbon Black and Quantum Silver also feature
the six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission, a remapped sports exhaust providing an even more evocative
sound when driving spiritedly and unique 19-inch 10-spoke
forged gloss black painted diamond-turned wheels. Black
grilles, graphite tail pipes, perforated seat inners, semi-aniline
leather roof lining, coarse silver stitching and real polished glass
switchgear complete the sport specification.
The DB9 Morning Frost also benefits from the Touchtronic
II transmission mounted on the transaxle giving the car perfect
50-50 weight balance. The 19-inch 10-spoke silver diamondturned wheels, silver brake calipers, magnum silver grilles, and
metallic bronze leather headlining with perforated seat inners
along with Piano Black center console and door grabs create a
sophisticated ambiance.
The three editions are bestowed with a unique laser-etched
sill plaque depicting the famous wings insignia along with
“Morning Frost,” “Carbon Black” or “Quantum Silver.”
These special editions are available to order now from Aston
Martin’s global dealership network.
NEWS OF THE MARQUE
DOUBLE FEATURE
V12 VANTAGE MEETS GULF LMP1 RACE CAR
The Aston Martin V12 engine sits not just at the heart of the One77, DBS, DB9, Rapide and V12 Vantage, but also the 2010 DBR1-2 Le
Mans racecar.
The V12 Vantage was launched to critical acclaim in 2009, and in
2010 it arrived in the US. It is the ultimate performance interpretation
of the Vantage range, featuring a 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 510
bhp (380 kW/517 PS) and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) and has been dynamically honed to deliver an unparalleled driving experience.
The V12 engined DBR1-2 is an Aston Martin LMP1 race car
which competed throughout 2009 and 2010. It won the Le Mans
Series in 2009 and achieved three podiums in 2010.
It is this revered engine that sits at the heart of these evocative driving machines.
The images (at right) capture these two iconic road and race cars in
action for the first time in an unconventional road setting.
RAPIDE: POWER, BEAUTY AND SOUL
TRUE POWER SHOULD BE SHARED
Aston Martin is to launch a series of innovative new films designed to
showcase the marque’s four-door Rapide. The newly released films show
the Warwickshire-based sports car manufacturer taking a bold step into a
digitally advanced platform for Rapide in 2011.
Aston Martin’s first foray into the digital campaign medium extends
from utilizing an already established social media presence on Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube to reach the company’s fan and customer base
,which now spans some 39 countries.
Shot in Lisbon, Portugal, the films follow a group of agents as they
attempt to deliver a precious object, time, to a mystery figure. The ethos
of the film is said to be based on one of life’s quandaries: the more success you have, the less time you have to share it with the people around
you who matter.
Film director Donnie Masters from Serious Pictures said; “We wanted to deliver a subtle but clever piece of branded entertainment.
Something that mirrors the thrill of the drive. Intelligent, dramatic yet
very exciting. It's an action-packed Aston Martin story in three parts,
designed to entertain our audience. We're not hard selling, we're showcasing. After all, it is the thinking man’s (and woman’s) performance car.”
This exciting online campaign features a number of Aston Martin’s
carefully chosen preferred partners, all of whom share the marque’s
dedication to luxury, quality and exclusivity.
As the marque’s first production four-door sports car, Rapide encapsulates the core values of Power, Beauty and Soul; four “swan wing” doors
provide access to cosseting sports seats both front and rear, bestowing
occupants with ample accommodation. A 317-liter luggage compartment
affords generous space for belongings for all four passengers, creating an
Aston Martin that can be enjoyed on any occasion, anytime, anywhere.
The first installment of True Power was officially launched in January
2011, at www.astonmartin.com/rapide.
8
AMOC TRACK DAY
WE FOUND OUR THRILL AT THUNDERHILL
Story by George Wood, Photos by Augie Kuo
Thunderhill Raceway paddock.
Let’s rewind to November when I decided whether or not to
hold the annual AMOC January track day. Weather had resulted in
low participation in the past and it was unclear if enough members
would sign up to keep the event out of the red and in the black.
An email from longtime AMOC member and a legend in our
time, Neil Peart, asking me to assure him that Thunderhill had the
green light, convinced me that track day’s draw would not just be
about the thrill of racing a car at high speed on the track, but also
about getting together with friends and sharing their enthusiasm.
By the time I contacted Thunderhill Raceway, our favorite site
for the last four years, track manager Shannon El had already
reserved a premier Saturday time slot for our well-liked group. Guy
Simpson and Augie Kuo broadcast invitations to our members and
our guests. As a result of their promotional efforts, twice the num-
Alix and Chris Seyfarth, Sam Rhodes and Kristine Lesnya
10
“AMOC’s track day 2011 was
profitable for the first time since its
inception! Looking ahead, several
drivers have made it clear they are
ready for a high-performance sequel.”
bers of RSVPs rolled in from previous years, and we cast our worries about member participation aside.
Fast forward to track day! Many members attended including
Neil and his friend Matt from Southern California. Dan Rhodes
joined us along with his son Sam. AMOC members Mitchell
Weitzman and his mom Kim, Brad Shafer and his son Griffin, Guy
and Sarah Taylor, Jill Hamer, Chris Seyfarth as well as Adrian
Stanway, Kent Littlehale, Keith Yarak, and Cliff Levine returned for
some fun on the asphalt. Augie Kuo brought his friends Herman
Kim, Dave Henstock and Adil Vasania. I brought my friend Corey
Steinmetz, who celebrated his birthday there. Track regulars Greg
Reber, Jeff Jones, and Colin Bach completed our group of drivers.
At Casa Ramos in Willows, about half of our drivers assembled
to toast one another and our upcoming track day with margaritas
over Friday night dinner. We awoke Saturday morning to perfect
weather and a banner morning for the local CHP, who stopped
three Aston Martins. Perhaps a track day can count as driving
WEBSITE REVIEW- ASTONUTS.FREE.FR
ASTONUTS: ONLINE TREASURE TROVE
FOR THE TRUE ASTON ENTHUSIAST
Corey Steinmetz, George Wood and Colin Bach (above).
school? Undeterred, the drivers enjoyed a delicious breakfast
catered by Deloyce while the head flagman, Turbo, reviewed the
rules of engagement.
Two groups raced around the track and alternated every thirty
minutes for more than three hours of thrilling track time each. The
first-time drivers on the track learned quickly and all drivers benefited from the complimentary driving instruction provided by
Scott Drnek of Virtuoso Performance, Mike Cesario, Colin Bach,
and Greg Reber. Maybe Scott needs a few more lessons, though,
because he spun my DB9 off of the track! Luckily, no damage was
done because Thunderhill’s track has virtually no walls. And, Scott
made it up to me by giving me a ride in the Porsche GT3, which
was absolutely amazing. Fortunately, I did not copy Scott’s stunt
driver tactics when Neil lent me his DBS for a few laps!
The only slow down of the fast-paced day occurred when a
DB7 GT experienced an electrical short on the back straight of the
track. Parham Ziapour and Ernie Pyer from Los Gatos Luxury Cars
determined that it wasn't serious and although the driver retired
the car for the day there were lots of other cars to enjoy! Aston
Martin Marin, and Los Gatos Luxury brought cars to test drive on
the track and the nearby street.
Also, Scott Drnek awed members with his trailer of vintage
racing cars, including: Bruce McLaren’s 1970 Formula 1 car, the
Porsche GT3 car that was class winner at the Rolex 24 at Daytona
in 2004 (and in which he later gave rides), and two Can-Am cars.
During the catered lunch (thank you again, Deloyce), Scott and
Fred Cziska raced the Can-Am cars on the track, as well as the
McLaren Formula 1 car.
Overall, it was an excellent, entertaining track day. Based on our
high driver turnout, AMOC’s track day 2011 was profitable for the
first time since its inception! Looking ahead, several drivers have made
it clear they are ready for a high-performance sequel.Thanks to all the
drivers, the members, and the sponsors who helped make our track
day a success.Thanks to Thunderhill for providing an excellent venue.
Thank you to Aston Martin Marin for sponsoring the caterer,
Deloyce. Thank you to Los Gatos Luxury Cars and Aston Martin
Marin for bringing demos to test drive. A big thank you also goes to
Scott Drnek for generously sharing his amazing car collection. But
most of all, thanks to all of our drivers and members who participated! Please keep sending us your emails of interest like Neil. If you
missed out on this event, hope to see you on the track soon!
Don’t be fooled by the unsophisticated look of this web site. When you dig deeper you’ll
find it rich in rare Aston-related content and images.
For fans of Feltham and, to a smaller extent, Newport
Pagnell Aston Martins, this website contains a treasure trove of
information and images. Created by French enthusiast
Christian Pruvot, the site presents information collected over
a period of years in a scrapbook format. Images with descriptions are numerous and easy to read, with information classified by topic. Images are mostly scans from publications with
some digital images from later sources, but overall image quality is quite good.
Other sections include a bibliography, links, and “What’s
New?” - with the most recent entry from January 2011. Much
information comes via auction house listings, so in a sense this
website adds some provenance to such vehicles. Sections on
original equipment also assist the interested buyer in seeing
what may or may not be right about a prospective purchase.
Some of the more detailed car histories reinforce the difficulty of provenance, or originality, of a vehicle due to the numerous major component replacements the vehicle may have
experienced over its lifetime.
This website will be of interest to any Aston enthusiast,
especially someone with a DB2 connection. One quirk of the
site is the use of the term “Washboard” to describe early
DB2s, but when seen in context of the early grille style this
makes total sense. One could spend hours trolling this site and
come away with a good sense of what these cars are all about.
11
CALIFORNIA
AMOC NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Story and Photos by Augie Kuo
Ron and Colleen Militello, Barbara and Ed Mitchell
The annual AMOC Northern California holiday party was a bit
special this year as it was the 75th anniversary of the club. Tom
Price generously provided his car “barn” for the event on
December 4th, and his friends at Stark’s Catering fed about forty
of us with delicious appetizers and a delectable meal. Aston Martin
Marin brought a V12 Vantage to display as well as party favors, and
Ramin Naimi introduced himself as the new sales manager, coming previously from Ferrari/Maserati of San Francisco and British
Motor Car Distributors. Tom is an avid collector of rare exotics, so
having dinner in a “museum” was a unique experience. Thanks to
him and his dealership for supporting the club and our activities!
Lisa LeJeune, Elsie Lum, Satoshi Iwahashi
12
IN MEMORIAM
EISUKE TOYAMA: 1939-2009
by Don Rose
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of
Eisuke Toyama, the AMOC NA-Section East’s longest distance
member.
Known to one and all, as was his preference, “Ace” Toyama was
the consummate enthusiast. As the president of Nissan Canada, Ace
was credited with turning around operations at this troubled subsidiary utilizing procedures known as Total Quality Management,
with the aim of differentiating Nissan from the competition on the
basis of quality. Soon afterwards he was promoted to become president of Calsonic Kansei (another Nissan subsidiary) for a decade,
before his eventual retirement in Japan.
While living in Canada, Ace appeared one day at the annual
Lime Rock Classic with his long-term DB Mark III
(AM300/3/1611), participating in all events, but with particular
interest in the track. It was there he met Tim and Cyndy Beachboard
of Phoenix Service and discussed storage and maintenance of his
car within proximity of Lime Rock. Thus consummated, Ace then
discovered many other great, winding country lanes of central and
western Massachusetts, which he attacked with gusto.
It was a natural progression then that he developed a wish to
intensify his circuit racing activities. So, he joined the VSCCA and
gained his license at the club school at their annual Pocono
Raceway event and went on to participate whenever time and
scheduling allowed. Plus of course, he and his charming wife Keiko
rarely missed the AMOC Lime Rock Classic from then on, which
is where I, and most members who knew him, had the opportunity to share experiences.
He loved driving the Mark III. With its lovely patina born of
committed usage, Tim kept it tuned for him at all times, as he had
a habit of ringing at short notice with a wish to get the car out.
Tim recounts one story where Ace called from Europe, en route to
California, but with a strategically planned long layover in Boston.
He asked Tim to trailer the Aston to Boston’s Logan airport and
meet him there. Once the car was unloaded, Ace took off for
Maine, only to return the car to Tim at the airport the next day,
with an added 600-700 miles on the odometer. (Much better than
Hertz, I think we might all agree!).
Ace with his beloved DB MkIII, VSCCA Pocono courtesy Tim and
Cyndy Beachboard.
14
Ace with Sir Stirling Moss at the La Festa Mille Miglia, Japan
courtesy Reiko Tokuda (Ace's daughter)
I met with him once during a business trip to Tokyo. I’ve always
said that cars are the great “leveler” in society, creating an instant
point of mutual interest with other like-minded people from all
over the world and found this to be no exception with Ace. As I
was then actively trading and brokering Astons and other classic
autos, we discussed the disposal of his Delahaye in order for him to
move into a prewar Aston, and I was pleased to assist with both
transactions.
