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THE VANTAGE POINT
FALL 2011
Issue No. 32
ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUB
North America Quarterly Journal
$12.50 US / $12.50 CDN
Aston Martin Supersonic
Interview: Max Girardo RM
Lime Rock Fall Festival
THE VANTAGE POINT
Aston Martin Owners Club
North America Quarterly Journal
Fall 2011
AMOC NA East Chair & Publisher
Jim Hazen
Executive Editor
Bob Epstein
Senior Managing Editor
Richard “Nick” Candee
Managing Editor–West
Guy Simpson
Editor–West Coast
Kohei Saito
Design Consultant
Bruce Crocker
Advertising Director
Jim Hazen
(617) 515-3695
Copy Editors
John David, Robert Obie
Mark Ransome, Jane Ransome
Photographers
Robert Dennis–West, CJ Gutch–East
Tim Cottingham–UK
FROM THE EDITOR
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Reflections on the intersection of technology and art
Thanks again to all who contributed
to this month’s quarterly. We are fortunate to have some talented people who
are so generous with their time and
efforts. Special mention to Robert
Dennis, whose photography never ceases to amaze me. Also to Jim Hazen, our
publisher, whose insights over a variety
of subjects are a pleasure to read.
Most of us who have bought Astons
did so because they offer something special. A car is more than just a means to
get around. We appreciate that there is
something more to motoring. It might
have to do with the history of the marque, a connection with racing or high
performance, or styling. I have just read
Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve
Jobs, in which Mr. Jobs simply states his
Apple product philosophy as the inter-
section of technology and art. For me
this is what Aston Martin has done consistently since the founding of the company. Perhaps some Astons might have
come up a bit short in the technology
department, for example when a model
line ages, but the art has always been
there and continues to this day.
In our next quarterly I would like to
do an article on one of the newer
Astons, the V8 Vantage. I would like the
article to come from the perspective of
owners, so for that reason I ask for any
owners to contact me through The
Vantage Point email, vantagepointamoc@gmail.com. Please share interesting stories or ownership experiences;
I’m sure it will make for interesting
reading.
Bob Epstein
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
On the Cover: 1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark II “Supersonic” at Pebble Beach.
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.
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.
Credit should always be given where credit is due. The photos featured with
the report on Lime Rock 41 on pages 44-47 in the summer issue of The Vantage
Point were wonderful shots by AMOC member Roland Westerdal. Credit for
Roland's work was omitted by accident. Apologies for not including the
recognition, and we thank Roland for the use of the photos.
www.amoc.org
1
PENNSYLVANIA
AMOC TOUR OF THE DAVE MARKEL
COLLECTION
Story by Len Levin
Skippack Village, many years ago a stagecoach stop on the road
from Philadelphia to Reading, Pa., is now, in the early 21st century, still a charming, small village, somewhat touristy with 65 shops
and 13 restaurants along a one-mile section of the Skippack Pike.
Not one of these is part of a national chain or franchise operation.
An anchor at the western end of the village is Silver Star
Automotive, specializing in collectible automobiles. Proprietor
Mike Casale is also the curator of the Dave Markel collection of
classic automobiles and other memorabilia. Markel himself is a
driving force in an ongoing renaissance of Skippack Village, and
he also is the owner of various properties in the village.
Dave is obviously a connoisseur of fine collectibles. His car
collection numbers more than 50, and includes other collectibles,
such as motorcycles, furniture and furnishings, model cars, trains
and boats – successfully integrated in with his collectible automobiles. Components of the collection are located around
Montgomery County Pennsylvania, including those 20 or more
English and German road cars as well as racing cars and motorcycles located in three buildings (garages) in Skippack Village. They
are discreetly housed. One could walk by the buildings and never
suspect that these treasures are inside. The collection is private, and
thus it was with great pleasure that AMOC members and friends
viewed it this past October 23. Coincidently, there was a country
fair and car show in the village on that day. We were invited to
participate. Perhaps a group of Aston Martins would enhance the
automotive ambience of the show! This was probably taken on
blind faith by Mike Casale who invited us, but AMOC members
did not disappoint.
As my responsibility was to coordinate the AMOC participation, I arrived early on a perfect fall morning and parked my 1969
DBS at the head of our reserved parking area, just in front of a
grassy area where a 1931 Aston Martin Le Mans prototype had
already been placed by Mike. Other Astons began arriving, until
10 Astons filled our reserved area. Very quickly it became time to
gather in the Hotel Fiesole for our scheduled buffet brunch. The
quality of both the venue and food were first rate. As usual, the
camaraderie among our group, many meeting each other for the
first time, was just perfect. We all enjoyed the brunch; it was necessary to pry us away to begin our tour of the collection.
Mike was very generous with his time, spending two hours
with our group at the racing car and German car garages. He provided commentary for every collectible piece, and it appeared that
he had been instrumental in the acquisition and restoration of
many of these items. As for myself, after two hours, I began to find
it difficult to absorb more of the riches. However, after our tour,
many of us spent additional time in the Village, viewing the many
participating automobiles, as well as “window shopping” in the
many stores and at the temporary vendor booths.
In all, it was a perfect day. Our thanks to Mike Casale for his
time and effort to provide a great experience to our AMOC
members, and to Dave Markel, who was so kind to open his
collection for us to view.
Outside the Racing Garage.
That’s one sweet ride.
A Prewar Aston at the head of our AMOC display, compliments of Mike Casale and
Dave Markel.
Awesome Astons all in a row.
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE EDITOR
1 FROM
Bob Epstein
OF THE DAVE MARKEL COLLECTION
2 TOUR
Len Levin
WEST & BACK EAST
5 OUT
George Wood (West), Jim Hazen (East)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
5 BACKFIRE!
Bob Epstein
6 NEWS OF THE MARQUE
TRAP SHOOT
8 AMOC
Tom Gould
PUB NIGHT GOES MARITIME
10 MIDWEST
Eddie Manelis
A DB4 FUEL TANK
12 RECONDITIONING
Chet Floyd
CONCOURS & TOUR D’ELEGANCE
14 KIRKLAND
Don Rose
WITH MAX GIRARDO AT RM
16 INTERVIEW
Jim Hazen
VANQUISH BANGS THE HARD WOOD
22 NBA
Jim Hazen
CONCOURS IN LOS ANGELES
24 AMOC
John Mutlow
4
26 “PEBBLE!”
Tom Smith
28 SUPERSONIC
Brian Joseph (with special thanks to Mike Brady)
FESTIVAL
36 FALL
Brian Epstein
24H ENDURO
40 SILVERSTONE
Robert Nimkoff
LE MANS 2011
42 PETIT
James Edmonds
ADS
48 CLASSIFIED
Buy & Sell
50 UPCOMING EVENTS
50 NEW MEMBERS
REVIEW
52 BOOK
Aston Martin Ulster - Reviewed by Jim Hazen
MEMORIAM
53 IN
Robert Asbed Djerejian Aia
56 DIRECTORY
AMOC-NA/WEST
AMOC-NA/EAST
OUT WEST
BACK EAST
The 2011 Calendar has come to a
close. It was another good year for the
club, with a steady membership number
and steady event participation, the result
of all of the hard work that your area reps
put in. At our Northern California holiday party there were three Section West members who have occupied the Area Representative position (one of them still does), as
well as three who have held Board positions, underscoring
AMOC’s reputation for member involvement.
Our 2012 events begin without hesitation. Aston Martin is a
featured marque at the Cavallino Classic in January on the East
Coast and on the West Coast the annual track day at Thunderhill
Raceway kicks off the calendar of events. The North/South meet
is tentatively set for the weekend of April 21, and will likely be in
the San Luis Obispo area. June sees the addition of the Sonoma
Historics to the list of AMOC West events and the Monterey
Historics return in August with the featured marque, Shelby
Cobra. Borrani Americas, crafting wheels for modern and classic
automobiles, has expressed interest in helping sponsor the weekend, and we are working with their representative to that end.
And more will fill the calendar in the various areas of Section West
as we settle into the New Year. Work is also continuing on making the AMOC website, amoc.org, more locally relevant to the
Areas. It’s been a work in progress for a while, and we hope to be
able to show off the results shortly.
We do our best to have something for everybody, and if you
have any suggestions, please let us know.
This column comes to you as we end
2011 on a high note. We had a very good
year with over 30 events that took place
from Wisconsin to Florida and up to New
England. We also finished the year in a
strong financial position, with a healthy
member base; we are ready to go 2012.
In early December we had two notable events, the last ones for
the year. In Virginia, Jon Metcalfe staged what is becoming an annual tour in Charlottesville; in New York City we had our annual
lunch. Both had a great turnout! In fact, the lunch had its best ever
with nearly 70 guests in attendance. It is one of the best gatherings
of the year and always a good time.
Our ongoing success is due to the work of very dedicated people. I thank our Board of Directors, the Editors of this wonderful
publication and our excellent team of Area Representatives for all
their efforts. If not for them, the AMOC North America East
would be a mere shadow of the robust organization that it is.