My own “Logan Airport” story involving Ace was meeting him
once for dinner at the Airport Hilton, where he was staying, again
on a layover. Those who know me are aware that I am rarely early
for any engagement, but for this meeting I was cognizant of the
Japanese penchant for punctuality. Running a couple of minutes
behind, I parked the car and rushed across the parking lot toward
the hotel – and straight into the sliding glass entrance door at terminal velocity. I was knocked dizzy and quickly developed a
bloody nose causing much concern among the hotel staff and an
appearance by the house nurse.With the lobby swirling around me,
I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Ace and Keiko walking
through the lobby to the restaurant, probably expecting me to be
late. It took another 15 minutes or so before I could stand up and
amble into the restaurant, black eyes and swollen nose, just like
another day at the office. In the end, all I recall is that we had a
lovely time, but it may be useful to note that the hotel has since
painted large dots on the glass frontage to prevent birds and bird-
IN MEMORIAM
ALEXIA GENTRY: 1951-2011
by Chet Floyd
"I remember Mr Toyama's
gracious loan of a fuel pump
from his Mark III to a
fellow Club member whose
pump had failed during a
Lime Rock event. This
enabled the DB5 owner to
make it home to Georgia
after the event."
--Bob Epstein
brains from smashing into its doors.
We saw less of Ace after he retired, moving permanently back
to Japan, and he eventually had his Mark III shipped back there
too, joining his 1.5-liter MkII Le Mans 2/4 (D5/425/5).
His enthusiasm for driving his Astons was unabated, however. I
do not think he would have minded me sharing the last message I
received from him, with the subject line THE DRIVE OF MY
LIFE, reprinted here below:
I just returned from La Festa Mille Miglia, a Japanese version of the
1000-mile classic car rally. I drove my 1934 Aston Mk II.
Stirling Moss and his wife Susie were there, driving a Mercedes 300
SL. On the 3rd day near Honda's Motegi racing track, his Mercedes passed
me, and I somehow managed to follow him for next 10 miles or so, until
we arrived at Motegi. (Even Sir Stirling had to drive his car under the
Japanese traffic regulations!)
Driving my Aston following Stirling Moss on winding country roads
for 20 minutes or so, that was the drive of my life I wont forget for many
years…
Ace and Keiko participated in one more rally, called La
Primavera in West Japan. Shortly afterwards Ace was struck down
with a heart attack.
Tim still has his helmet, which Ace wished to remain in his
care, just in case he had the opportunity to participate again sometime at an East Coast track event. His presence and enthusiasm
enriched all of us who knew him.
Life in transition. On January
13, 2011, the world lost Alexia
Vanides Gentry. Born March 11,
1951, Alexia brought her vibrant
spirit, creativity and love to a full
lifetime of experiences and generous service as a loving daughter, wonderful wife, loyal friend,
teacher, mentor, and marketing
consultant.
She will be missed by many, including her husband
Luther, her parents, and her sister and brother. She was
blessed by God many times over. May she rest in peace.
A celebration of her life was held at the San Mateo
Marriott Hotel in California.
Alexia and husband Luther enjoy a moment with San Francisco
Mayor Gavin Newsome, at the Fairmont Hotel during the 2004
California Mille.
15
FLORIDA
ASTON INVADES CAVALLINO II
by Tom Smith, AMOC Membership Director
Photos by Peter Singhof
The 2011 edition of the Cavallino Classic, a
Ferrari extravaganza held each year in Palm Beach,
Florida, was as good as ever, featuring priceless
Ferrari automobiles from all over the world, seen on
the streets, on the track and on the beautiful front
lawn of the Breakers Hotel. From Jet Center parties
to “Yacht Hops” on the intracoastal, there’s something for everyone in Palm Beach, even if you aren’t
necessarily a Ferrari aficionado. That said, many of
our AMOC members are quite ecumenical when it
comes to their cars, so your Club was out in force
this year in Palm Beach.
AMOC is back in Florida! That’s the best way to
describe the fantastic job new Area Rep Russell
Glace is doing in promoting events for our members in the
Sunshine State. This year Russell, who serves on the Cavallino
committee and is Chief Judge of Classic Sports Sunday/Cavallino,
hosted a wonderful AMOC Dinner on the Saturday night of the
Concours at the beautiful Palm Beach Yacht Club. It was quite a
setting, with beautiful Hinckley Picnic Boats and Burger motor
yachts right outside the door of a gorgeous private dining room
that Russell’s architectural firm had designed. A wonderful meal,
great camaraderie, it was just a great evening. AMOC-er’s in atten16
DBVC/2301 Volante belonging to Orin Smith.
dance for the dinner included Vice-Chair Don Rose (who had
travelled along with me on a red-eye from the Scottsdale Auctions
early that very morning), David and Wylene Van Schaick, Don and
Linda Brodie, David and Carolyn Brodsky, Michael Formica and,
Sally and Bob Stockman and several other friends of Don Rose
who joined us. It was a great night and just proved that we have
many members in Florida who will come out to great events.
Russell and I look forward to many more!
Left to right: 1961 DB4/GT/0130/L; EXCELLENCE IN CLASS. 1966 DBVC/2301 Short Chassis Volante of Orin Smith EXCELLENCE IN CLASS. 1959 DB2/4
Mark III DHC of Emmet Smith BEST IN CLASS. DB4GT/0135/L of Jack Thomas of STL (ex Morris Evans); ex-Sebring 1961.
Cavallino Classic 2011 was capped on Sunday with the “Classic
Sports Sunday” event at the Mar-a-Lago Club, the legendary
Marjorie Merriweather Post mansion in old Palm Beach. It was
open to all classic marques and the AMOC was extremely well
represented by members showing both their Astons and other
wonderful marques, including Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz,
Cunningham and others. Cunningham, which were manufactured
in West Palm Beach by early DB2 owner and racing legend Briggs
Cunningham, was the featured marque. Scott George of the
Collier Collection brought several wonderful Cunninghams from
their collection, and there were other examples of the marque
brought by AMOC-er Jimmy Dobbs and Jim Taylor. Other
AMOC participation with wonderful Astons on the lawn included Jack Thomas (DB4GT), Russell Glace, Emmet Smith (DB2/4
MkIII DHC, which took Best in Class), Orin Smith (DB5C) and
Sally and Bob Stockman with their wonderful pre-war. Many of
our members who didn’t bring cars were seen strolling on the
grounds, and yours truly served as a judge for the day along with
noted car historian Keith Bruemel and others.
So, once again the “Brits invaded Cavallino” and the AMOC
was there in full force. Russell intends for the Cavallino weekend
to be a “regular” on the AMOC calendar, and if this year’s dramatic participation by our members is any indication, this event will
continue to grow and grow as a “must do” for all AMOC members in North America. Besides, with the winter we’ve had, who
wouldn’t want to be in Palm Beach in January?
A nice side view of Roberto Quiroz-Montero’s ‘61 DB4GT/030/L.
17
MICRO MINI MEMORIES
MISS ASTON MARTIN ’69
by Andy Williams
At a Christmas party in 2009, my girl friend Jane mentioned to the
hostess that I owned an Aston Martin and her reply was, “oh, you must
meet my best friend Diana. She was Miss Aston Martin.” Indeed, this
sounded like someone I should know. I was introduced to Diana Silvester
who explained that she had worked on the Aston Martin stand at the Earls
Court Motor Show in London and helped introduce the DB-6 and DBS.
She didn’t remember the exact year, but it must have been 1969 if both
cars were on the stand.
I immediately thought this would make a great story for the Vantage
Point and Diana agreed to be interviewed. As it turned out, she lives on
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, not terribly far from Connecticut, and one of my
favorite places to visit. I’ve been going to the Cape for many years, and while
I stopped going in the summer decades ago due to the traffic and crowds, I’ve
made a trip there in the fall almost annually for about thirty years. It’s not
too cold to sit out on a beach and just think about things and there are some
great sports car runs, like the back road between Truro and Wellfleet. Of
course, getting there is half the fun and I always try to go in an interesting
car. Over the years, the various marques I’ve traveled in include MG, Jaguar,
Triumph, TVR and even an old Jeep Grand Wagoneer. My DB-4 has
made three of these journeys, and it always seems like something of a homecoming. Before I bought it, the Aston lived on the Cape for twelve years with
a good friend who lives in Brewster.
So, Jane and I found ourselves traveling to the Cape last October where
I met with Diana one crisp morning to ask about her experiences as an
Aston Martin show demonstrator.
AW: How did you come to get the job working for Aston Martin
at Earls Court?
DS: I was at the Arts Educational College, training to be a
dancer and when you’re in training, at that time you had to do 26
weeks of professional work in order to get your equity card. So, I
was doing pantomime at Christmas time in England, and what you
would call summer stock and modeling. I was a poor student so I
would take just about any job. When I was in pantomime in
Sheffield with Dickie Valentine, his agent, Tom Leydon asked if he
could represent me and I agreed. After I went back to London, he
called me up one day and said he wanted me to interview with
David Brown for Aston Martin. I met David Brown at 21 for
lunch. I really didn’t have the remotest idea how eminent David
Brown was or who he was. I just wanted a job. So, we had lunch
and he was very nice and very attentive. I remember he was quite
a small man, not very tall. He asked me various questions and
though I was somewhat shy at the time it was all very easy. The
next day my agent called and said I’d been offered the job.
AW: What kinds of things did he ask when he interviewed
you?
DS: Well, I don’t remember a great deal, but he asked me about
my dancing career and what work I had done.
AW: What sorts of requirements were there for the job?
DS: Well, the contract came through and it was really very
funny because in the contract it was written that I had to wear a
micro-mini dress and I said okay. I mean it was the time of micro
minis and Mary Quant and all, so it really didn’t bother me. It was
bright orange, not my favorite color, and extremely short. The
English had an unusual title in those days for that type of dress,
which I won’t repeat. So, I had to turn up and basically drape
myself over the car. To be truthful, I didn’t know anything about
18
cars and people didn’t ask me any leading questions. If they had, I
would have been completely nonplussed. But basically, I was just
asked to drape myself around the cars, on the car, over the car, on
the top and to talk to people. It was all for the photographers, really.
The days were quite long and I was there all day. David Brown’s
son-in-law, (George Abecassis), who was a race car driver, was there
and he was handling all the technical questions. Of course, there
were other people there, too, talking about the engine and the
inside. Then in the evening, there was a lot of social stuff. As I
recall, the show didn’t go on late, 7 o’clock maybe, so I would go
home and shower and change. Most nights we went to Annabel’s,
which was a nightclub in Berkeley Square. There were a lot of
people who would come along. I got propositioned a lot, which I
didn’t like. So, I didn’t stay a long time. I’d stay for dinner because
I was a starving dancer.
AW: What were the people like who came on the stand? Was
there anyone
DS: Well, Graham Hill was there, and Tom Jones came, and I
really don’t remember a lot of others. I mean, people would say,
“did you see so and so” and I would not have seen them but a lot
of celebrities passed by but I either didn’t see them or didn’t
recognize them.
AW: Were there any other demonstrators on the stand that
you worked with?
DS: There was one other woman beside myself, also in a micro
mini, but I don’t even remember her name.
AW: Were there any incidents that were funny or that stand
out in your mind?
DS: The only thing I remember is that David Brown’s son in
law (George Abecassis) would take one of the cars back to the
showroom at night. One day he was taking the car back and I
heard about it the next day because there was a big buzz. He was
driving along the Great Western Road at about nine or ten miles
an hour because, well, it was quite fluid during the day so he was
trying not to be picked up. He was actually picked up by the police
because he was driving so slowly, and that I remember clearly. I
don’t know if he was charged with anything.
AW: Did you work for Aston Martin after Earls Court?
DS: Some time after the show, I got some calls from David
Brown to have lunch. It’s hard to believe today, but I was really
quite naïve then. So, when I was invited to lunch, I truly believed
I was being invited to lunch. I guess we met about three times and
he was always a gentleman. We went to 21 and Tiddy Dolls in
Shepherd Market and he had an apartment on Curzon Street
which is very close to there. After lunch one day he asked me if I
would like to come and have a glass of wine and that he had an
apartment quite close by. I can’t believe I agreed but I did, and
went to his apartment, which was absolutely beautiful, and he
mixed me a martini. After a short while, it really became apparent
that he was heading in a direction that I had no intention of following. So, I said, “David, I have to leave now,” and he said, “Oh, I
wish you wouldn’t,” and I said, “Well I
really have to leave, thank you very much
and I look forward to hearing from you
and working for you.” And that was the
last I ever heard from him.
Diana Silvester is a real estate agent, so
if you’re thinking of buying or selling
property on Cape Cod, please contact her:
Diana.Silvester@ravies.com
www.ChathamHarwichHomes.com
(508) 945-7777
20
21
PROFILE: VANQUISH
22
PROFILE:
VANQUISH
SPOTLIGHT ON VANQUISH
AN INSIGHTFUL LOOK AT ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT SUPER CARS
V12 Vanquish
Externally, the aluminum body sides were waisted
In production June 2001- September 2004
and the rear wings prominent in order to cover the
Chassis 500001- 501506
massive 10J x 19 wheels and Yokohama tires. Each body
When Ian Callum was pulling together ideas for got eight coats of paint from an unlimited selection of
Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.’s model to succeed the colors. Initially, customers could choose hides from
many versions of the V8-engined cars that had come to Connolly, but later those came from Bridge of Weir
an end in 2000, 31 years after the type was first seen at after Connolly ceased trading. The cabin had a climate
the 1969 Motor Show in London, he
control system, and was also fitted with
looked back at the many styles since
satellite navigation and the very best
PROFILE: VANQUISH
the DB2 and settled on the DB4GT
hi-fi sound system. The seats were fully
Zagato as a car that best displayed a
adjustable, the luggage accommodation
IAN CALLUM INTERVIEW
powerful image. His first thoughts
generous.
28
were expressed in the shape of the
The methods used to create the
Project Vantage, which reflected the
main body structure of the new car
OWNERS PERSPECTIVE
heavy haunches and the clean front of
were of particular interest because they
36
the Zagato.
were a large departure from the rather
LOVE AT FIRST LIGHT
The above theme was continued
more traditional procedures.
43
into the V12-engined “Vanquish.” It
The main substructure, including
A BARGAIN VANQUISH?
was due to be launched at the British
the floor and the front and rear bulk44
Motor Show in October 2000, but
heads, had been developed in cooperSTICK SHIFT CONVERSION
was held back until the early months
ation with Lotus Engineering, and was
46
of 2001 to make sure it was fully ready
formed from extruded aluminum secFAMOUS OWNERS
for production at the Newport Pagnell
tions bonded and riveted around the
48
factory, itself totally reorganized and
central transmission tunnel, which was
modernized for this new model. The
constructed entirely from carbon fiber.
initial intention was to build 300 examples per year and
The inner body side sections formed a single comeven before its debut, a 12-month waiting time was posite piece with the carbon fiber windscreen pillars,
being quoted for delivery, such was the advance public- which was then bonded to the central structure to
ity. Eventually, the Geneva Show in March 2001 had the create a high-strength safety cell. The precise, computgood fortune to display this exciting car.
er-controlled manufacturing processes were unique to
The body design retained a strong family likeness as the Vanquish at that time.
a bigger, more muscular version of the DB7 Vantage.
Immediately ahead of the driver and passenger
Underneath, however, it was totally different. Using compartment a steel, aluminum and carbon fiber subtechniques first seen in the Project Vantage, it had an frame bolted directly to the front bulkhead to carry the
advanced aluminum/carbon composite chassis, espe- engine, transmission and front suspension. A further
cially suitable for low-volume production. This struc- deformable composite structure employed the distincture was much more rigid than any prior Aston, both tive Aston Martin mesh grille as a stressed member
improving safety and making a future open version located ahead of the engine and front suspension to
possible.
provide additional crash protection and carry the vari-
23
PROFILE: VANQUISH
ous radiators and intercoolers. A completely flat surface was developed for the underbody, enabling air to be channeled into a
venturi section at the rear to assist high
speed aerodynamics.
At the rear, the composite floor, parcel
shelf and side rails of the luggage compartment provided additional deformable crash
protection, as did the extruded aluminum
side impact beams located in the doors.
The greatest departure came with the
methods used to create the outer skin. In
the past, all exteriors were hand-formed,
using an “English wheel” to shape finished
panels.
In the Vanquish, all exterior panels were
produced from “super-plastic-formed” and
pressed aluminum. In this process, the aluminum is brought to a malleable state by
heating to 450-500 degrees C then laid
over the mould. AML’s skilled craftsmen
remained a vital element, however, as individual panels were tailored and bonded to
the central structure by hand to ensure perfect fit and finish.
With a 190mph maximum speed and
0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds as the aim, the
5.9-liter V12 engine was uprated to
450bhp, with its flat torque curve peaking
at 410lbs-ft. An extremely sophisticated
Visteon twin PTEC engine management
system controlled fuel and ignition. A 6speed gearbox gave 34.9mph per 1000rpm
in 6th gear, and a new paddle shift behind
the steering wheel let the driver control it
manually, although an automatic mode was
also available. Further, the driver could
select Winter Mode (to reduce wheelspin)
or Sport Mode (for ultra-fast shifting).
Beyond the new engine and gearbox,
the suspension was also all-new, using
forged alloy double wishbones, coil springs,
telescopic dampers and cast aluminum
uprights along with anti-roll bars front and
24
rear. The rear wheels were driven, in traditional fashion, through a limited-slip differential with electronic traction control.
Buyers had a choice of cabin layouts
providing either two seats (described as
2+0) or 2+2. Sophisticated equipment
included sensors for tire pressures, wiper
operation and for switching on the headlights. Aston Martin intended the Vanquish
to have world-class specification while still
maintaining hand-finished quality in the
best traditions of Newport Pagnell.
V12 Vanquish Sports Dynamics
In production May 2004 – September
2004
Optional from chassis 501322
The advent of the DB9 in 2004 brought
a common reaction from motoring journalists: “Why buy the more expensive
Vanquish when the DB9 gave you as much
performance?” To restore the Vanquish to
its proper place, AML offered the “Sports
Dynamic” pack, an option developed for
customers wanting more overtly sporting
handling, steering and braking. The comprehensive package included a new front
suspension knuckle assembly and new
wheel bearing hub assembly that, along
with revisions to the steering geometry,
provided enhanced response, feel and precision. Revised dampers combined with
shorter and stiffer springs to provide
improved body control and handling balance. New lightweight 9-spoke, 19-inch
alloy wheels reduced unsprung weight.
A revised braking system with six-piston front calipers and larger discs combined
with a unique groove pattern and patented
floating mechanism. The new larger diameter front discs – 378mm in place of
355mm – provided increased swept area
and delivered improved cooling with a 33
percent increase in thermal capacity giving
enhanced resistance to fade. New rear discs
– still 330mm in diameter, but 2mm thicker – gave a 21 percent increase in thermal
capacity.
The handling was improved by fitting
shorter, stiffer springs with new dampers to
work in conjunction with the improved
suspension joints. Shorter steering arms
provided 20 percent quicker steering
response. This package was competitively
priced as a £3000 option, with the “Sport”
seats from the DB7GT thrown in as well.
Registrar’s View
In the four years since Vanquish production ceased, its allure has not diminished.
The Sports Dynamic-equipped cars are
worthy of tracking down, especially as they
have the nicest wheels ever fitted to a
Vanquish. The model has become a firm
favorite within the club, and still has the
best V12 exhaust note.
Vanquish S
In production September 2004 – July 2007
Chassis 501448, then 501507 to 502593
While the Sports Dynamic pack kept
interest alive in the Vanquish once the DB9
had been launched, the penultimate version of the Vanquish appeared at the Paris
Motor Show in 2004, when the company
launched what they called “the fastest production model ever to be built by Aston
Martin.” The Vanquish S was that car.
With maximum speed claimed to be in
excess of 200mph and a 5.9-liter V12
engine developing 520bhp, the Vanquish S
was designed to deliver even greater performance, complemented by subtle suspension and steering changes and a number of
interior and external style revisions.
The Vanquish S was given subtle but
effective changes to complement its elegant
muscular body. A revised front grille, with
a deeper profile and six rather than nine
horizontal slats, visually identified the S. An
aerodynamic splitter fitted below the front
bumper improved high-speed stability.
At the rear, a redesigned boot lid featured a new high-mounted stop light, and
its design reduced lift while improving balance and stability, helping achieve an
impressive coefficient of drag figure of 0.32
versus 0.33 for the earlier model. Revised
steering geometry provided a 20 percent
quicker response that let the driver be
more precise with inputs and gave more
accurate feedback. The Sports Dynamics
package, previously optional, became standard on the Vanquish S.
The brakes were upgraded to incorporate larger six-piston calipers and larger
grooved and ventilated front discs, while
rear discs were 2mm wider for improved
heat dissipation. The use of floating discs
ensured the driver had consistent pedal feel
under heavy braking, while a new brake
pedal assembly reduced travel.
Further development of the low-emission, all-alloy, four-camshaft, 48-valve, 5.9liter V12 engine lifted power from 460bhp
to 520bhp @ 7000 rpm, with torque
boosted to 425lb-ft @ 5800rpm. This was
achieved by new cylinder heads with fully
machined inlet ports and combustion
chambers to improve airflow, fresh engine
mapping and new fuel injectors.
The overall interior design was a subtle
blend of traditional, classic and modern
materials, with Bridge of Weir leather
upholstery matched to contemporary
metal interior fittings and finishes.
After July 2006 the Vanquish was no
longer homologated for sale in the USA;
the last Vanquish for the U.S. was chassis
502257, while the last for Canada was chas-
sis 502283. Despite the loss of this important market, the car stayed in production
another year for Europe, the Middle East
and the Far East.
Vanquish S Ultimate Edition
In production June – July 2007
Chassis 502539 - 502593 in Vanquish S
series
Just 50 examples of the Vanquish S
Ultimate Edition were built at the company’s Newport Pagnell facility in
Buckinghamshire. The model was both
luxurious and unique befitting its status as
the ultimate Aston, while celebrating the
skilled craftsmanship of the workers at
Newport Pagnell.
The Ultimate Edition was available by
special request to customers wishing to
mark the last of a significant car in Aston
Martin history. It centered on changes to
the Vanquish S color and trim. On the
exterior, these changes included a unique
“Ultimate Black” – a striking new color
only ever available on the Ultimate. Inside,
the Vanquish S cabin was trimmed in a
semi-aniline leather, with coarse stitching,
leather headlining and black chrome finish
interior fittings. Each car was also fitted
with personalized sill plaques denoting the
limited edition number.
The Vanquish S Ultimate Edition
retained all performance capabilities of the
standard Vanquish S, which made it the
fastest production Aston Martin ever, capable of top speed in excess of 200mph
(321kph). No additional charge was made
for the Ultimate Edition, available only
with the 2+2 seating arrangement; it was
priced at £182,095.
Sadly, the Ultimate Vanquish could not
be sold in North America. The final production car, and the last car ever built at the
Tickford Works in Newport Pagnell, chassis
502593, has been retained by Aston Martin.
Vanquish S Ultimate UAE
In production June – July 2007
Chassis 502581 to 502583
It is now known that in addition to the
50 Ultimate Editions, AM also built three
Ultimate UAEs (for United Arab Emirates)
in a Morning Frost color more suitable for
the intense sunlight of the Middle East.
Each had special sill plates signifying it as
one of a limited run of just three. The interior specification was similar to the UE
with black semi-aniline leather, but with
coarse white stitching, 2+0 seating and
platinum steering wheel inserts.
Registrar’s View
Ultimately, the Vanquish died a premature death and never achieved its full
potential. There was, sadly, never a Vanquish
Volante and the secret “super” Vanquish
project never reached fruition.
What a car that would have been....
25
26
PROFILE: VANQUISH
IAN CALLUM INTERVIEW
VANQUISH VISIONARY
Interview by Jim Hazen
Ian Callum designed some of the seminal Astons of the last
20 years. Starting with the DB7, his work helped to rejuvenate
the marque. When the DB7 was displayed at the Geneva Motor
show in 1993, it represented a blend of traditional and modern
elements. Automobile writers have heralded the DB7 as one of the
best designs for an automobile in the late 20th century. Ian went
on to update the DB7 design for the V12 engine Vantage.
But it was a concept car, the Project Vantage, where Ian really
set the mark for himself as a designer and for Aston Martin as
a company. Project Vantage was introduced at the Detroit
International Auto Show in 1996. I saw the car on the Aston
Martin stand and can attest to how striking it was. Benefiting
from unanimously positive response, Project Vantage transitioned
into the Vanquish and one of the more iconic Aston Martin models
was born.
Early in 2011, I had an opportunity to speak with Ian via
phone in his office at Jaguar Cars, Ltd., where he serves as
Design Director. As we spoke, it was clear that Ian has an affinity for the Vanquish. He used words like “mildly brutal” and
“assertive” to describe the design. But more importantly, he
described the interesting process that led to a true Aston Martin
supercar and what it meant to him as a designer.