When you look at the interests of our members and the way
they participate in the Club, we have rallyers, racers, concours participants, social event attendees – and we stage activities for all of
those interests. If you’ve not had a chance to come out I hope you
will in the New Year.
Until then, happy motoring!
George Wood,
Chair, AMOC West
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
BACKFIRE!
Please direct all correspondence for publication to
the Editor: vantagepointamoc@gmail.com
What an incredibly beautiful magazine! Breathtaking! Pictures
are specially worth mentionning, as all of them are top quality.
My warmest and sincere congratulations to all the team.
Your review is perfect and very laudative towards Patrick and
myself. Thanks a lot. I hope that potential readers will find a few
copies in a NOS, hidden somewhere in Alabama, Montana or even
Alberta! (book has gone quickly out of stock as you say).
Please note that our previous book, “Aston Martin Coupes et
cabriolets” is presently updated by us, to 2011. [It will] Be published
beginning of next year.
Thanks a lot.
With best personal regards.
Jacques-Louis Bertin
For 2012 we already have excellent events scheduled:
• Aston Martin is the featured marque at Classic Sports Sunday
in Palm Beach over the Cavallino weekend of January 20-22 and
again at the Boca Raton Concours February 24-26.
• Over May, 4-6 Charlie Rose and Jon Metcalfe plan a tour of
Gulfstream Aircraft and a rally in Savannah, Georgia.
• In Pennsylvania, Len Levine and John Stinsmen have invited
Astons to the Concours d’Elegance of the Eastern United States
that takes place on June 22-24 at the Skytop Lodge and Resort.
• Lime Rock 42 will be June 28-30, and this year the Interlaken
Inn will be our HQ.
Lastly, I ask again for your energy and your time to help lead
AMOC NA East. If you have the time and the interest, please let
me know. We need new blood on the BoD and in the Areas. The
best way to get involved is on a small scale. If you are interested,
give me a call at (781) 383-6007 or send me an email at
jwhazen@comcast.net.
I hope to see you in 2012. Enjoy the drive!
Jim Hazen
Chair, AMOC East
5
NEWS OF THE MARQUE
PUBLIC INTRODUCTION
THE ASTON MARTIN ONE-77 HAS BEEN
INTRODUCED TO THE PUBLIC AT TWO
NORTH AMERICAN AUTO SHOWS.
by Aston Martin Communications
In October at the 41st annual South Florida International Auto
Show in Miami, the car was named “Star of the Show” by the
Southern Automotive Media Association (SAMA). Ron Beasley,
chairman of the nine-member SAMA judging committee, said:
“The judges felt that the new One-77, which made its North
American auto show debut in Miami, was just the most exciting
vehicle on the floor, and it’s the one car that people will come to
the show to see.” The One-77 is the most powerful naturally aspirated road car in the
world today, with its 7.3-liter engine producing 750bhp and 553lb-ft of torque.
In November, the One-77 was shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in conjunction with local dealer Aston Martin Galpin. The example displayed was the final preproduction engineering development car, which has covered 14,000 miles of extensive endurance testing at Nardo, Italy and the Nürburgring.This particular vehicle was
not necessarily representative of the car that will eventually be on sale, but was still
painstakingly assembled over 2,700 man-hours by the One-77 production team.
Aston Martin’s design and engineering teams have overseen the intense One-77
development program throughout the three years it has taken from the car’s initial
conception in October 2007 to commencing the first production of the strictly limited 77 examples of One-77 in late 2010.
ON TRACK
LET THE TESTING BEGIN
by Aston Martin Communications
Aston Martin Racing reports the start of testing of its new
V12 Vantage GT3 racing car. At Brands Hatch, Darren Turner
covered close to 1000 kilometers over the course of two days.
Turner reports: “The car ran like clockwork throughout, and
we’ve managed really good mileage already. The feeling of the
Vantage V12 is a massive step forward from the DBRS9. Being
based on the smaller Vantage it is more responsive and feels
more nimble, giving the driver plenty of confidence to extract
all the performance from the V12 engine while also being light
on its tires. It isn’t too physical to drive and I didn’t even break
a sweat during the test! With the clean styling and the amazing
sounding V12, it is closer to the core values of Aston Martin’s
road cars than any of the racing cars we’ve ever built. I’m certain it will become a favorite among motorsport fans in no
time at all.”
Dan Sayers, Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer for GT, is in
charge of design and engineering for the racing program. The
V12 Vantage GT3 is a direct replacement for the DBRS9,
6
which first competed in 2006 and went on to score many race
and championship wins, including the 2007 British GT
Championship and the 2009 FIA GT3 Teams Championship.
The new racer shares the DBRS9’s bonded aluminum VH
body structure and 6.0-liter V12 engine, and is the culmination
of six years’ experience competing in all major international
GT series.
Aston Martin’s Racing Managing Director said: “The testing of the new V12 Vantage GT3 has gone really well. We
haven’t had any significant issues with the car, despite having
covered close to 1000 kilometers, exceeding all our expectations in the car’s first track test.”
AMOC MIDWEST
AMOC TRAP SHOOT
by Tom Gould
AMOC Midwest recently held a shooting event at the Glen
View Club shooting ranges in Golf, IIlinois, compliments of member Bob Albert. Per Tom Gould:
“Trap and skeet shooting are similar clay target sports. In trap
shooting the targets are launched from a ‘trap house,’ essentially a
square hole in the ground centered in front of the shooters with a
roof over it about two feet above ground level, open on the side facing away from the shooters who stand in a semi circular line behind
the trap house. The shooters change positions on this line each five
shots to vary their positions relative to the trap house. The targets
are launched randomly in roughly a 160-degree area in front of the
trap house. In trap, the targets are launched from this one point only.
“In skeet, the targets are launched from two points, a ‘high
house’ and a ‘low house’ on either side of the course and are not
random. They have the same trajectory each time. The shooters’
shooting angles vary as they change positions relative to the high
and low houses around a semi-circular course of nine different
positions or ‘stations.’
“Both trap and skeet can be every bit as frustrating as golf.
Avoiding a bruised shoulder is easy: before each shot, pull the shotgun stock tightly into your shoulder. That way your entire upper
body absorbs the recoil instead of just your shoulder muscles.”
Participants included Bob Albert (host), Jim Causey, Fast Eddie
Manelis (who had never fired a gun before and scored 20 out of a
possible 25 on the skeet range), Henry Matson, Peter Conover and
Tom Gould.
Bob Albert instructs, Eddie Manelis looks on. Photo by Peter Conover.
Bob Albert instructs, Eddie Manelis looks on. Photo by Peter Conover.
Member cars lined up at the Glen View Club. Photo by Peter Conover.
Surprise guests at skeet shoot.
8
CHICAGO
MIDWEST PUB NIGHT GOES MARITIME
By Eddie Manelis
AMOC group in front of Chicago Yacht club, from left
to right: Jim and Jan Causey, Peter Conover and Kristi
Sloniger, Eddie Manelis, Bob Albert, Wayne and Colette
Hedien, Peggy and Henry Matson, Jon Houser and Jean
Stone, and Betty Dagiel.
The e-mail came late Thursday morning: despite the weather
looking “iffy,” Midwest Rep Henry Matson and member Bob
Albert confirmed that night’s revelries would be moved from the
usual Pub Night venue of The Ram Restaurant and Brewery to
Bob's 55-foot Sea Ray Sundancer yacht, the Polar Bear, on
Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline. The plan was simple, park in
the secured and guarded Diversey Harbor, board Bob's boat for
refreshments and a cruise to the Chicago Yacht Club, and then
drink and dine at the Club.
Arriving a bit late, I was dismayed when the guard said mine
was only the second Aston to show, following Bob’s Vanquish S. I
then promptly pulled up and parked behind a rosso corsa Ferrari
(Henry’s V8 Vantage). Having reached critical mass, the Astons were
swarmed by young boys, who were debating which of the
“Vanquishes” was the coolest (not my V8).
I and the other participants were greeted on the boat by
Captain Bob, and treated to champagne and hors d'oeuvres.
Shortly thereafter, Captain Bob fired up some real horsepower, in
the form of two direct-injected, turbocharged diesel engines generating over 830 hp. First Mates Bob and Jessie shoved us off, and
Captain Bob piloted us out of the harbor and onto Lake Michigan.
AMOC members making launch were: Captain Bob, Henry and
Peggy Matson, Jim and Jan Causey, Peter and Kristi Conover,
Wayne and Colette Hedien, Betty Dagiel, Jon Houser and Jean
Stone, as well as yours truly. We cruised south from the harbor
along Chicago's Gold Coast (featuring some of the priciest real
estate in the U.S.), around Navy Pier (once a U.S. Navy training
center, but now an entertainment district with restaurants, theaters,
museums, an arcade and shoreline cruise ships), across Monroe
Harbor past Grant Park and the Buckingham Fountain over to the
Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium, and then back a short
distance to the Chicago Yacht Club. Chicago's lakefront is truly a
gem, and must be experienced from the lake on a beautiful summer evening, as we had just done.