28
IAN
CALLUM
A CONVERSATION
WITH
TVP – Ian, thank you so much for
taking time to speak with us. What I
want to talk about is the Aston
Martin Vanquish.
IC – Very good, I’m happy to be
able to speak about it.
TVP – Excellent. Over here, the
Vanquish is beginning to come into
its own as a classic. Since there is a
growing appreciation, we wanted to
devote an issue of The Vantage Point
to the car.
IC – Absolutely, it is still my
favorite design. When I see one today,
it is the design that still feels like I got
it right. I know mechanically it wasn’t
perfect or ideal, but it certainly
worked well. I take great satisfaction
from that.
TVP – Could you start with
describing the genesis of the
Vanquish.
IC – Well, you have to start with
the DB7, with Walter Hayes and Tom
Walkinshaw; they were the fathers of
that car. Contrary to what most people
think, Tom and Walter and Aston
Martin backed that car completely.
The guys at Ford had no clue what
they had when Mr. Ford bought the
company, and it was only our sheer
determination and passion for the
brand that we were able to get the
DB7 through the system. If wasn’t for
that period, the Vanquish would have
never been built.
I designed the DB7, and after it was
launched Walter retired. I think he
became lifetime President, but Bob
Dover took over the Chairmanship of
the company.
Bob approached me and said he
wanted to build a car that would be a
replacement for the big V8s. At the
time that was the Vantage. They were
called the monster cars. They were
behemoths with the Heffernan and
Greeley design, which I think was over
ten years old by then and showing its
age.
Bob decided he wanted to do a
one-off concept coupe. He asked me
to come in and give him a chat about
a two-seater car. Now we’ve since
become good friends, but this was my
introduction to Bob Dover. I had a
couple of days to think about what he
wanted, which was a car with gravitas.
He wanted to know what my
thoughts were about it.
I told him that a two-seater to go
with the DB7 Vantage had to be very
expressive, it had to make a clear statement of the brand with no ambiguity,
it had to be powerful and beautiful, a
modern day Aston. He said you have
to get that balance straight; the DB7
was beautiful, but it didn’t get all of the
elements right. At that point he said
“By the way, I have to talk with a few
other people to quote for this job so
I’m not necessarily going to give it to
you.” At this point I was merely a consultant for Astons, and I thought they
had other people to call.
29
Bob asked me to do a couple of sketches and put
the costs together on how much I would charge and
he said how they get the body done here and we’ll get
this aspect of the car done there. I told him that to
get this concept car built right it has to be done in
one place. I didn’t care where it was, but for continuity and cost I told him I would give him a proposal for doing it in one location. In the end we built it
at TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing), where I worked
at the time.
I presented my proposals and he liked what he saw
and came back and said, “You should design this next
car for Astons.” It wasn’t until a few years later that he
told me it was a foregone conclusion that I would do
it, but he didn’t want me to think it was my right to
do the car.
The rest of his staff, that he was just getting to
know at that point, was saying that he had to let Ian
Callum do it. I was flattered that was the case, and I got the contract to do Project Vantage.
It was delivered to the Detroit Show in ’96.
TVP – I remember it well, I saw it at the Auto Show that year
and remember how striking it was to see the Project Vantage
Concept on the stand. There was a big crowd around the stand
with people craning their necks to get a glimpse of the car.
IC – It was a huge moment for me, and in many ways almost
bigger than the DB7. The DB7 was launched at Geneva in ’93.
But I think the Project Vantage was my confirmation, a point
where I was recognized as a car designer in my own right. I
remember going to the Ford breakfast at Cobo arena with all of
the VIPs and the journalists. I was invited and the car was there as
was Jac Nasser. Jac loved the car and I still have pictures of Bob and
Jac with the car at the show. It brings back great memories. I can
tell you a story on that…
Am I boring you yet?
Ian Callum
PROFILE: VANQUISH
The other design that I looked at was the Ferrari 250 GT short wheelbase. I love the way
that the front fenders look – so much power. It looks like they are almost bouncing off the
front of the car.
the design team. Jac spent about an hour and a half looking at the
design and I think he was trying to find something to put forward.
Jac had a real passion for Astons, and that was saving grace for us
to have someone at the top of Ford who understood Aston Martin.
After an hour and a half he gave me one directive, that the back
was too… and I remember the words “too American-like, too
Camaro-like.” Looking back at the pictures I think Jac thought the
back was too expressive; but that was it. That was the only comment at the only design review in the whole process. No other
presentations, no other opinions, that one time was it. Just Jac
Nasser and Bob Dover.
TVP – That was unusual?
IC – Oh yeah, a normal car design might go through100 design
reviews.
TVP – No not at all, this is excellent.
IC – OK. So before we got the finished car I came up with a
sketch. I worked very hard to create a simple sketch in my head
that defined what the car was to be. To be honest, it was the only
holistic sketch that I did of the car and it is quite abstract. But, once
I had that sketch, I knew that was the car I wanted.
Next we did a clay model very quickly, by that I mean five to
six weeks. At that point Bob said that we had to have a design
review. I said, well, OK. So Jac Nasser flew in one Saturday
morning and came to TWR. It was Bob, Jac, me and members of
TVP – Did you go immediately to building the concept car?
IC – Yes, after the review of the clay model we built the car at
TWR. This was the Project Vantage that went to Detroit.
At that breakfast in Detroit I was absolutely terrified. I was
quite shy at the time and I knew how Jac was. I was worried he
would call on me to speak at the breakfast when he unveiled the
car. He asked me to stand up, and I did with a combination of
trepidation and pride, but I really appreciated the recognition from
Jac and it was fun.
Ian Callum’s original concept sketch of the Vanquish.
30
“I worked very hard to create a
simple sketch in my head that
defined what the car was to be.
To be honest, it was the only
holistic sketch that I did of the
car and it is quite abstract. But,
once I had that sketch, I knew
that was the car I wanted.”
Ian Callum
The ensuing response to the concept car
was great. Motorweek put it on the cover and
we had plenty of other positive press.
Bob Dover was very particular through
the process to remind me that we had to
build something that was,, in his words,
“feasible.” He wanted to have a concept
that could be produced. When we got the
accolades from the design concept, then
Ford was willing to open up their pockets
so we could get to the next level, especially since we had Jac’s backing. And this, of
course, is what became the Vanquish.
We still had the clay model for the concept car, and that was used to start the feasibility testing. That is a very long, tedious
part of making the car real.
Every surface on the car changed
(Project Vanquish to completed Vanquish) as the design was adapted to the production model. One thing that broke my heart was a
change in the side of the body of the car. The redesign was necessitated because we had to use the same key barrel that was used in
the DB7. It was a Ford part and it was too large. I was disappointed because I thought I got the design of the body just right.
But in principal we kept the design intact. Every surface
moved, perhaps a few millimeters here or there. On the whole we
managed to keep the spirit of the original design. It was the quickest program I ever worked on.
In the engineering phase we utilized some outside sources.
This was all done under our management. We went to Lotus for
chassis development. At the time, Aston Martin did not have the
engineering expertise. The structure was aluminum tubing and
extruded panels. The weight came in under the target. Fitting in
the big V12 was a challenge because of the height of the bonnet.
The original car had horizontal springs that were attached to
the bulkhead. This created quite a fascinating geometry for the
front suspension. In the production car we had to revert to a more
conventional layout.
There was quite a bit of carbon built into the crash structure,
which was quite unique, in the front end. It was technology that
Bob wanted, but the really unique element to the car was the use
of extrusions. The people at Lotus were masters of it from their
work on the Elise, but the Aston concept car was on a much
bigger scale.
TVP – I have always wondered how the physical size of the car
was achieved. Current Astons are built on a similar platform.
What determined the size and unique underpinnings for the
Vanquish?
IC – It was the design. Everything was completely new, except
for the engine, of course. So it was designed around the block of
the engine and the package. The block is set in the right place,
with the two wheels. Then you add the package, which are the
two occupants. In the Vanquish they sit a bit higher than the
DB7. That sets the length, and we needed a little bit of space
behind the rear axle for the luggage and the petrol tank. The
design was a fundamental build-up of dimensions for the package
we wanted.
The one area that really confounded the structural engineers
and me was the fact that we wanted a modern front-engine sports
car with the block moved back in the chassis. At the same time I
wanted the rake of the windscreen to reach forward over the top
of the engine. That created quite a structural challenge, to cantilever or hang the windscreen over the top of the V12. but in
doing so it gave the right proportions to the car.
TVP – When you said before that every surface on the
Vanquish changed from the Project Vantage, could you elaborate
more on that?
IC – As I alluded to earlier, every single surface changed from
the show car. If you looked at the two cars together, they look the
same. The differences are actually small, individually, but I can see
the difference. And it was not only the body design that changed,
the chassis was totally reengineered. Despite the fact that it went
through a complete transformation, effectively what we delivered
was a car that people were expecting.
TVP – And that goes back to what you said Bob Dover and Jac
Nasser wanted?
IC – Exactly.
TVP – What was the total time for the Vanquish? From the
point you got the design assignment for the concept car, to the
first finished models?
IC – In total it took about two years from initial assignment to
delivery. My part was compressed and made possible because so
much of it was done behind closed doors without interference.
We were able to concentrate and get the car done and into the
market.
My work was in two stages. The concept vehicle – design and
package construction took about 15 weeks.
31
AM Heritage Parts
PROFILE: VANQUISH
TVP – Not much time at all.
IC – That set up the first car that had to
be approved by Ford for production. Once
that happened it then took us only five to
six months to get the car ready to go into
production.
TVP – Wow! That is fast.
IC – Because the cars were hand-built,
we used the building of the prototypes to
address issues that came up and had to be
resolved. The making of the body panels
was the largest initial expenditure and the
proved to be the problematic.
Ian Minards project-managed the entire
build. He did a great job. The Newport
Pagnell factory was transformed. It was
such a thrill! It was amazing to see this
beautiful old factory turn into a high-tech
workplace. When the old Vantage, the V
Car, was coming down the line it was this
32
old rickety, rackety workshop. Ye Olde
England at its best. (Chuckles) You almost
expected thatched roofs and a kettle on the
coal stove.
Ian went in with his team and they
completely revamped Newport Pagnell – a
new line, new equipment and new paint
everywhere. It wasn’t high-tech by today’s
standards, but you felt you were in a place
that was very, very special and still very
British. James Bond would have felt at
home. (Laughs)
TVP – Was it beneficial that the time
frame was compressed?
IC – Yes, only because we were left
alone and did not have the normal interference and changes that come in a larger
corporate environment.
The car was built with known technologies. Even the extrusions for the structure could be done quickly.The most com-
plicated area was the body panels, but
because the design was frozen so early,
there was time to get the process of making them right.
TVP – When you were thinking about
the design, what were the ideas or other
designs that influenced you?
IC – I wanted the Vanquish to look
mildly brutal without being vulgar. So
there were two Aston designs that influenced me. The first was the old V cars
(Vantage V8). I wanted the presence they
had. The other was the Zagato-bodied
DB4GT. It is a car that I have admired forever. The other design that I looked at was
the Ferrari 250 GT short wheelbase. I love
the way that the front fenders look – so
much power. It looks like they are almost
bouncing off the front of the car. I wanted
to capture some of that in the design for
When we did the front grill I wanted to
make it as big as possible. (Chuckles) We
had a bit of fun with that.
TVP – I’ve spoken to owners who say
that when they’re in the fast lane on the
highway, drivers in front have a tendency
to get out of the way when the Vanquish
comes up behind.
IC – I’ve found that through the years
that this car taught me a lot because I was
really left on my own with this car – almost
99 percent of the time. It put me in a position where I was grappling with the issues
of creating a design that was more than a
concept, but at the same time I was pushing my own boundaries. I found I had to
have arbitration with myself. If I felt that I’d
gone too far with the design, I had to say
woops, you’ve gone too far and bring
myself back.
I’ve learned through the years that you
have to push the limits of a design and then
be willing to push back when someone
says that you’ve gone too far. I learned that
you have to say, “No, we’ve got it just
right.” An example was the grill. I was told
it was too big, or the roof was said to be too
steep. But, if you want to make a statement, if you want to create something
unique, you have to push yourself as a
designer into a discomfort zone.
When we did the grill a couple of the
modeling guys I was working with said
“That grill is too big.” I told them no, it
will be just fine; don’t worry about it. I
think it came out just right.
TVP – Did the Vanquish influence subsequent work you did at Astons? Also,
what was the genesis of the DB9 and
AMV8?
DB4GT Zagato.
the Vanquish.
The rear fender was interesting. I loved
the way the Zagato rear fender sweeps into
the door surface. I wanted the rear fender
on the concept car to have the same dramatic effect the way the Zagato fender did.