10
Docking and disembarking at the
Club, the cameras continued snapping,
but this time featuring the entire group.
We then sat down for a fine dinner and
good company on the Mackinac Bar and
Patio, overlooking the docks on Lake
Michigan. A couple of droplets passed,
but the skies looked good, at least until
we all stood to get back on the boat. Iffy
then turned to icky, as the rain came
down and lightning lit up the night skies.
As we crowded under the protected
areas of the Polar Bear, Capt. Bob
attached additional canvas covers to
block the storm, and we were soon
underway back toward Diversey Harbor.
I took a position next to Captain Bob to
learn about the boat and its various controls, and was drawn to the
ship's radar like a moth to a flame. It confirmed that we were surrounded by storms, but no other boats. Moans and groans, and perhaps a few Mayday calls, could be heard as Captain Bob turned the
helm over to me so he could attend to the comfort of his guests,
some of whom were now being blasted by sideways rain. My hand
on the throttles, I could barely resist the temptation until Captain
Bob said to go for it. I did, and ... nothing. Whoops, wrong direction. Okay, now the other way, and now we're moving! Engaging
in an imaginary slalom course, I got a feel for the handling, and
now can say with first-hand experience that this thing handles like
a boat.
With Captain Bob having (and lashed himself to the wheel
[ed.]) regained control and the various iPhones onboard confirming that the storm had moved east across the lake away from us,
“homey” changed directions away from the harbor to continue our
cruise to one of his “cribs” on the lake. Despite the iPhones' utility,
I watched the incoming wall of rain on the ship's radar as we
approached the crib, and it hit as we rounded it. This on and off
pattern of severe storms continued for the remainder of the journey and most of the night, putting this year over the all-time
Chicago record for July rainfall.
Even so, none of the trip was rough, the Polar Bear gliding us
smoothly, safely and securely across Lake Michigan. There being
no other boat traffic, Captain Bob quickly guided us into the harbor and expertly parked in his slip. Revelers, all wearing smiles,
departed in little groups, the timing of which was based on lulls
in the rain. Some of us continued Pub Night down in the living
quarters, which was strewn about with mass quantities of Aston
Martin paraphernalia. Eventually, sensing a lull in the storm, the
last of us departed, but the boat trip was not actually over, as most
of the roads in the marina and portions of Lake Shore Drive were
under several inches of water. I am pleased to say my Aston does
not handle like a boat!
11
RESTORATION NATION
RECONDITIONING A DB4
FUEL TANK
CAUTION: Use extreme caution when working with
gasoline in the workshop. Keep it well away from
mechanic drop lights, gas water heaters and open flames.
Store in proper, closed containers and don't spill!
By Chet Floyd
And it came to pass that California’s ecofriendly gasoline was so efficiently leaching 50
years of varnish deposits from inside the DB4’s
fuel tank that the SU HD-8 carburetors would
become glued into a static lump.
Flushing the tank with fresh gasoline did not
resolve the issue. Disposing of the bad gas into
the family car resulted in a valve job on that car,
an avoidable, unexpected disaster.
Although I became adept at rapidly removing, disassembling, cleaning and reassembling
SU carburetors, it became clear the tank had to
come out for reconditioning.
I selected the RENU process after studying
alternatives and consulting with restorers and
owners. http://gastankrenu.com/ Do-ItYourself (DIY) was rejected even for highly recommended products for the risk of application
failure, as were processes that did not offer guarantees. One user of a recommended shop found
that inadequate curing required that the interior coating applied had to be patiently dissolved
out (and the SU carbs cleaned up.)
Selecting the professionally applied RENU
process may have been an overly conservative
approach in my case, as the DB4/5/6 and V8
series tanks are very well built, and my tank had
no rusting evident. Also, fuel tanks in these cars
are not exposed to road conditions, being inside
the boot. But one owner noted that his pre-war
tank leaked after internal rust had been boiled
out, and he then had to remove it to apply an
interior sealer.
The DB4 Workshop Manual in stock at
Astons as Part #020-043-0130, as well as DB4
Parts Catalogue, 020-043-0105, has good
instruction in sections O and U. The rear seat,
quarter light windows and trim is removed and
then the parcel shelf (section U) and finally the
tank itself (section O). Of course, you will have
drained the fuel out before starting. And note
that there is a ground wire screwed to the parcel shelf frame soldered to the tank that must be
detached.
I went over this ground strap carefully with
the experienced RENU provider, and also
asked that the coating process not clog the 2BA
and 3BA threads used to secure the tank pickup
and fuel level sender. The ground strap survived,
but the threads had to be chased before reassembly. (These are small brass screws in one case, so
do not force them in when assembling – chase
the threads with a proper tap!)
The fuel pump can be used to empty the
tank, but be sure to flush a pint or so of new fuel
through the pump and lines before hooking up
12
the carbs after re-installing the tank.
Section O notes filler tube removal, but
chances are it will not want to release from the
body after all these years. I inserted a wooden
hammer handle and gently levered the tube to
break the flange loose from the body. Then
withdraw the filler tube. The rubber hose connecting the filler to the tank will not fit through
the filler flap housing. It is removed with the
tank itself.
Detach all electrical cabling to the tank
instruments.
After releasing the tank securing cables, a
firm tug on the tank should break it free from
the felt pads that cradle it top and bottom.
Continue to slide it right out, easing the rubber
filler tube past the filler flap housing. Note that
the body narrows aft of the tank filler, so the
rubber tube will interfere with the housing. On
DB5/6 cars, the dual fillers make this more difficult. Drop the tank to the floor of the boot and
then out the boot opening with room to spare,
minding the bumper overriders.
Remove the fuel pickup, and fuel level sending unit. 2BA and 3BA mounting holes will
need threads chased after reconditioning as
noted above. Inspect the brass screen on the end
of the fuel pickup – it will probably have to be
replaced, some soldering required.
The 2-1/2-inch rubber hose connecting tank
neck to filler tube may need replacement. Use
gasoline-rated tubing about 4 inches long. There
are close tolerances between hose and mounting
cables. Start with the original as model and carve
and shorten to fit, noting that the securing cable
must pass between the hose and the tank and
you will need room for the hose clamps. Brake
parts lube is useful in easing fitting.
Felt mounting pads can be obtained at an
upholstery shop if they need to be replaced.
The tank slides easily but snugly into place.
Set the rubber filler tube in place first and ease
past the filler flap housing(s) minding the interference issue with the body noted above. Line
up with the filler spout and insert it into the
rubber tube. Attach and tighten the securing
cables. Secure the filler spout with four screws
to the filler flap housing, being careful to get the
holes lined up exactly as they are easy to crossthread. Install hose clamps.
Install parcel shelf, quarter window trim, rear
seat and boot padding. I installed the quarter
window glass last, as access for leather treatment
is eased with glazing out. My upholstery shop
sold me DAP Weldwood High Strength Spray
Adhesive and this appears to be holding much
better than what I had been obtaining at auto
parts stores.
The DB4 carbs now appreciate varnish-free
fuel. The whole process of removal and refitting
is straightforward – if lengthy, time consuming
and exacting.
Ed. Note: Chet’s comments on the DB4 tank can
apply to the DB5 and DB6, with the exception that
those tanks have a second filler tube.
Underside of tank in place, showing securing strap. Turnbuckle end fits into keyhole.
Backside of fuel filler assembly. Baling wire and duct tape was not Newport Pagnell practice,
but a later in-place repair of rubber tubing.
Tank partially removed. Note rubber tubing has been removed to clear boot opening.
Tank sits on padded, boxed structure above rear axle. Felt pads on curved wooden slats
prevent rattles against back of seat bulkhead. All very useful in stiffening the body.
Reconditioned fuel tank properly padded and ready for reinstallation.
The fuel pump can be used to empty
the tank, but be sure to flush a pint
or so of new fuel through the pump
and lines before hooking up the carbs
after re-installing the tank.
Properly connected fuel filler assembly as the factory intended.
13
WASHINGTON
THE KIRKLAND CONCOURS AND TOUR
D’ELEGANCE, SEPTEMBER 2011
by Don Rose
I have a Dirty Little Secret: the Pacific Northwest, in particular
Seattle and the islands in Puget Sound, have some of the best and
most scenic driving roads in the country. Does it rain a lot? Yes, or
so I’ve been told. But I’m also here to tell you that it doesn’t rain
every day, as the locals would have the rest of us believe!
After Pebble Beach, Amelia Island and the reconstituted
“Concours of America” in Michigan, there are today a wide range
of distinctive regional concours events around the country: The
Glenmoor Gathering, Fairfield and Greenwich Conn., Hilton
Head, S.C., Keels & Wheels in Houston Texas, Newport, R.I., and
numerous concours in California such as Dana Point, Palos Verdes
and Hillsborough. The Kirkland Concours, held on the eastern
shore of Lake Washington just opposite Seattle, is among the best
of these. One thing that distinguishes it from the others, and was
an important factor in my decision to participate, was the threeday road tour that precedes the concours. The organizers had deviously made Aston Martin this year's featured marque, so why not
take my open prewar Aston up there for the tour and the show?
(Just put the thoughts of soaking the car in mud and driving rain
out of your mind… or was I out of my mind?)
The tour begins with a ferry crossing from Seattle to
Bainbridge Island, and we spend the next two days circling the
devastatingly beautiful Hood Canal. We visited three significant car
14
collections on the islands, and no trip to the region would be complete without a winery tour. A terrific group of “car guys” (which
includes lady car guys too) participate with a wide range of collector motorcars, most of whom are locals who I gather make this
an annual pilgrimage. And as a bonus, concours participants are
spared any judging knockdowns for related road wear (which came
in handy in my case).
Well, we enjoyed three days of sunny, clear and dry weather, a
pleasure in our open car, followed by an encore perfect weather day
for the concours, which draws vintage wooden boats parked along the
shoreline, as well as the increasingly popular display of motorcycles.
So, the cars: The Kirkland Concours attracts high quality
entrants, mostly from the region - which happens to be rich with
important classics - but also from points farther away. For example,
headlining the Aston Martin class was Harry Yeaggy's recently
acquired James Bond DB5, “The Most Famous Car in the World,”
and a sucker punch for the People’s Choice award.
The class was supplemented by a DB4GT Zagato, the sole
DB2/4 Allemano-bodied coupe - both sent from The Blackhawk
Collection - and one of the world’s most important sports racers,
Greg Whitten's DBR2. There were 11 Astons in all, plus a nice
turnout of local club members’ cars in the nearby club corral.
(Please reference Robin Bolz’s corral report!)
My car is a “15/98 Short Chassis Open Sports,” with coachwork by Abbey, one of only 25 built to this configuration.
Recently restored as a show/driver by noted Aston specialists
Kevin Kay Restorations, I had little expectation of any awards,
given the esteemed competition. As it turned out, the judging format was “French style,” meaning that they eschew the point system
in favor of overall style and elegance. Nobody was more amazed
than myself when it was announced that my 15/98 was awarded
Third in Class and then went on to garner one of the special
awards, the “Participant's Choice” trophy, with the surprise
announcement by Honorary Chairman, actor and well-known
British car aficionado Edward Herrmann.
I like to drive all my cars, so I don't consider myself a strong
concours competitor, but I was happy to see Kevin’s fine work
recognized, as well as some respect afforded to this often overlooked Aston model.
There were a number of truly great cars in other classes as well,
including Peter Mullin's 1934 Voisin Model 27 Coupe, which has
to be seen because words cannot begin to describe… (I first saw
this car on a stand at Retromobile circa 2007), shown by Peter’s
chief car wrangler Webb Farrer. Another special sports car class was
established to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar
E-Type, handily won by Peter Gleeson’s sharp 3.8 OTS. And last,
but certainly not least, the Best of Show was awarded to Ray
Sherr’s chain-driven 1911 Simplex, fresh from its superlative
restoration by good friend Bob Mosier. The car was stunning and
Bob was behind the wheel grinning from ear to ear.
So, with the weather cooperative, I couldn't have asked for
more from my Kirkland experience. The associated road tour was
not only a perfect way to make new friends while exercising my
old car, but goes a long way to differentiate the Kirkland Concours
weekend from the numerous other regional show events vying for
great and interesting cars. Needless to say, I recommend it and will
look forward to a return visit.
After the event, I was invited by David Bingham, Monte Solovy
and the fine team at Park Place Motors to display my Battleship
Grey 15/98 in the main Aston Martin showroom with all the
luscious new machinery. Very pleased to oblige, and hopefully it
helped to tie Aston Martin’s unique heritage and DNA to the new
cars on offer.
I would like to express my appreciation for the efforts of Event
Chairman Jeff Clark, Expert Commentator Keith Martin, Peter
Hageman for his constant cheerfulness and Tourmeister Al
McEwan, who mastered the weather and was also there for me
with his Bentley jack and hammer, without whom I might still be
on the side of the road, probably in the rain!
15
Photo by Stephen Goodal © 2011 courtesy RM Auctions.
A
Conversation
With
Max
Girardo
16
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW WITH MAX GIRARDO
AT RM AUCTIONS
By Jim Hazen
I think all of us may have followed, with at least some
level of interest, the current classic and exotic car market. It’s hard to not be just a little enticed when news
about impending sales of rare and valuable cars is
reported in mainstream press like the Wall Street
Journal.
As an Aston owner you may have seen an increase in
value of the marque over the past few years. The old
adage that says you should buy a car for love and not to
make money certainly applies. It’s the heart vs. the
head. But in the Aston world it is nice to see that some
owners have been able to realize satisfaction in both
areas.
One element in the current boom in interest can be
attributed to the increasing number and the popularity
of classic and exotic car auctions. Companies like
Bonhams, Gooding and RM (just to name a few) put on
sales that have become productions with well-orchestrated presentations, beautiful catalogs, online viewing
and even highlights on cable TV. The Monterey week
would not be the same without the hoopla and horsetrading (prancing or otherwise) that goes on under the
auction house tents.
What has been something of a fascination to me are
the atmosphere and the interpersonal dynamics during
the sales - how the crowds react and how they must be
handled if the lots are to be sold and the money is to
change hands. The focal point, beyond the multi-million
dollar cars, is The Auctioneer.
The job looks to be part performance, part salesmanship and requires the ability to size up the room at any
given moment and to control and energize the bidders.
The Auctioneer excels if he or she is able to connect
with interested parties in a way that is as intimate as
one can get with a poker-faced buyer who may decide
to engage or disengage at any moment.
Max Girardo of RM does a pretty darn good job of it,
and has in the past few years sold some of the most
valued and notable cars in the world. I had a chance to
watch Max in action at the RM London sale this year. I
not only enjoyed seeing the cars on offer, but also to
watch as he worked the room eliciting bids with a
smile, strong presence and the frequent use of “Thank
you, sir.” or “Your bid, madame.” He was always pleasant, always forceful and always doing a job of promoting the interest of the seller.
I talked with Max about his background and his work
with RM.
TVP – Max Girardo, thanks for talking with The Vantage
Point magazine.
MG – My pleasure to do so.
TVP – Could you start by telling a bit about how you got
into the auction business?
MG – Sure, I started in the auction business by chance,
really. My father used to race cars, and he was quite passionate. So I had the car thing in my family, in my blood,
really.
I was working in a pub, and one of the people I was
working with said to me, “I know you like cars and there
was an ad in the paper that you should see.” The next day
she brought it in for me to see. It was actually Bonhams or
at the time Brooks. I answered the ad and got the job. I was
with Brooks/Bonhams for about eight years. I left and started a logistics company that was shipping classic and highvalue cars around the world.
When RM decided to come over to Europe and open an
office, we talked and I was delighted to come on board. The
logistics business was great and very profitable, but shipping
cars was not my passion.
I love auctions – the buzz of the sale, the catalog, the
people. I’m a big auction fan. It was great to get back in the
business.
TVP – Since you’ve been at RM you’ve transitioned into
being the man out front. That would seem to require a
certain personality; is that in your nature?
MG – Yeah, I guess. I think you learn it as you go along.
As I said, I had a background with cars. I grew up in
Southeast Asia, and although we did not have a car, my
father was a big fan of interesting cars. He was always talking about cars and had car magazines around. I learned from
him and was lucky enough to have a good basis.
And the languages are a real benefit. In addition to
English, I speak Italian, French and Spanish, which helps me
communicate with various people. But I guess in the end
you can either do it – or not do it.
You know Rob (Meyers), he is either sink or swim. In
the beginning I was just barely swimming - more like
paddling really fast!
TVP - What is like being in front of the room? You have
a difficult job in that you have to deal with changing
moods, people who may be engaged or distracted and talking, sometimes it is a tense situation - a very dynamic
atmosphere.
MG – Yes, that’s very true.You can sense the difference in
the room. When you are selling a big, important car, then
everyone is quiet and everyone is watching. But if you are
selling a car that is not that important then people will be
chatting or there will be small groups talking. But that’s not
a problem. It adds to the atmosphere, and I think it would
be terribly boring if the audience had to sit and look at me
for five hours. I think the bidding is better if people can chat
and have the chance to get up and walk around.
And, depending on what car it is and the atmosphere in
the room, you can change your approach.
TVP – Can you explain that?
MG – When you sell a big car it is a slower process.
There can be pauses during the sale. You don’t have to say
anything for, say, five seconds. It feels like an hour. But then
everyone will pay attention.
17
But, if you are selling a smaller car, for
example one in low five figures, if you stop
it surprises people. They will look at you as
if to say - “Are going to sell it or what?”
Or, “Should we leave?”
I adapt to a different speed, change tone
of voice and modify the things I say. It is
more acceptable if you joke around a bit on
a small car, whereas on a more important
car, a more serious car, it is a different
atmosphere all together. I’m not saying you
can’t joke around, but you are more serious
because the buyers expect it.