On our first model it wasn’t working. I said
to my chief modeler, Andrew Miles, that
what we had looked old. I wanted it to be
more modern and bold.
Since I could spend time in the studio
and had no interruptions, I was able to sit
and look, to absorb and wonder. After I
think I spent four to five hours and had a
couple of glasses of wine for inspiration, I
picked up the modeler’s knife and cut a
line down the door. I knew that was it. I
wanted to create an element that would be
very dramatic and that joint where the rear
fender meets the door is very, very strong.
The other area where there was some
influence was in the roofline. I love
Touring’s designs. The DB4 has a very definite fold line when the roof meets the rear
deck, it’s not blended in; there is a break.
The way the roofline of the Vanquish
comes down and hits the plane of the boot
– there is a bit of that influence.
TVP – It’s interesting that in researching for this issue I found that the Vanquish
seems to attract a bolder type of owner. I
think it is the aggressive nature of the
design appeals to that kind of person.
IC – We wanted to make a statement.
You are right about the owners. We found
at Aston Martin that the initial owners
liked the sheer assertiveness of the car. I
think aggressive may be a bit too much, but
assertiveness is part of the character. You
certainly feel that when you see one coming up behind you in the rear view mirror.
IC – Oh yeah. When we did the DB9
I deliberately did a mellower version of
Vanquish. If you look at the lines of the
DB9 they are all there in the Vanquish. The
whole car is a softening of the same design
principals. That was deliberate. The
Vanquish was going to fade away as did the
DB7, and the DB9 would then be a natural evolution.
The big mistake for me was the V8, the
smaller one. We actually designed that car
first, before the DB9. When it started out,
the idea was for it to be a mid-engined car.
Bob (Dover) and I kicked that car off.
Then Dr. Bez came in and he changed it
all. We shelved the idea for the smaller car
and did DB9. We actually took a lot of the
design elements for DB9 off the small car.
When we went back to the small car my
intention was to completely redo it. That
meant to do something completely different, because it was now too similar to the
DB9.
33
PROFILE: VANQUISH
Dr. Bez said that we didn’t have time;
we have to do it as it is. He then got someone else; he got (Heinrich) Fisker involved
to try to change it a bit, but it didn’t change
very much. In my view, the smaller one
should have been completely different, but
they never did it. I think it was a big mistake because they’re too similar.
TVP – When the Vanquish came out,
did you receive comments from your
peers, other designers? What were their
reactions?
IC – Yeah. Yeah, very positive ones.
People just loved it. It is very easy to do an
extreme design that may be a bit crude. It’s
very hard to do an extreme design that has
a sense of balance and dignity. I think my
peers have respect for that car, more than
others I’ve done. (Laughs) I think it is the
one they all want to do. (Laughs)
TVP – The changes for the Vanquish S,
I assume you did those, too.
IC – No, I was gone by then and was at
Jaguar. DB9 was my last car. Dr. Bez came
in at the tail end of the Vanquish development. He came right as we were getting
the Vanquish ready for production. He got
the money to change the taillights on the
production model, which I think was right.
They were less expensive.
I don’t think he was a great lover of the
car. He was looking to the future.
TVP – From talking with Dr. Bez, I think
that is exactly right. The Vanquish was
not his project and he was clearly interested in moving the company forward.
IC – There was one thing that I think
he should have reconsidered. He was
absolutely insistent about not putting a
manual box in the Vanquish. I think the
auto-manual has caused some of the car’s
frustrations. We had done the design to
have a manual version.
TVP – Have you given thought about
how the design for the Vanquish will stand
up over time?
IC – I actually do think about it. I think
about it for every car I work on. That is the
real test of a design, whether people will
still like it and respond to it 40 years from
now, or even longer. I think it will survive,
perhaps better than the DB7. There are
fewer of them, and that may help in the
appreciation. I hope it will become a classic. I never make that assumption, but I
hope it does.
I don’t have one myself. People ask me
of the cars you’ve designed, which one
would like to own. I always tell them the
Vanquish. I’ll get one someday.
34
TVP – If you could go back, is there
anything you would change in retrospect.
IC – No, not really.The only thing I was
disappointed in was that we used the DB7
headlamps at the front. The original show
car used smaller lights that were much
neater. At the time, the lighting functions
did not fit into one lamp, we had to put the
indicator in the body. So we used the headlamps from the DB7 Vantage. I should have
been more tenacious on that point [and]
fought more for the purity.
It is the only part of the car that disappoints me. Not because of the idea in principle, but because I don’t think that part,
the headlamp, is very nicely designed. I
never liked the way it turned out.
TVP – I have always thought that the
black outer edge of the headlamp unit
does not work well with a lighter color car.
IC – You know, I can understand that.
The innards of the lamp were designed to
try to eliminate that; but when you see
them on a light car they really pop out.
That was a consequence of the technology
of the headlamp at the time.That black-out
area around the edge of the lamp had to
hide structural elements of the headlamp
that would not be necessary on a car today.
In the first design for the headlamps I
was trying to be a bit more brazen. You
know the line or the gap that is created by
the edge of the bonnet, as it comes down
to the front grill?
TVP – Yeah, sure.
IC – Well, in the first design, the top of
the headlamp met that line at 90 degrees in
a modern graphic way. It was meant to use
the distinct lines to break up the front of
the car. At the bottom of the lamp we were
going to do exactly the same. The line at
the bottom was to be swept back in and
would have hit the bonnet line at 90
degrees.
So, the whole lamp was just one curvature coming off the line of the bonnet. In
the end we decided not to go with it. I
remember Jac commenting that he thought
it was too fanciful, and he was right. So, it
was redesigned to be what you see on the
car. That was good comment from Mr.
Nasser.
TVP – When you think about the
Vanquish in comparison to your other
designs, how does it rank? You’ve said it
is a favorite.
IC – It definitely is, and it’s a bit of a
Black Sheep, in that it’s 100 perhaps me.
I’m very proud of that. As I’ve said, that is
quite unusual. On other cars I’ve worked
on, the influences and changes come from
many more places.
At the end of the day you are always
working with a set of constraints that will
drive much of what you are able to accomplish. Take a car like the XJ, underneath is
the platform of the car that we know as the
previous model. If this is the case, then
from the outset you have constraints on
much of what you can do.
I’m very proud of the XJ and what it
stands for, but the Vanquish was different. It
captured all of the exotic and all of the
emotion I could put into the car, and it was
new. You know I remember thinking at the
time it was finished, “If I never do a car
again, at least I’ve done this one.” That was
quite satisfying.
TVP – Is there anything else that you’d
like to add?
IC – Yeah, I guess that, I went in with
the determination, more than with any car
since, or even before, that at the very first
stage of drawings, I had to get it right. I
spent a lot of time over the angst of getting
the first sketches right. I think when you
look at the sketch you see a caricature, but
it was the exact caricature that I wanted to
capture.
I worked days and nights to get the
drawing right, and I don’t think, in all honesty, that I have ever put in such intense
effort to get the profile on a car to work for
me, as powerfully as this one.
If I had to do it again, would it be
better? Possibly, I now know more and
understand more, I might get there more
quickly, but I think for me, personally, it
was very intense and a very rewarding car
to do.
They always say getting your first hit
record is really tough, but getting your
second is even more difficult. That’s what it
felt like. (Laughs)
TVP – Ian, thank you so much for all
your time and for creating such a wonderful Aston Martin. I can’t thank you
enough.
IC – My pleasure. I enjoyed talking
about it.
TVP – Oh, by the way, if you were going
to have a Vanquish for yourself, what color
combination would you want? What do
you think looks best?
IC – That’s easy, I’d have one in dark
grey, anthracite or ornament grey, with a
tan interior. I think that those colors show
the car best.
35
PROFILE: VANQUISH
OWNERS PERSPECTIVE
THE VANQUISH ECLIPSES
THEM ALL!
By Jim Hazen
Acquiring a Vanquish is not something
one does on a whim. A Vanquish is a true
supercar, a visceral machine that provides a
uniquely engaging experience. The design,
the power and the sound of the V12 all
engender emotions and challenge the senses in a way that few cars can.
To many, the Vanquish is the most
beautifully assertive and overtly daring
Aston ever built as a production car. And,
as the last model produced at Newport
Pagnell, it carries a certain cachet as the
last direct connection to the place and the
people who handcrafted some of the great
Aston Martin motorcars in the 20th
century.
While all that is true, it really doesn’t
fully capture the essence of the Vanquish.
My goodness, this is a car that even standing still looks and sounds like it is ready to
maul a Civic or Corolla just for fun. On the
road it has a presence that is part hooligan
and part gentleperson.
Purchase and ownership is best done
based on passion and thrill. A Vanquish is
not a logical machine. Purely by what it is,
it can’t be any other way.
Each owner has his own reasons why
he buys and cherishes his Vanquish, so we
wanted to find out. We posed questions
about model owned, driving experiences,
why purchased and what that Vanquish
signifies.
Below is a selection of responses from
AMOC members across North America,
Pacific to Atlantic, Canada and USA. Our
thanks go out to Fred, Paul, Tom, Andrew,
David, Randy and Bill. Their contributions
helped make this article possible! So here
goes…
Describe
Vanquish.
the
personality
of
the
Andrew - “...mild mannered until you
press it, then it turns into a real beast… I
had a Quicksilver exhaust system installed
to hear the beast roar!”
Randy - “A true English muscle car in
the spirit of the original Vantage, only more
comfortable and modern. It has a great
combination of massive power and comfort
with just the right amount of modern
technology without sacrificing the Old
World Aston soul.”
36
Tom - “The Vanquish is a classic example of the best of the original, true Grand
Touring type of car, in the 2000 ‘bad boy’
genre – a fast, powerful car with an abundance of torque and the ability to steer
with the right foot with traction control
‘off,’ very comfortable seating for two with
adequate baggage space and additional
storage on the package shelf in the 2+0
configuration.”
Fred - “It is all power and finesse. My
license plate reads: 1BTLWGN for BATTLEWAGON.”
What was it about the Vanquish that
made you want to own one?
Fred - “It is the best looking, most
powerful, badass supercar that roams da
road!”
Bill - “I thought I would never get rid
of my DB7 Vantage Volante, but seeing the
Vanquish changed my mind. I like that it is
easily recognizable as a beautiful vehicle
but is rare, most people have no idea what
it is and it does not shout, ‘Look at me!’ like
a red Ferrari.”
Tom - “Since I saw it at the New York
launch party in 2001, I lusted after the
Vanquish as a replacement for my first
Aston, a DB7 manual coupe. Why? It is a
unique design by the decade’s foremost
designer, Ian Callum, on a very stiff and
modern chassis, which will not now be
replicated.
“Ultimately, only 2593 were built and
there will be no more – no more cars from
Newport Pagnell, no more cars on the
Vanquish platform, no more Ian Callumdesigned Aston Martins.
“Today, even though it is a unique car, a
true collectible, it remains affordable (i.e.
not nearly as expensive as the outrageous
One-77). The Vanquish is only now
becoming appreciated as one of the world’s
great automotive bargains, relatively speaking, in the supercar segment.”
Paul - “Since it was to be the last of a
great breed of ‘hand-builts’ I wanted to
know if there was difference.”
PROFILE: VANQUISH
What is like to drive? What’s the feeling you get?
David – “It is a very stable car at high
speeds, whereas my Porsche started to float
in the 150mph range. At 190mph my
Vanquish still feels very solid and safe. It is
a real thrill when it kicks into 6th gear at
175mph. I also love the way it makes a perfectly controlled stop with no sway or dip
when you slam on the brakes at 130mph
and bring it to a dead stop.”
Andrew – “It’s an incredible car to
drive, subtle and yet extremely powerful. It
handles as good or better then any car I’ve
owned. It’s very hard to get into trouble
with this car unless you do something really stupid. When I'm in the car...as the song
goes…I FEEL GOOD!”
38
Bill – “It’s powerful and will go as fast
as you dare step on the accelerator. In traffic, I feel as if I’m driving a quarter-million-dollar eggshell. I can see people in
the rear view mirror pulling up much too
closely to try and read the small print on
the trunk lid wings to see what kind of
vehicle it is.”
Fred – “Nimble, road-hugging, and stable at speeds over 130mph. It creates a
sense of euphoria.”
Tom – “Tight, quick and very satisfying
to drive fast and accurately. Excellent
brakes, in fact probably the best steel brakes
made, easily modulated with a smooth,
progressive pedal and great feel. Accurate
rack and pinion steering with little lost
motion.”
Randy – “It’s absolutely remarkable for
a “supercar.” It’s comfortable, easy to get in
and out of, plenty of room for luggage, no
silly wings and great visibility. Best of all
the sound it makes is to die for. It’s not a
small car, but it’s remarkably user-friendly,
and one gets very comfortable with it very
quickly. It’s far more nimble on tight winding roads than one would expect. Did I
mention the great sound it makes?”