TVP – I would also think that you have
to present RM in a way that reflects your
company. It would not seem to be appropriate to have people screaming with each
bid as you see on some of the auctions on
TV. It seems like a ploy to work up the
room. Not that it is inappropriate for some
venues, just not the RM style.
MG – Of course, within English auctioneering and American auctioneering
there are different styles. If you compare us
to Bonhams, Jamie Knight and I will
approach the same sale of a car with different styles. He is a bit more reserved. I really enjoy being up there and it shows, and
that is conveyed to the rest of the room. If
everyone is looking at me and I’m having a
nice time, then chances are they will be
more likely to have one, too.
The bottom line: I really, really enjoy it.
But every time, ten minutes before I have
18
to go on, I am wondering why I volunteered or I offered to do this. But then
once you say the first ten words, then I start
having fun.
TVP – Well then, for a big auction, how
do you prepare?
MG – We prepare an auctioneer’s book
and I try to have as much information as
possible for each car. Such as: what is the
reserve we expect, or has been set, how
many telephone bidders have we, are there
parties in the room who we think are
interested in a particular car. We prepare all
that in advance.
Then I try to know as much about each
car as I can. There is nothing worse than to
be up there and not know what you are
selling. When I, say, don’t know what you
are selling, I know what, say, a 540K is, but
it is good to know that this 540K was sold
to Argentina and the son of the second
owner is at the auction. It’s the little details
that sustain interest and help to sell the
product. That is especially true if the bidding slows down. It gives me more confidence and a tool to engage the room.
not just RM, but all of the auctions. I don’t
think there has ever been such a high sales
level with as many cars going at record
prices. It creates enthusiasm and confidence
in the auction system.
I believe that the auction market is
stronger than it has ever been. More and
more people are turning to the auction
market to sell their cars. Don’t get me
wrong; auctions are a very small segment of
the classic car market as a whole, but in the
high-end it makes up a big share of the
sales and it is proving itself to be a good
system. Sometimes it is great for buyers,
sometimes for the sellers and sometimes for
both.
TVP – I would assume that it really
depends on the car?
MG – Yes, it is always up to what the car
is. A buyer may be able to know more than
in a private sale, a seller may get a fantastic
price if the car is bid up or the buyer will
get a great car for little money. Or both
buyer and seller will benefit – great sale
price and the buyer gets a car they have
always wanted. But overall the market is
strong right now.
TVP – Can you talk about where you
see the state of the auction business as
we close out 2011? Obviously it could be
different in five months.
TVP – How do you think the current
economic situation has affected the
auction market?
MG – Absolutely, but right now the
auction business is thriving. Just look at the
results from this year’s Monterey Auctions,
MG – It certainly has impacted the
market. However, people seem to have the
attitude that they can buy a car in the cur-
rent climate, like an American muscle car,
and then drive it for a few years and sell it
for a profit. The fact that the stock market
has been going up and down, and all over
the place – is troubling, but lucky for us it
has not had that much of an impact. Some
impact, but not great.
Our buyers are driven by passion. The
difference compared to the stock market is
if your stocks look like they will fall 15
percent, you’ll sell and move your money. If
your cherished car drops in value you’re
less likely to sell. That passion causes you to
hang on and the market is more stable. The
potential for the market to influence our
sales is strongest in North America, where
the stock market plays a bigger role.
TVP – Is the auction business different
in North America than in Europe?
MG - Completely. In America it is
much more flamboyant. In Europe people
are much more discreet. In America it’s all
about doing the deal – buying the car and
selling it and then moving on to the next
one.
In America there is a lot more “win,
lose, or draw” - I’m putting it in the auction and selling it. The dealers over here do
that often to move cars. In Europe you will
have a dealer that will have an AustinHealey and he will take it to his grave
rather than lose on the car.
In America, I remember a particular
bidder at Monterey who bought a 500K.
When he won he jumped up and cheered
and everyone clapped.You would never get
that in Europe! There the buyer would be
in the room, but they would be on the
phone, hiding behind the chair, round the
corner and almost in the bar. They’re in the
room but trying to hide and doing
telephone bidding so no one will know
who bought the car.
TVP – Do you think the market has
been fueled by the enthusiast websites
and the magazines that cover it?
MG – I think it has to a point. The
more websites or articles there are, the
more coverage sparks interest. The extension of that are the events, especially in
Europe. Goodwood, the LeMans Classic
and the Mille Miglia all have driven the
market.The difference in the year of an XK
120 is a perfect example. One car from one
year might be eligible for the Mille Miglia
or the LeMans Classic, and the other is not.
That’s directly reflected in the auction
price.
Even books seem to have an impact. If
there is a definitive history published on a
marque, that will affect the value of those
cars. I have a client that has a Talbot Lago
and he is anticipating a new book on the
cars with detail on each chassis because he
thinks it will increase his value. And he is
right!
TVP – There may be some people who
will read this article who have never considered buying through an auction. Do you
have some tips that you can give people
who want to jump in?
MG – First, do your homework. Sounds
obvious, but you would be surprised that
some people don’t. That means research so
you know the comparables to what you are
buying. Buy something you love, which
goes back to the idea of passion.
When it comes to one particular car,
buy the best – and rarest – one you can
afford. If it is a DB4 – buy a Series 5. If you
can afford a Series 5, buy a Vantage. If you
can afford the Vantage, buy a left-handdrive Vantage. In whatever class it is, buy
the best of the class. If you can only afford
a restoration project, buy the restoration
project that has the best history to it.
If possible, get it checked out beforehand or do it yourself. Speak to specialists
or restorers. Don’t go in and just put your
paddle up in the air. We have no interest in
someone doing that because they will likely be unhappy with what they have done.
It is possible to have too much information. There are some people who you may
talk to that will have their own agenda.
Not all, but some do. One person may tell
you to buy a car and another will tell not
to. It is all information that you have to
factor into your decision.
TVP – There are some marques that
always seem to be in demand. Ferraris
may be one and Astons over the past few
years certainly have been that way, but
what are the marques that are in demand
now? Is there one or two besides the best
of the best?
MG – Yeah, Ferraris and Astons are still
hot and making good money. This year the
E-Type has come a long way with the 50th
anniversary and I think people have really
begun to appreciate them. Some modern
supercars like a 288 GTO and the F40 have
really shot up, but the F50 and the Enzo
have not. That I cannot explain. Right now
the 288 GTO is going crazy! It is rare and
I guess you can call it a connoisseur’s
Ferrari, but the enthusiasm for them is
difficult to explain.
On the other hand, standard, very nice
pre-war cars, classic cars, have not seen the
spike. The exception is in England where
they are talking million-pound Ulsters!
That seems both remarkable and a bit
crazy.
TVP – Is it generational too? The kids
who have the Enzo model or poster will
want the real thing when they are older
and have made the money to afford one?
TVP – Over here the buyers at auctions
seem to want cars that are as perfect as
possible, but in Europe that is not as
important because they use them more.
Is that right?
MG – That is exactly right. Here, people want 100 percent preserved or beautifully, beautifully restored. There is little
space in between. But in Europe people
are much less fussy and they do use them.
Generally people have fewer cars in
Europe and there is less space for storage.
Here it is not unusual for some of our
clients (if they live somewhere like, say,
Idaho or Texas) to have a warehouse for
their cars. In England or France that
almost never happens because it is more
crowded. Also, in Europe more people use
their classic cars more often, even for daily
use or driving on events.
19
MG – It’s that, and it is also the guy
who has just ordered a 599 GTO and then
he becomes interested in the 288 GTO. He
moves from the moderns into more classic
cars. It is generational, but we also see that
it as a process of learning and a growth in
interest in a marque or several once the
initial purchase is there.
people thought, how is somebody going to
have the patience to diagnose and fix
something as complicated as this. With
time, however, there is always someone
crazy enough to do it. But, I bet when it
was a 10-year-old car it was a daunting task.
TVP – Modern cars are so heavily
dependent on electronics and computers
to control much of the way the car performs. Some people say that they lack
purity and do not provide the visceral
experience that a classic car can provide.
Do you think there will one day be the
same interest in the moderns as there is
in the classics now?
MG – Oh, you should come into my
office for a day or a week. All the guys who
work for me, kid me that I am always buying and selling. Kind of like: here he goes
again! It’s horrible, like craving sweets and
working in the sweets shop. On the other
hand, I have a great job. I get to go around
the world looking at all of these beautiful
cars. Sometimes I am lucky enough to get
to drive them.
I can’t own the pontoon fender Testa
Rossa, but I did get to spend a whole day
driving it in Arizona.
MG – Oh yes. You know in five years,
10 years or 20 years, people will still lust
after the One-77, no matter how technologically advanced it is.
Take, for example, Formula One cars.
When you talk to the people who run
them, they will tell you that you want a
pre-2002 because the electronics are the
older generation and much easier to run. If
you considered that car in 2003, people
would have told you that you are mad! But
now, 10 years later, no problem.
Take the Mercedes 600 with all the
hydraulics. I’m sure as they got older
20
TVP – You see so many spectacular
cars, have you ever been tempted?
TVP – That must have been spectacular!
MG – One of the … yeah, among one
the best drives I’ve been able to have. It
ranks with driving a Ferrari Monza to the
pub or a little 850 Abarth around London.
How cool is that!
TVP – One last question. Do you have
an interesting incident that you’ve experi-
enced in the auction business?
MG – There are so many, but a good
one happened at Amelia Island a few years
ago. We were selling a little BMW Isetta.
There were two bidders. There was a lady
and a gentleman bidding in the room. It
just kept going and going and going. The
whole room was behind it and they were
cheering for this little $20,000 car with
every bid. It was almost like I didn’t even
need to be there. The crowd took over and
they were cheering each bid and egging
the other person on. By the end of it I
think the lady who bought must have
thought, “What have I done?”
I’ve had people hide behind pillars so
they can’t be seen. Once at Monterey I had
one guy get up and yell at his friend when
he realized he was in the room bidding
against him.
At every auction there is always some
incident, whether it’s funny or heartbreaking or just something that really moves
you. The best is when a guy has been looking around one car all weekend and you
know he really wants it, and he is able to
buy it and fulfill his dream.
TVP – Max, thank you again for your
time. It has been a pleasure to speak with
you.
MG – You’re most welcome.
21
WHERE AMAZING HAPPENS
NBA VANQUISH BANGS THE HARD WOOD
by Jim Hazen, Photos provided by Geoff Abadee
In September 2009 Michael Jordan along with fellow NBA players John Stockton and David Robinson
and Coach Vivian Stringer were honored with induction into the Basket Hall of Fame in Springfield,
Massachusetts. The date was also the Golden
Anniversary of the Hall.
There were ceremonies at the Hall and at the nearby Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino. This was a oneof-a-kind event that attracted many luminaries of the
game. And despite Mr. Jordan being a multiple Aston owner, the
place built to honor America’s great indoor sport was perhaps the
last place you would think to look for an Aston Martin.
However during the three-day event a special 2002 Aston
Martin Vanquish 2 +0 was prominently on display at the Hall of
Fame and at Mohegan Sun. As the players entered they were asked
to stop and autograph the car. This included the new and previous
Hall of Fame players and coaches that were on hand. A total of 50
signed their names.
This convergence of American hardwood
royalty and English motorcar royalty was the
idea of Australian-born Geoff Abadee, now of
Los Angeles, California. Geoff ’s no stranger to
working with big name producers; his company provides logistics for major Hollywood
productions.
The Vanquish is one of Geoff ’s cars and he
had it customized for a fund raising idea. He decided to add a basketball court paint job as a way to appeal to the NBA greats. If the
players would sign the “Hardwood Vanquish” it could then be sold
to benefit The Children’s Safety Network, a Newton,
Massachusetts based resource center the works for the prevention
of childhood injuries and violence.
This was also no ordinary Vanquish. It had been modified with
enhanced fenders, custom wheels, seats and carpet treatments and now
a hardwood court stripe and side graphics. A Vanquish is not something you see every day, but the Hardwood Vanquish is truly unique.
To establish a value once the signing was done, Geoff had each
autograph authenticated by the leading sports memorabilia
authentication company and had an independent appraisal of the
Vanquish (with signatures) that valued it at over $1,200,000.
The car attracted the attention of a group of Chinese investors
that were looking for a display centerpiece at a new basketball
themed hall. China is basketball mad and the NBA is followed with
great interest since Yao Ming went to the Houston Rockets. The
sale was agreed on at the appraised price. But when the arrangements for transport were being made the Chinese government
stepped in and accessed a 100% duty on the importation of the
unique Aston.
The deal collapsed, all parties were disappointed and Geoff is
still trying to find a buyer. As before, proceeds from any sale will go
to benefit the Children’s Safety Network.
So for the holidays you can forget about something as pedestrian as the Neiman Marcus Catalog when you’re thinking about a
gift for the Aston enthusiast in your life. Geoff Abadee has just that
special something they might like. Viewing is by appointment
only. Geoff can be reached at 310-505-0410.
22
23
CALIFORNIA
AMOC CONCOURS
IN LOS ANGELES
By John Mutlow, Photos by Robert Dennis
On October 9, the Southern California
AMOC chapter met for their annual concours at The Proud Bird restaurant in Los
Angeles. Conveniently located next to one
of LAX's approach runways, the restaurant
is a tribute to the evolution of modern aviation. What better setting for a display of
the evolution of postwar Aston Martins!
CONCOURS RESULTS
FeLTHAM. DB2/4, 3, 4, 5 AnD 6
1st. Mark & Jane Ransome. DB 2/4
2nd. Judy Chappell and David
Walmsley. 1967 DB6
V8
1st. Larry and Jeannette Fromme.
1991 Virage.
2nd. none
DB 7 AnD neWeR
1st. neil Peart, 2010 DBS
2nd. Randy and Dolly Brewer.
2008 V8 Vantage.
nOn ASTOn CLASS
1st. Patricia and Robert Dennis.
Triumph TR6.
2nd. Jerry Rosenstock. AC Bristol.
"BeST OF SHOW"
PeRPeTuAL TROPHY
Mark and Jane Ransome. DB 2/4
24
Left to right: Larry and Jeannette Fromm, Carmelina Geronca, Jane Ransome, John Mutlow, and facing opposite Mark
Ransome.
25
MONTEREY 2011
“PEBBLE!”
By Tom Smith
“When are you leaving for Pebble?”
For car aficionados, this question, usually
asked in mid-June, has nothing to do with
golf. Unless you are one of the fortunate
few that actually lives on the Monterey
Peninsula, the question signifies the beginning of the trek to what is arguably the
grandest vintage automobile week in the
world. This year was no exception. From
ordinary car shows, to grand tours and rallies, to fabulous parties, packed auctions,
major vintage racing and North America’s
grand Concours d’Elegance, 2011 was a
memorable year for “Monterey Week.”
The week actually begins with the
“Pre-Historics” at Laguna Seca Raceway
the weekend before the Pebble Beach
Concours. Then there are informal car
shows on the streets of Carmel and Pacific
Grove as well as wonderful tours/rallies
throughout the week. Elegant jet-setter
receptions begin on Wednesday night, and
Thursday brings the Pebble Beach Tour and
then the auction action starts. More receptions, more auctions, more grand shows on
golf courses, then the Pebble Beach
Concours on Sunday to wrap it all up.
As usual, there was too much to see and
do during the week. We attended as many
activities as we could, hitting both the
Gooding and RM Auctions and trying to
take it all in. AMOC East Vice-Chair Don
Rose was all smiles when we caught up
with him at Friday night’s RM auction as
the room was packed and the cars were
selling! Many of our members were spotted, and although I didn’t see too many of
their hands up during the bidding, I’m sure
there’s a new purchase or two among our
group! While the auction results will be
much better covered by others, I have to
say it was amazing to be in a room where
John Romano at the wheel of the ex- Angela Brown DB3S/113.
an otherwise “ordinary” Porsche 911
brings $1.25 million due to its Steve
McQueen/Le Mans heritage, and then to
see a Ferrari Testa Rossa bring the highest
price ever achieved at auction at $16.4 million.What an amazing sight, but what spectacular cars! And, of course, the magnificent
display of Ferrari GTOs at both Laguna
Seca and then 22-deep on the lawn at
Pebble Beach was breathtaking. Watching
these cars race and then drive onto the
show field at dawn on Sunday morning
was a sight we won’t soon forget!
Speaking of racing, I don’t think it gets
any better than walking through the
Paddock at the historic races at Laguna
Seca! There were numerous Astons, from a
replica of Project 214 to DB4 to pre-war,
quite a few racing Lagondas and, of course,
many, many more significant cars, all driven angrily around the classic racing venue.
Many famous drivers were spotted, including Derek Bell, Sir Stirling Moss, Hurley
Haywood, Alain de Cadenet and John
Surtees, not to mention fellow-Nashvillian
and reigning IndyCar champion Dario
Franchitti. It’s very cool to “mingle” with
racing royalty amid the great racing cars of
the world, don’t miss it when you go next
year!
Len Auerbach pilots his DB4GT on the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca race track.
26
Aston Martin and the AMOC were out
in full force during the week, beginning
with a jointly hosted reception featuring
the new AM Zagato at Spanish Bay Resort
on Thursday evening. The company also
hosted an exclusive private “Aston Martin
Estate” at a fabulous home overlooking
Carmel Valley near Laguna Seca. On display were the new Zagato, the One-Eleven
and a vintage DB4GT Zagato. Test drives
were available for the entire range, from
V8/V12 Vantage to the new Virage coupe
and even the One-Eleven! This beautiful
venue provided a terrific backdrop for the
AM line and North American head Julian
Jenkins along with Dr. Ulrich Bez and
their staff provided a nice respite from the
“action” down below to bask in all things
“Aston.”