Tell us about your most interesting
experience or adventure:
Fred – “I was driving on California
Route 101 with my winemaker down to
the Pebble Beach Auction and Concourse
d'Elegance when a 10-pound seagull flew
into the windshield. Without a waver or a
scratch, the car just motored on. Alas, the
seagull went to the great beyond.”
Paul – “Traveling from Florida to
Connecticut for the 2010 AMOC 75th
celebration. It was great fun getting away
from flat Florida and enjoying the roads
through Massachusetts, New York and
Connecticut.”
Randy – “Buying it without telling my
wife beforehand. I think I’m still in the
doghouse for that.”
David – “My most memorable experience was when my son and I went to the
Ford Proving Grounds outside Detroit to
test a 2006 Vanquish S and a DB9. We had
the track to ourselves. We were in separate
cars with instructors and were able to trade
the cars back and forth while we were on
the 7.5-mile road course and the 5-mile
banked oval. We really put these cars
through their paces, and there is a huge
difference between the two models that
justifies the $100,000 price difference. The
instructors said that in all their classes they
had given for 25-plus years, they had never
had anyone use up so much gas. We were
pedal to the metal!
“My son and I still talk about how that
trip was the most exciting thing we’ve
done together.”
How do others perceive the Vanquish
when you drive it?
Randy – “It mostly gets no reaction,
which suits me just fine. I’ll occasionally
get a nice comment when I’m filling up
with gas, but otherwise I’m largely ignored
and blend in, which is one of the things I
like about Astons. Not sure that it works
with the CHP though.”
David – “When I am driving it around
town, most people do not know what it is,
but they love to come up and look at it.
The V12 exhaust note really turns the
heads. Mine is Merlot color with the
Sandstone interior, and it looks very luxurious.”
Fred – “Shock and awe!”
Tom – “I don’t really know – it certainly stands out, causes young mothers carrying babies to grip them tight, while their
teenage sons go limp and speechless, for a
change!”
Paul – “In my area of the country, few
recognize it for what it is. My local dealer
wasn't even established when it was in production.”
39
PROFILE: VANQUISH
How do you compare the Vanquish to
other cars you’ve owned?
Andrew – “No comparison...It’s the
BEST!”
Randy – “I’ve owned a V8 Volante for
more than 20 years, and the Vanquish seems
a natural progression. The Vanquish is obviously a much more modern car, but still has
the essence of V8 in terms of feel and purpose. To my mind, it is truly the modern
equivalent of the V8 Vantage.”
Fred – “I have owned Ferraris,
Maseratis, Jaguars, Mercedes, Austin
Healeys and Porsches. The Vanquish S
eclipses them all.”
Bill – “I somewhat miss the convertible
top on the DB7 Vantage Volante, but my
dermatologist has already indicated he will
be seeing me every six months for the rest
of my life. So, doing without the sun beating down on me is probably just fine.”
Paul – “You really can't compare it to
other cars out there. To others I've owned
it’s right up there on top.”
Are there any other comments you’d
like to add?
Fred – “I received the Aston Martin
Performance Road Course at Millbrook,
England, as a gift from my wife. The experience was phenomenal. While there, the
people from the factory told me the
Vanquish S was the finest car the factory
40
had built to date, taking almost 400 hours
to handcraft.
The experience at Millbrook was so
exciting, that I promptly went to Banbury
and ordered a new factory race GT4 that I
now race on the West Coast.”
Tom – “My Vanquish has a distinctive
personality, with character and an abiding
persona of speed and muscularity”
Bill – “The car mostly makes the trip
from my garage to the underground park-
“The car mostly makes
the trip from my garage to
the underground parking in
my office building where it
apparently attracts a great
deal of attention still.
My parking spot has a
concrete pillar on one side
and a very careful guy
with a new Mercedes on
the other so all is well.”
ing in my office building where it apparently attracts a great deal of attention still.
My parking spot has a concrete pillar on
one side and a very careful guy with a new
Mercedes on the other so all is well.”
We even heard from a former owner,
John Mote, who still has a soft place in his
heart. He summed up the Vanquish this way.
“I recently sold my 2005 “S” to purchase a DBAR1 Zagato, but I wish I’d kept
it. Here’s why in order of my appreciation
of the car’s attributes:
1) Ian Callum’s best design ever, beautifully dangerous!
2) Exhaust note is the best, I love the
popping and crackling sounds on throttle
lift.
3) The 1,200-watt Linn audio system is
exceptional.
4) Exclusivity. With approximately
1,000 “S” models produced representing
the last hand built (OK the body panels
were not hand-beaten) and most powerful
Aston Martin produced of the day.
The car was a thrill to drive and I
enjoyed the early technology F1-style
transmission and don’t feel the criticism is
justified.”
SPEAKING OF VANQUISH OWNERS, HERE’S AN INTRIGUING BACK STORY
By Jim Hazen
We also heard from Paul Del Grande on his quest to
become a Vanquish owner. For those who don’t know, Paul
is the proud owner of a Vanquish S with a unique ownership history.
Hi Jim,
“Nick had mentioned you are doing an article on
the Vanquish and suggested I send you some info on
my car.
As you know Tom's Toro Red ’05 ‘S’ was sitting
at the Aston Dealer in Newport Beach for approximately 4.5 years as a new car. Kim and I flew to
California in September ’07 to purchase the ’07
Midnight Blue Vantage Roadster from a private
customer. I took the car to Aston Newport Beach
to get the Daytime Running Light program done.
That was the first time that I saw the Toro Red ‘S’
there (over two years old, 500 miles, never titled).
Since a Vanquish was always on my “Bucket List,”
I kept an eye on the price of that particular car on
the web.
I thought hard and long about the car, but wasn’t
sure about the color for myself. I told Tom that if he
wanted a new Vanquish S, five years old with full factory three-year warranty, he wouldn't find another or
a nicer one. Tom and Heather flew down the following week and bought the car.
I was still Vanquishless–felt somewhat lost–wandered the streets aimlessly! I kept looking diligently
every 3 hours on the Web; Cars.com, Auto Trader,
Ebay, etc. The beginning of November I saw an ad on
Cars.com– '06 Meteorite Silver/Obsidian Black with
Chancellor Red stitching–Serial #2203. The puzzling
thing was, it only had 572 miles on it. It was at B.C.
Benjamin Auto Sales in Great Neck, NY. I phoned
about the car and asked why such low mileage. I was
told that Marc Anthony owned the car. JLO had purchased it as a birthday gift in Oct.-06 in Beverly
Hills–had it shipped to their residence in NY. They
hadn’t driven it much at all.
The car moved to Canada in November -09 and
isn't being ignored !!”
I think it is clear from the responses we got, this
is an Aston to be cherished and revered. A Vanquish
is truly a modern classic, and an Aston the likes of
which we may never see again.
41
A N
A D V E RT I S E M E N T
f o r
A D V E RT I S E R S
START AT THE TOP…
with an ad in The Vantage Point.
Our readers are at the very top of the business and professional world; there's no waste
circulation. If your target is the top 1 percent
of decision-makers by income or net worth,
our fellow members could be prospective
customers for your products or services.
TVP is cost efficient; just $450 a page for
high quality, four-color ads next to world class
editorial content four times a year.
Plus, 100 percent of what you spend with
The Vantage Point goes to AMOC North
America. Your support of TVP helps us cover
increased production and postage costs, leaving more funds for club events and promotion.
Of course, our Aston owners love their cars
– and to spend for new Astons and other
collectible cars, as well as accessories and
services as diverse as car transport, restoration,
and leasing. The Vantage Point readers include
buyers of the latest Astons as well as owners of
classic Astons that may be in the value range of
six to seven figures.
While the magazine’s art director is a
retained professional, our editorial team is a set
of club volunteers — which does not preclude
professional handling of your advertising!
Several members of our team have career
publishing and editorial experience — and
we’ve worked hard to produce a car club
quarterly that is as “uncommon” as the Aston
Martin brand itself, and a great showcase for
your company’s ad.
n Please contact Jim Hazen, Director of Advertising.
n TEL: 617-515-3695 n EMAIL: vantagepointamoc@gmail.com
42
ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUB
NORTH AMERICA
QUARTERLY JOURNAL
PROFILE: VANQUISH
HEAD OVER WHEELS
VANQUISH: LOVE AT FIRST LIGHT
By Stephen J. McColgan MD
It all began one morning in early 2001. I woke up in the Hotel
de Paris in Monte Carlo, Monaco to see 10 Vanquishes outside my
window, all lined up in a row in different tones of silver, gray and
blue. Wow!
This was the European dealer introduction for the Vanquish. I
sat in a silver Vanquish with black interior. A stunning, masculine
car with finesse and striking style, I knew this was a car for me.
A few months later in Los
Angeles, I drove a friend’s Vanquish. I
piloted the car through Beverly Hills
and parked on Rodeo Drive for
lunch. What a scene! The car was
surrounded when I returned. Quite
a crowd!
Meantime I acquired an AR1, the
American Roadster bodied by
Zagato on the DB7GT chassis with
the more powerful V12 (and 500
pounds less weight).
Time passed, and I heard that
Autosport Design on Long Island,
New York, did manual conversions on the Vanquish. I also spoke
with Nick Candee who confirmed that Works Service did the
conversion at Autosport. In fact, he had driven one and it was
“Marvelous!” I called and spoke with Tom Papadopolous and was
convinced.
I purchased a 2004 Vanquish #1467 with 9,000 miles, had it
converted to manual shift, and added a Quicksilver exhaust.
Fantastic!! I have never been a fan of paddle shifters except for the
new 458 Italia. This is why I waited to purchase the Vanquish. The
manual 6-speed is ideal for me. The workmanship is exquisite. The
car looks factory correct.
In autumn 2010 I visited Works Service in Newport Pagnell.
Arthur Sinclair, the general manager, gave me a tour. He has
worked there for 30 years and is a very kind gentleman. He was the
product manager for the DBAR1 and
told me of the many difficulties of
dealing with Zagato. He also gave me
copies of the internal paperwork on
my AR1.This was the highlight of my
trip. I had visited the Bentley, Aston
and Rolls Royce factories – and
Works Service was the best. I even
told the CEO of RR that he should
visit Works Service for the history, the
people and the legend.
The Vanquish was the last car produced by Aston Martin at Newport
Pagnell, a true supercar and a favorite
of the Works Service people. They took a preproduction mule and
used it as a test bed for the manual over the past five years.
The Vanquish drives better than my 550 Maranello. A different
torque curve, a different exhaust note, a smoother shifter with better seating position and width. The Aston also offers a more
sophisticated suspension. I love the Vanquish and plan to acquire
another one and convert it to manual shift.
“I sat in a silver Vanquish
with black interior.
A stunning, masculine car
with finesse and striking
style, I knew this was
a car for me.”
43
PROFILE: VANQUISH
BUYER BEWARE
IS THAT BARGAIN VANQUISH
REALLY SUCH A BARGAIN?
By Eric Stephans
Over the past few years I have had to provide a shoulder to cry on for a few owners of
used Vanquishes. These unhappy individuals
purchased their cars prior to doing any cost of
ownership research. Remember, just because
you can afford to purchase a pre-owned supercar, such as a Vanquish, doesn’t mean you can
afford to maintain one.
In this economic downturn it is possible to
acquire a used Vanquish for a fraction of its original cost. The problem is, people forget that a
vehicle costing over $250,000 new has an individual parts replacement cost that reflects a total
purchase price of well over $750,000. This is
because any parts produced beyond the assembly
line require additional boxing, labeling, shipping,
warehousing and insuring. All of these individual
processes add up to huge parts price increases.
Let’s take a quick look at the Vanquish history. The Vanquish was produced from 20012006 and has the distinguished title of being the last Aston Martin
model to roll off the assembly line at their Newport Pagnell facility prior to its closing in 2006. Even though the Vanquish was a
true hand-built car, with 396 man hours of assembly labor, it was
also one of the most advanced Aston Martins for its time. With the
introduction of the Vanquish came a complete technology shift for
the company, with its extensive use of lightweight materials and
advanced composites, coupled with the 460bhp V12 engine. This
gave the original version of the Vanquish a 0-60 of 4.7 seconds and
a top speed of 190mph. This was the moment that Aston Martin
tossed its hat into the supercar manufacturing ring. Designed by
Ian Callum, who also brought us the DB7, the V12 Vanquish has
some of the most beautiful lines and styling cues of any road car
ever produced. When asked by Dr. Ulrich Bez, president of AML,
what his inspiration was for the powerful front view of the
Vanquish, Ian’s response was, I wanted to project the power of a fist
coming out of a shirt sleeve. I think we can all agree that the
Vanquish is a total knock out!