AMOC was also active with receptions,
luncheons at the track, banquet dinners,
barbecues and lots of camaraderie. I spotted
many of our members at the track, at parties and on the lawn at Pebble. AMOC East
members Jim Utaski and Emmett Smith
both had cars “on the lawn,” Jim with his
recently restored (and amazing) Class-winning Siata 208S, and Emmett with his fantastic Steel-Wings-prepared DB2/4
Mk 3 (which made its debut at AMOC
Lime Rock in 2010, and which he rallied
on the Copperstate 1000 in April). Also
member Jack Thomas’ Ferrari 375 America
won major awards at The Quail on Friday.
Also spotted were fellow East members
Tom Papadopolous, (whose Autosport
Designs were displaying the Class-winning
Fiat 8V Supersonic on the lawn at Pebble)
Scott Rumbold, Chris Mulvihill and Kathy
and Randy Poliner.
So, another Monterey Week is in the
books. Was it as good as previous years?
Absolutely! Will next year be able to top it?
Probably so.
27
SUPER
Restored DB2 Supersonic
at Pebble Beach.
(Digital rendering based
on photography by
Kimball Studios.)
28
RSONIC
By Brian Joseph
with special thanks
to Mike Brady
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SUPERSONIC
SUPER CAR
1956 ASTON MARTIN DB2/4 MARK II “SUPERSONIC” BY GHIA AM300/1/1132
The story of the Aston Martin Supersonic, with body by
Ghia, has similarities to several other exotics designed and built
after WW II. The custom coachwork houses of Pininfarina,
Touring, Bertone, Zagato, and of course Ghia were all trying to
get a foothold in the automobile market after the war. Body
designs had made a giant leap forward in the late 1930s with such
examples as the Lincoln Continental, Darrin Packard, 8C 2800
Alfa Romeo, Talbo-Lago T150 Teardrop, and Bugatti Type 57S
Atlantic. The post-war economy was expected to accelerate modern design. There was a rush for the custom design houses to
lead. In Europe the cleanup forced delays to fully implementing
new designs. Not until the early 1950s were designs moving forward
at an acceptable pace.
The “Supersonic” design by Giovanni Savonuzzi (formerly of
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Cisitalia) was adapted to a chassis entered for the 1953 Mille Miglia
driven by Virgilio Conrero. The chassis was a mix of Fiat and Alfa
Romeo components. Ghia was chosen to manufacture the body.
Although not a race winning combination of body and chassis,
given Conrero’s crash, the design was highly acclaimed. In all some
15 Supersonics were built; most were adapted to the Fiat 8V, there
were three based on the Jaguar XK-140 chassis, one Alfa Romeo
platform, and one on an Aston platform.
The last Supersonic was built on a 1956 Aston Martin DB2/4
Mark II chassis with left hand drive. Although described in period
media as done in glassfibre, the body was actually aluminum, as
were all the other Supersonic bodies.The Aston Martin dimensions
were somewhat larger, but Ghia kept to the basic Savonuzzi design
with the signature rear fender shape and the body side moldings of
31
SUPERSONIC
The Supersonic makes a sleek fog cutter at Pebble Beach, where it was entered with co-owner The Patterson Collection, Louisville – and finished 2nd in class.
Supersonic undergoing restoration at Brian Joseph’s shop.
the original Ghia body.
This car is shown in several European publications of 1956,
mentioning Franco-American racing driver Harry Schell as the
owner. The car was first photographed on the street at the 1956
Spa Grand Prix on 3 June (where Harry Schell finished 4th in a
Vanwall). Evidently the Supersonic Aston was finished in the
spring of 1956. Another showing was on the Ghia stand at the
October 1956 Turin Auto Show.
The Aston Martin factory build sheet lists Dick Cowell, 650
Park Avenue, New York 21 as the owner, with no data other than
Reg. No. “4 C New York” – no delivery date, colors, or compo32
nent serial numbers. [There is an entry under SERVICE WORK
of 5 June 1958 at 2,717 km.]
In 1957 the Supersonic showed up in New York City with new
owner Robert Lee. Within a year, the car was sold to a Mr.
Caldwell. It is said that shortly after that he gave it to his girl
friend, Ms. Paulene Whitney. She marked the car as hers by placing a large devil mascot on the hood (not a Flying Lady to be sure).
After another short period Bob Grossman took ownership of the
Supersonic. At that time Fred Bedford was working for Grossman,
and was given the car in lieu of wages. He took the Aston back to
his home in New Hampshire. Sometime later, Arnold O'Brien
Period photos of the interior (above) and exterior (below) depict the Supersonic’s stylistic appeal.
Supersonic’s digital fingerprint.
purchased the car taking it to the mid-west. The car was then sold
to a Detroiter, Bill Mains.
Brian Joseph, the current co-owner, saw the Supersonic in a
parking lot in East Detroit (suburb of Detroit). Brian took pictures
of the car whose condition could best be described as “beat”.
Brian, the owner and founder of Classic and Exotic Service in Troy
Mi., pursued the purchase of the Supersonic until success in 2004.
[30 years – quite a courtship! Ed.] Brian, whose work has achieved
many awards at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, Meadowbrook, and
European shows, finished work on the Aston Martin Supersonic
just prior to the 2011 Pebble Beach show.
33
34
35
Variety of weights and capacities in individual race groups personified here.
LIME ROCK
FALL FESTIVAL
Story and Photos by Bob Epstein
The Labor Day weekend produced another weekend of
vintage racing and other special events. My attendance this year
was limited to Saturday and Sunday, but we packed in a lot of
exciting activities.
The feature collector this year was Dr. Fred Simeone, the
Philadelphia neurosurgeon who has amassed a stunning collection
of automobiles over the years. Stunning not because of preservation, but rather because of the appearance of usability that the cars
display. While some collectors may opt for the full-boat restoration
on a rare vehicle, the Simeone cars are known for being preserved
as found and maintained in drivable condition. One of the cars Dr.
Simeone brought was the Aston Martin DBR1/3. This car played
a major role in Aston’s winning (finally) the 24-hour Le Mans race
in 1959. While not the car that won, Moss and Fairman played the
hare to the Ferrari competition, resulting in the mechanical failures
that allowed Shelby and Salvadori to prevail. The car, as with most
old racecars, has led a hard life since, ending up used and abused
until it was rescued and restored in a Japanese collection from
where Dr. Simeone was able to obtain it.
The car does have that quintessential 1950s sports racer look
about it. Low slung, small and tidy, one seems to sit on the car
rather than in it. The bodywork is of delicate thin aluminum
paneling, and it was hard to find a place to put a hand when
helping to roll it out of its tent. I decided it was better to roll it by
turning a tire. The car made a demonstration run at lunch time,
sounding like a straight-six-engined race car should, with a
smooth, rumbling exhaust note.
And the racing – members Rob Burt, James Freeman, Herb
Wetanson, Jack Boxstrom, Daniel Ghose and Bruce Male, not all in
Astons, but driving well and putting on a great show for the holiday crowds. The race groups were well subscribed with entrants,
and the organizers sometimes mixed cars of widely varying weghts
and capacities, all in the interest putting on a safe, enjoyable event.
One of the special evening events of the weekend was the
showing of the 2010 documentary Senna by Asif Kapadia at the
The Moviehouse in Millerton, New York. The showing was preceeded by a cocktail hour, with all of the seats presold, mostly to
race participants.
Having decided late to attend the weekend, we stayed in Great
Barrington, Massachusetts, a 30-minute drive from Lime Rock
that offers a number of choices for dining and lodging.We ate great
burgers at 20 Railroad, a busy spot that unfortunately served me a
Guinness in a broken glass (didn’t realize it until it was halfway
gone). I’m still here, so no harm done, I suppose.
(continued on page 38)
36
37
The Simeone collection cars - Alfa Romeo, MG K1, Jaguar D-type, Aston Martin DBR1/3.
(continued from page 36)
Sunday in the Park hosted a car show with vintage and special
interest arrayed around the track. The threat of iffy weather may
have reduced attendance, but many thanks to those who brought
their cars out.
Jaguar was a sponsor of the weekend and ran a marketing event
in the Lime Rock outfield parking lot. They were offering test
drives of two new products, the XJ sedan and the XKR-S coupe.
Unfortunately for my son, I opted for the XKR-S and went off for
a brief drive with its minder. The styling is quite seductive, with
good reason because the designer is none other than Ian Callum,
who had previously designed the Aston Marin Vanquish. The
XKR-S has a torquey supercharged V8, knob selector/paddle
automatic, and excellent road manners, with all the leather and
carbon fiber one could want in an interior. The suspension was
designed for the smooth roads of Connecticut, but I wonder how
it might have fared on the broken pavement we have at home in
Maine. The electronics package appears quite complicated – I’m
sure it’s all well thought out, but for us test drivers it was essentially inactivated so as not to be a distraction.
The Fall Festival at Lime Rock has much to offer to the motoring enthusiast, and I highly recommend it to anyone with an
interest in vintage racing automobiles.
Incomparable DBR1/3, quintessential 1950s sports racing car.
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39
RACING LINE
SILVERSTONE 24H ENDURO:
A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING NICHOLAS’ COURT
Nicholas Mee
By Robert Nimkoff, Photos by Nicholas Mee
V8 Vantage team in the winners circle for their hard won second-place finish.