The Vanquish had since gone through two more stages, the
Sports Dynamics version produced in 2004 and the Vanquish S
produced 2005-2006. The Sports Dynamics version was the suspension, brake and steering platform for the Vanquish S.This model
allowed for dynamic testing prior to the horsepower increase given
to the Vanquish S. In its final rendition the Vanquish S had a top
speed of over 200mph and earned its super car status.
All this made for one very desirable vehicle, and as we all know
it’s hard to resist a bargain. Here is how to buy a pre-owned
Vanquish the smart way. If you are considering buying one from a
private seller, coordinate a pre-purchase inspection with your local
Aston Martin dealer. This detailed inspection can uncover many
undesirable issues that could end up costing you plenty. It is always
a good idea to run a Car Fax vehicle history report as well. It’s a
great way to check for title issues such as salvaged, flood or odometer rollback. Unfortunately, Car Fax is not a very reliable source for
body and paint damage. If the previous owner got into an accident
and did not report it to his or her insurance company, it will not
show up on a Car Fax. Your local authorized Aston Martin category A-B body shops can perform a thorough pre-purchase
inspection of the body to determine if there have been any repairs.
One of the safest ways to purchase a pre-owned Vanquish is from
an authorized Aston Martin dealer. In most cases you will receive
some warranty and assurance that the vehicle has met the requirements for rectification and now qualifies for an extended service
contract. Aston offers the ESC/Extended Service Contract up to
10 years or 85,000 miles from delivery to the first owner, and that
may be an option for you to consider.
THE MYTH OF A $40,000 VANQUISH THAT “NEEDS JUST A FEW PARTS”
Eric Stephans and Nick Candee helped a young Vanquish shopper think through a
possible eBay deal on a Vanquish that was missing the front clip, front bumper, headlights, rear bumper, side sills – oh, and that “boom box” in the boot for the top of the
line sound system. The vendor of this stripped Aston claimed it only needed $15k or
so in parts, plus the labor. Eric and Nick came up with a total of $65k in parts missing – plus the labor to install same. Before also replacing the amplifier in the boot.
SUMMARY: There is no free lunch in America. There is no such thing as a ‘bargain’.
44
45
PROFILE: VANQUISH
SHIFTING PRIORITIES
VANQUISH STICK-SHIFT CONVERSION
By Tom Appleton
Development of Aston Martin’s all new Vanquish was all but
completed when Dr. Ulrich Bez was appointed CEO in July, 2000,
and he very quickly put the stamp of his personal management
style on parade when he made it known that the new car did not
meet the quality standards expected by AM customers, and he was
therefore delaying first deliveries until it was fully sorted. This was
music to the ears of long-term owners of Aston products, accustomed for years immemorial to being treated as test drivers of last
resort by the company, always short of development capital, while
the needed “product improvements” worked their way through the
modification pipeline. The launch delay ended up extending first
deliveries almost one year before the venerable Newport Pagnell
factory was up and running and ready to start disgorging the first
2002 model year examples.
Having expressed some interest in replacing my wonderful
2000 DB7 Vantage coupe manual, which I had grown to appreciate greatly, I was invited by Aston Martin to attend the New York
launch of the new Vanquish in August, 2001. The DB7 V12 was a
fine, powerful car with lots of torque, great handling and an ability to devour miles at a great rate of knots in a very composed fashion. The gear lever, topped with a short wooden knob produced
short, precise throws with a minimum of lost motion – in short, an
almost ideal gearchange mechanism for anyone accustomed to the
British sports/GT idiom, even if the transmission itself was a U.S.
Tremec unit, built in Mexico. Naturally, if I were to order the
Vanquish, it must meet the high standards set by the DB7.
The Vanquish as first shown in Manhattan was a very seductive
design penned by Ian Callum, with dramatic presence and a charismatic aura giving it that classic “bad boy’s” appearance rarely
achieved with any finesse in high-end supercars. Everything about it
was purposeful and aggressive, raising the highest expectations in
one’s lowest instincts. I enquired of Dr. Bez about the choice of
shifter, but he was non-committal – clearly, he wanted to more than
match Ferrari’s F1 shift offering at the time, and the trend in supercars certainly appeared to be towards paddle shifts. However, I was
not to be deterred, and I ordered a Vanquish with manual shift for
delivery through my dealer in Toronto, later cancelled when I
learned that no manual shift option would be offered. Obviously the
desires of Aston Martin owners wanting the choice of traditional
manual gearchange were to be denied, even though the current DB9
and later the DBS continued to be offered with proper stick shifts.
Fast forward to 2007: AM had delivered 2,593 examples of the
Vanquish, all with paddle shift, before production was shut down
in July of that year.The NP factory was sold to a developer and the
unique Vanquish tooling dismantled and removed to make way for
demolition of the historic buildings. Over the intervening five
years, even though many owners loved its fast shifting action, the
early production Vanquish paddle shift mechanism suffered a reputation for smelly clutches and being somewhat fragile and “troublesome” if not set up properly. Later upgrades, including the latest gear position sensors had largely fixed the reliability issues, but
the word was out.
Very soon after Vanquish stopped rolling off the production
line, AM Works Service announced the availability of a manual
shift conversion program for the car that included the installation
of the DB9’s stronger twin-plate clutch in place of the single-plate
46
clutch of the original. Conversion involves removal of the car’s
seats, interior, gearbox, clutch, hydraulic pump and associated piping, including the Transmission Control Unit, the electronic brains
of the paddle-shift mechanism. The new shifter, surrounding trim
and accessories were designed to match the car’s original materials
and leathers, to preserve the original “factory” finish quality and to
retain the factory appearance. Of course, Works Service also offers
a long list of other bespoke options that can be installed to personalize your car at the same time. A glass roof, anyone?
The conversion time required has been as low as ten days and
even at an all-in price of £11,500 plus VAT, for 2005 and prior
cars, demand for the stick shift among UK owners has been strong.
The price for 2006 and 2007 “S” models is slightly higher at
£14,000 to cater for the additional effort required with the later
center pedestal with large navigation screen that requires a new fascia installation. For North American Vanquish owners, the enterprising Tom Papadopoulos, well known racer and great supporter
of the Aston Martin marque, has also arranged for the Works
Service team to undertake the work for his customers at his Long
Island, N.Y. shop, Autosports Design. The all-in price for this service has been around £17,000 plus tax, for 2005 and prior models,
which at today’s exchange rates works out at approximately
$27,000. An alternative is to ship the car in a container direct to
“To the heart of the matter:
what’s the car really like to
drive? Paraphrasing the late,
great Henry N. Manney III,
the gear shift “falls readily to
hand” with a short throw,
precise action requiring very
light control forces to select
the proper gear.”
Works Service in the UK, as two Toronto area Vanquish owners are
known to have done recently, combining their shipment into a single 40-foot container! The total cost of transportation is not yet
clear, but it is likely less than the difference between the WS price
in the UK and that in the U.S.
But now, to the heart of the matter: what’s the car really like
to drive?
Paraphrasing the late, great Henry N. Manney III, the gearshift
“falls readily to hand” with a short throw, precise action requiring
very light control forces to select the proper gear. Some taller
drivers may complain the knob is mounted a little too high and a
little too far aft to be ideally comfortable. However, Works Service
engineer Andrew McCloskey has some bespoke suggestions, just
for them – shorter stick, remove the left footrest, install the clutch
pedal slightly to the left to minimize any “bigfoot” issues, etc. But
frankly, without one iota of bias and without risk of contradiction
(?), in this writer’s humble opinion the stick shift transforms the
Vanquish, combining the handling and go-fast qualities of the
very high-tech GT car with the traditional heel-and-toe involvement demanded by we, the Luddites of the world! Of course, it’s
a personal choice, but that’s what life is about.
A good friend and AMOC member, Paul DelGrande found
on-line a brand new 2005 Vanquish “S” in Toro Red, at an AM
dealership in California where it had languished, unloved, for four
years and nine months, according to the paperwork. After presenting Paul with a 48-hour “put-up-or-shut-up” ultimatum, he
gracefully conceded; Heather and I made a quick trip to
California to inspect the car and bought it on the spot. We took
delivery of S/N1745 on November 16, 2009, the last new
Vanquish delivered on the planet, I believe. [And Author Appleton
has three years of warranty on his “new” Aston – Ed.] As someone later correctly described it, the “N.O.S.”Vanquish fully matches my expectations and more. Of course, Paul got the better of me
the following week when he bought the ex J-Lo Vanquish, but
that’s another story...
The Vanquish seems to be developing a bit of a cult following
amongst the cognoscenti as the last of the Aston Martin models to
leave the hallowed Newport Pagnell factory. There will never be
another, unless Works Service announces a “recreation” (remember,
you heard it here first!). Around 60 cars have been converted, so
far, about 14 known Autosport Designs conversions and a handful
of other US dealer or Works Service privately commissioned conversions. We’re a tight group of owners who relish owning something quite distinct, driveable, maintainable and very sustainable,
with help from Works Service. The stick shift Vanquish truly lives
up to Aston Martin’s traditional boast: “a car for life.”
47
PROFILE: VANQUISH
FAME HAS ITS REWARDS
FAMOUS VANQUISH OWNERS
By Jim Hazen
Heavy metal guitar heroes, the greatest NBA star,
rap singers, an internationally renowned crime novelist,
a James Bond actor and a world famous soccer star and
part time underwear model. What do they all have in
common?
They’re all extroverts! Well, yes.
All are superbly compensated for what they do and
have a taste for finer things in life? Of course, that’s a
given. They all attract the glow of the media spotlight
and have many adoring fans. That depends on their last
performance.
Some are beautiful, some are bold and some even
seem normal, in a rich and famous sort of way. But if
you thought that they all might have the same interest
in an Aston Martin, you are right on it!
These well known names, super stars and media
darlings, all are or have been a Vanquish owner. They
range from professional athletes, Hollywood personalities and musicians of note. So if it’s MJ or Slash or
Becks, you just might see them in a Vanquish. Here are
a few celebrity owners.
Michael Jordan – NBA Legend
Pierce Brosnan - Actor
Marc Anthony – Singer – The Vanquish was a gift from
his wife, Jennifer Lopez
Richie Sambora – Guitarist, Bon Jovi
Hugh Grant – Actor
Ty Law – NFL Star
Manny Ramirez – Major League Baseball Star
Slash - Guitarist, Guns 'n Roses
Michael Strahan – NFL Star and CBS Sports Analyst
Dave Mustaine - Singer/Guitarist, Megadeth
Janet Jackson - Singer
David Beckham – International Soccer Star and underwear hunk
Eddie Murphy – Actor
Greg Norman – Professional Golfer
Peter James – Crime Novelist
Missy Elliott - Rap Singer
Wayne Rooney – British Soccer Star
Sammy Hagar - Singer/Guitarist, Van Halen
Thierry Henry – French Soccer Star
The Aston Martin Vanquish,
to the surprise of no one, is the super car of
choice for many well known celebrities
throughout the world.
h
48
V8 Vantage – Natural beauty. Natural agility. Natural choice.
Aston Martin Palm Beach, 915 South Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. Telephone: (561) 659.6206
www.palmbeachmotorcars.com
49
UPCOMING EVENTS
2010-2011
AMOC NORTH AMERICA EVENT SCHEDULE
Please contact your Area Rep for additional details and information.
April
PA
8
Florida Amelia Island Concours AMOC
Meet & Greet Lunch Friday 11:30 a.m.
PA
Late April/early May
Drive/Dine event Eastern Pennsylvania,
Contact Len Levin email levin2391@verizon.net
May
DC
7
Our 3rd Annual Spring Party – Hosted at
the exclusive L2 Club in Georgetown.
RSVP to jonathan_metcalfe@ml.com
NJ
19
Sports and Specialist Cars Track Event —
AMOC and Lotus Club event at New
Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New
Jersey Contact Ed Sanson –
ejsanson@comcast.net 609-466-5305
CAN
21
Vancouver, BC Canada. All British Field
Meet,Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Annual
event, spectacular setting, attracts over 600
British cars. Website: http://www.westerndriver.com/?page_id=96
NJ
22
AMOC New Jersey Sunday Drive and
Brunch-Princeton to Avenue Restaurant,
Long Branch, NJ. Contact Paul Saatsoglou
email paul.saatsgolou@comcast.net
June
PA
4
Westtown,Pennsylvania “Cars of England
Show” at Oakbourne Manor (rain date
June 5), contact Len Levin. email
levin2391@verizon.net
CT
5
June 4-5 AMOC at Greenwich Concours .
Contact Andy Williams willpubs@aol.com,
http://greenwichconcours.com/ for more
information
IL
5
Champagne British Car Festival –
Bloomington, Illinois. All British car show
held in central Illinois. Contact Henry
Matson. email matsonht@yahoo.com
50
ON
7
AMOC Canada East – Pub Night – Snug
Harbour restaurant, Mississauga, ON.
Contact Tom Appleton tea@cogeco.ca
CAN
11
AMOC Canada East – Spring Drive to
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum contact Tom Appleton tea@cogeco.ca
MA
17
June 17-19 AMOC at Tanglewood British
Motor Festival- Lenox , Massachusetts.
Inaugural Concours and street festival for
British cars. Contact Jim Hazen for information amocnaeast24@gmail.com or (781)
383-6007. Website www.tanglewoodmotorcarfestival.com.
WI
19
Sussex British Car Field Day – Sussex,
Wisconsin. All British car and motorcycle
show. Contact Henry Matson. email matsonht@yahoo.com
NY
24-26
Connecticut Lime Rock Classic, Troutbeck
Resort, Amenia NY
July
MD
8-10
A summer getaway to St. Michaels, MD.
Join fellow Aston owners at the beautiful
Inn at Perry Cabin Resort for a weekend
of fun and relaxation. RSVP to
jonathan_metcalfe@ml.com
WI
16
Kohler International Challenge – Elkhart
Lake, Wisconsin Our premier event.
Concours with drinks and hors d’ovres in
Elkhart Lake sponsored by the AMOC and
Lake Forest Sports Cars.
WA
23
Bellevue, Washington. All British Field
Meet, Bellevue Community College.
Cocktail reception at Park Place Aston Martin,
Bellevue, WA on Friday, July 22 6-8 PM.
Website http://www.abfm.com/2011-abfm/
IL
23
AMOC Open House – Lake Forest, Illinois
Informal meet held at John Koziel's home
at 415 W. Everett Avenue, Lake Forest.
NJ
31
New Jersey “Mid Summer Drive” , brunch
at the Jasna Polana Club Princeton, NJ
August
WI
20
American Le Mans Series – Elkhart Lake,
Wisconsin ALMS Race at Road America
CAN
20
Vancouver, BC, Canada. Euro Classic 2011,
UBC Botanical Garden. Inaugural
European Classic Car Show, scheduled to
include 250 classic European cars displayed
by country of origin in what promises to
be a beautiful setting.Website
http://www.westerndriver.com/?page_id=1245
IL
28
Geneva Concours d'Elegance – Geneva,
Illinois Formal concours on the closed
streets of Geneva.
September
WA
11
Kirkland, Washington. Kirkland Concours
D’Elegance, 9th year. Set on the shores of
Lake Washington, just across from Seattle.
Aston Martin is one of the featured marques. AMOC has been asked to participate
in a non-judged car display as well. Contact
Robin Bolz AMOC NW rep at
rbolz2@comcast.net.Website
http://www.kirklandconcours.com/
IL
11
Chicago British Car Festival – Des Plaines,
Illinois. All British car show.
PA
11
Pennsylvania Radnor Hunt Concours
CT
17
Westport, Connecticut. Club Day at the
Fairfield Concours, Westport, Connecticut,
followed by dinner. Contact Andy Williams
Willpubs@aol.com
PA
Pennsylvania Buckingham Concours
18
October
IL
2
Lake Forest Sports Cars Concours
d'Elegance – Lake Forest, Illinois Informal
concours for Ferrari, Aston Martin, and
Maserati cars at our area dealer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
FALL WEEKEND GETAWAY
DRIVING DAYS
Join members of the club for a day of
driving instruction on a closed course
located in nearby Summit Point, WV.
Registration fee is $250 per event.
Register early! Please email jonathan_metcalfe@ml.com with questions.
Sunday, May 1
Saturday, July 16
Saturday, September 24
Friday, June 17
Friday, October 14
ONGOING
AMOC Pub Night (Midwest) –
Continuing our 4th Thursday of the month
informal meetings at a pub spot for dinner
and conversation. Restarting on February
24, monthly through October 27.
Fall weekend getaway - Join Aston owners and enthusiasts at the beautiful Keswick Hall
in Charlottesville. Dates to be determined but we anticipate the first weekend in
November, the perfect time to take in the fall foliage.
51
52
53
MODEL BEHAVIOR
AMR2 WIND TUNNEL MODEL MOVES
TO THE BARN
By Jim Hazen
Former AMOC NA East Chairman and one time benefactor of
the only existing Aston Martin AMR2 has donated a unique piece
of AM history to the Aston Martin Heritage Trust - one of the
models built for aerodynamic development.
At the end of 1989 season, Protech, the team running the
AMR1 racing program, was beginning development of the AMR2
for the 1990 season. Max Boxstrom, brother of former AMOC NA
East Chairman Jack Boxstrom, was the designer. The intention at
the time was to have the AMR2 run with two AMR1s in the 1990
24 Hours of Le Mans.
The AMR2 was to be built utilizing the chassis of the AMR1
with a more powerful 6.3L 740bhp version of the venerable Aston
V8, and a more aerodynamic body design. The AMR2 was to be
faster with an anticipated top speed down the Mulsanne Straight
of 230+ mph.
Unfortunately, Protech’s funds ran out and the operation was
forced to close in February 1990. Work on the AMR2 ceased and
the car was not completed.
One chassis, AMR2/06 was later built from remaining parts and
fitted with an AMR1 body. This was the car that Chris owned and
raced in vintage racing. Aesthetically, AMR2/06 looks exactly the
same as an AMR1, even with the same Mobil 1 livery.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
William S. Farnsworth
Wellesley Hills, MA
DB2 Mark III
Michael Johnson
Paisley Ontario, CAN
DBS on order
Chuck Pitt
Furlong, PA
NA
Simon Arscott
Brooklyn, NY
DB6
George Weston
Great Falls, VA
V8 Vantage
Jon Clerk
Hopewell, NJ
Don Warren
Belleville Ontario
DB6
54
When Chris acquired the AMR2, he also got a host of spares
including two Aston Martin Racing cases used to transport and
store bits at racing events. These were like a treasure trove and
included the wind tunnel model.
With his generous donation, the model is now on display at The
Barn, headquarters of the AMOC and the Aston Martin Heritage
Trust in the UK. It sits in the same space as AMR1/01. If you are
in England and want to visit The Barn to see the collection, you
will be most welcome.
55
DIRECTORY
AMOC EAST OFFICERS
CHAIR
JIM HAZEN
268 Beechwood Street
Cohasset, MA 02025
(781) 383-6007
jwhazen@comcast.net
VICE CHAIR
DON ROSE
37 Warren Street
Salem, MA 01970
(617) 513-0388
Fax: (978) 744-7678
007@donrose.com
SECRETARY
TOM GIBB
120 E. 75th Street
New York, NY 10021
egdale@aol.com
(212) 628-7448
76aston@gmail.com
DIRECTORS AT LARGE
JIM FREEMAN
SUSAN LASKEY
c/o Freeman & Co
645 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900
New York, NY 10022
Jim tel: (212) 830-6177
Susan tel: (212) 830-6160
Fax: (212) 265-4350
jfreeman@freeman-co.com
slaskey@freeman-co.com
TREASURER
BREWSTER MINER
73 Beekman Road
Summit, NJ 07901
(908) 522-1054
amoceasttreasurer@yahoo.com
COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR
SCOTT FAIRLEY
42 Strathgowan Crescent
Toronto, Ontario M4N 3A2
Canada
(416) 483-2855 (evening)
sfairley@theallgroup.com
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
TOM SMITH
881 Tyne Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37220
(615) 297-0350
amocmembership@gmail.com
www.amoc.org
56
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
JIM HAZEN
268 Beechwood Street
Cohasset, MA 02025
(781) 383-6007
jwhazen@comcast.net
REGISTRAR
VACANT
COMPETITION DIRECTOR
JIM FREEMAN
(see Directors At Large)
CONCOURS DIRECTOR
SCOTT RUMBOLD
Autosport Designs, Inc.
203 West Hills Road
Huntington Station, NY11746
(631) 425-1555
scottrumbold@hotmail.com
CO-EDITORS/
THE VANTAGE POINT
BOB EPSTEIN
31 Wildwood Way
Falmouth, ME 04105
(207) 797-7895
vantagepointamoc@gmail.com
GERRY HARTUNG
4000 Dustin Road
Burtonsville, MD 20866
(301) 384-5927
vantagepointamoc@gmail.com
HISTORIAN
RICHARD “NICK” CANDEE
21 Anis Road
Belmont, MA 02478
(617) 484-2561
(617) 962-2498
NickCandee@aol.com
DESIGN CONSULTANT/
THE VANTAGE POINT
BRUCE CROCKER
c/o Crocker Inc.
P.O. Box 470858
17 Station Street, 3rd Floor
Brookline Village, MA 02447
(617) 738-7884
bruce@crockerinc.com
AMOC EAST AREA
REPRESENTATIVES
EASTERN CANADA
TOM APPLETON
3300 Lakeshore Road West
Oakville, Ontario L6L 6S6,
Canada
(905) 847-9197
Mobile: (561) 827-2830
tea@cogeco.ca
FLORIDA
RUSSELL GLACE
1006 N. Federal Hyw.
Lake Worth, FL 33460
(561) 762-2908
amocflorida@gmail.com
MASSACHUSETTS/
NEW ENGLAND
DR. BOB WELCH
105 Upland Road
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 864-6936
rjwelch1@verizon.net
MICHIGAN
NORB KAMINSKI
1023 Bedford Road
Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230
(313) 882-2366
njkamin@aol.com
MID-ATLANTIC
JONATHAN METCALFE
One Freedom Square
11951 Freedom Drive
Reston, Virginia 20190
(703) 464-8807
jonathan_metcalfe@ml.com
MIDWEST
HENRY MATSON
1946 N. Freemont Street
Chicago, Illinois 60614
(773) 871-8370
matsonht@yahoo.com
NEW JERSEY
PAUL SAATSOGLOU
120 Montadale Drive
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 216-3926
paul.saatsoglou@comcast.net
NEW YORK/CONNECTICUT
ANDY WILLIAMS
165 Gun Club Road
Stamford, CT 06903
(203) 321-7088
willpubs@aol.com
PENNSYLVANIA—EAST
LEONARD LEVIN
239 Winged Foot Drive
Blue Bell, PA 19422
(610) 272-3812
levin2391@verizon.net
JOHN STINSMEN
3436 Lincoln Avenue
Allentown, PA 18103
(610) 432-7254
j3stinsmen@aol.com
AMOC WEST
OFFICERS
CHAIR
GEORGE WOOD
2771 Camino Venadillo
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 969-7698
onefastaston@aol.com
VICE CHAIR
LARRY FROMM
233 Avenida Princess
San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 492-5933
l.fromm@att.net
SECRETARY
JANE RANSOME
101 North Delphia
Brea, CA. 92821
(714) 529-4439
foransome@aol.com
NORTHWEST/WASHINGTON
ROBIN BOLZ
24917 NE 20th Place
Sammamish, WA 98074
Home: (425) 836-9194
Mobile: (425) 503-7242
rbolz2@comcast.net
SAN DIEGO
LARRY DAVIS
6578 Crystalaire Drive
San Diego, CA 92120
(619) 303-3350
Mobile: (619) 405-1419
LarryDavis@cox.net
WESTERN CANADA
JOHN FAIRCLOUGH
28875 Marsh McCormick Rd.
Abbotsford, BC Canada,V4X 2B4
Home: (604) 856-6264
johnfairclough@shaw.c
REGISTRAR
CHET FLOYD
664 18th Street
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-5409
cfloyd24@juno.com
TREASURER
GARY D. MOORE
G.D. Moore & Co., Inc.
2222 Foothill Blvd., Suite E-605
La Canada, CA 91011
gmoore@gdmoore.com
COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR
GUY SIMPSON
22402 Citation Court
Los Gatos, CA 95033
(408) 353-8682
Mobile: (408) 813-3303
guy.simpson@verizon.net
AMOC WEST AREA
REPRESENTATIVES
CALIFORNIA—SOUTHERN
& LOS ANGELES
VACANT
CALIFORNIA—NORTHERN
VACANT
MOUNTAIN
VACANT
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA
JOHN LAVENDOSKI
8127 Meas Drive B206-116
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 748-1434
john@prodicus.com
Password access to Members Area available by contacting Webmaster
with your membership number: amocweb@amoc.org
JOIN THE AMOC!
US and Canada. For information
on 2008 membership please contact:
SECTION EAST
TOM SMITH
Membership Director
(615) 297-0350
TOM GIBB
Secretary
(212) 628-7448
SECTION WEST
CHET FLOYD
Registrar
(310) 545-5409
cfloyd24@juno.com
JANE RANSOME
Secretary
(714) 529-4439
foransome@aol.com