Sunshine and 80 degrees F. So was the unseasonable forecast for
the Silverstone circuit in England this late September as I prepared
to begin my journey to that storied Grand Prix circuit. I was to
compete in the Britcar 24-hour endurance race on October 1-2.
Not six months earlier I had imported to the USA a 2008 Aston
Martin Vantage V8 N24, acquired from Nicholas Mee Racing UK,
and here I was about to race one of their 2010 GT4 Vantage racecars at one of the top four endurance contests in the world.
My reception at Silverstone by the Nicholas Mee team was
welcoming and professional. Nicholas Mee Ltd. is a top London
Aston dealer, restorer and race team that just won the GT4
Challenge Series in the UK. This is a V8 Vantage-only series and
it is growing in popularity. My first glimpse of the circuit amazed
me by how flat and big it was. As an old WWII airfield, it was as
flat as Sebring but seemed larger than its 3.66-mile length with
huge runoffs befitting a modern F1 Grand Prix circuit.
Determining braking points and spotting the apexes was very
difficult, as there were very few visual markers close to the
driving line and the pavement was very wide. This was doubly difficult during the night driving, when bright lights are always filling up your mirrors.
40
Vantage GT4 at Copse corner.
With four classes based on power-to-weight ratios, our car
was one of 22 Class 3 entries among a total of 55 cars entered.
We opted for a conservative qualifying strategy, concentrating on
getting each driver to complete the mandatory three laps in both
day and night sessions. This also allowed me some extra seat time
to familiarize myself with a new circuit. The race organizers had
gone to great efforts to generate a carnival atmosphere and
deliver entertainment for the spectators, (reportedly around
15,000), with a marching band, Apache helicopter fly-bys, and a
drop in by the Red Devils stunt parachute team.
The race got underway before a large cheering crowd
Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Throughout the race we were neck and
neck with the Lotus Evora in the ultra-competitive Class 3
group. Doing double 2.5-hour stints in the early going allowed
good continuity. Mistake-free driving, no penalties, superb pit
stops and spot-on race strategy allowed us to take the class win
and second overall. This was a huge result over big time teams
and cars in the upper two classes which included Moslers,
Porsche Cup cars, Ferrari Challenge and Ginettas. Over the 24
hours of racing there were 10 safety car periods, 10 pit stops, 10
sets of tires, 370 gallons of fuel over 2,050 racing miles.
Our exhaustion after so many hours of mental and physical
exertion just disappeared when our car arrived in parc ferme in
front of the 2nd Overall banner. The crowds, flowers, cheering,
photographers, podium presentation with champagne and flowers was just a mind-blowing experience the likes of which one
sees on television. I had a bit of trouble opening my champagne
cork, but other than that it was a fantastic ceremony.
I was so impressed by the performance of the Vantage GT4
and the Mee team that I am planning on racing in the GT4
Challenge Series next year for a few races. I will also be competing in the Safe Racer SCCA National Championships in
2012 with hopes to make it to the year end Runoffs.
Editor's note: the Vantage GT4 is now for sale through Nicholas Mee.
V8 Vantage team on the podium following their second-place finish.
41
RACING LINE
SWAN SONG FOR DBR1-2 AMR LOLA COUPE TAKES 3RD
PETIT LE MANS 2011 AND MUSINGS WITH GEORGE HOWARD-CHAPPELL
By James Edmonds, Photos by Drew Gibson
Interviewing Adrian Fernandez at the AMR Racing pit.
The Race
And so it was that glorious (if chilly) weather greeted the faithful in Braselton, Georgia, last fall for the annual 1000-mile Petit
Le Mans ALMS endurance classic. We arrived at the track a tad
later than we wished.
…pfff!
We still arrived in time and took care of the important stuff:
the Golf Cart! Armed with a cunning plan, honed to devious
perfection by many a past season of skullduggery, we again procured a cart with the all-important “Teams Only” sticker, allowing us full access! If you’ve ever slogged around Road Atlanta for
a long and muscle-grimacing race weekend, you know the sheer
importance of this invaluable piece of kit. Great as it may be for
getting to all the track’s many extremities in no time flat, (i.e. from
the outside of Turn 1 to the Audi hospitality tent in less than five
minutes for lunch with the stars, overlooking the main straight
from waaaay up on the hill) this pales in comparison to the
unadulterated pleasure derived from eavesdropping on the
panting pedestrians as they wheeze, “Who – are – those - bastards?”
I jest, of course, but having climbed those hills myself on many an
occasion, I know exactly how they feel!
42
Coming across the hospitality “golden tickets” was a close call
as this year they are harder to get, but a few well placed handshakes and some well-timed texts saw us in the Audi tent in time
for the festivities. One of my friends called me a race whore,
because I don’t really mind where we end up! I have to tell you,
that the Patron tent is great…very laid back with great food, great
cocktails and the most spectacular, errr, scenery! Audi is all very
professional, but with great food (this year by Richard Blaise) and
two storeys! Surprisingly, the Panoz tent is remarkable, but for the
wrong reasons!
The race was shaping up to be a real barnstormer. With Audi
Sport Team Joest fielding two cars – debuting the spectacular R18
for its maiden race on U.S. soil - and two cars from Team Peugeot,
it should have been another classic Clash of the Titans. Fortunately
for us, the Greek gods didn’t figure on it turning biblical, and it
wound up being a David and Goliath battle in the end!
This is not meant to be a race recap, as I’m sure most of you
who are still reading will know the outcome. For those who were
playing golf that day, however, I’ll give a few details to flesh out
the piece.
Peugeot led from the pole, but Audi took the fight to them
AMR Gulf Middle East took a best ever 4th in class finish...with only
two thirds of a driver team!
quickly. After the initial round of pit stops, both teams had served
penalties in the pit lane, and the crowd favorite Audi of
McNish/Capello/Kristensen was in for repairs after an early
tussle with a slower car. The lovely Gulf Aston Lola (not the
AMR-One as was initially planned) plodded on making very sexy
noises, but was not in the hunt with the Big Boys and barely even
made the appalling TV coverage, except when caught in the frame
with one of the leaders!
As the race progressed, one of the Pugs did the right thing and
called a halt to its own proceedings when it just stopped at a point
far away from the pits. My pleasure was short lived as it turned out
in the end, as the gods punished me by later retiring the McNish
car due to too many on-track contretemps. The Oreca Pug (last
year’s factory V12 diesel; this year’s Sebring winner) soldiered on
and led the race for quite some time due to the misfortunes of the
main protagonists. The Aston kept swanning along minding its
own business. Still sounding very sexy and drawing grins from all
of us on every lap as it wailed past.
As dusk started to fall, my entourage was back in the Audi tent
getting very excited with the rest of the packed-out place as the
sole contending Audi was pressing the lead factory Peugeot for
Muscle Milk AM Lola retired early to make way for spectacular AMR
works finish.
first place. As Romain Dumas edged closer and then closer still,
the atmosphere was electric as the two sliced through the traffic
of the record grid. We were all cheering him on as he went for the
pass coming out of Turn 7, and then, in an instant, all the air went
out of the building. In what I consider to be a rotten piece of
over-aggressive driving, (I’m not alone on this either, despite having a modicum of favoritism) Frank Montagny swept from the
inside of the track to the outside, pushing the Audi driver into the
43
The plucky Brit being made ready for another battle with the Germans and the French.
wall, thus ending his race in a very rude manner and a shower of
splintered carbon fiber. Despite calls for his head, no penalty was
handed down. I won’t speculate on the long hand of French political involvement in sports car racing, but Audi team boss Dr.
Wolfgang Ullrich said it best on national TV when he chastised
the Pug driver. “This is why Frank Montagny does not drive for
me, and why he will never drive for me!” I’m all for weighing the
facts, but for the past couple of years now, and especially at Le
Mans, it seems that the French drivers have been more than a
little combative…even with the slower classes. Just ask Doug
Feehan at Corvette Racing!
Meanwhile, back at Aston Martin, while Greg Pickett’s privately entered Muscle Milk Aston had fallen out of the running,
the 007 team Aston had quietly moved through the field and was
now running a strong third behind the factory Pug and the Oreca
car. The team had used the many safety car periods to its advantage, making solid strategic calls at the right times, while the drivers all managed to keep the car’s nose clean when most others
were emulating the WRC! It is worth mentioning at this point
that the glorious-sounding and beautifully prepared Gulf-colored
Aston was taken out of moth balls from a private collection to run
here at the behest of AMR. Yes! A museum piece took 3rd overall at the race, not to mention an overall win only a couple of
weeks prior at Laguna Seca, the other race in which that Aston
was entered. Although the team gained some benefit from the
misfortune of others, you have to admire the fact that they played
it safe when they had to, and pressed hard when they could, allowing the race to come to them. “To finish first, first you must
finish,” and all that.
When asked why this car was here, George Howard-Chappell
told me that, “it’s a question of doing what we say we are going
to do. We have sponsors, owners, drivers, AML and a lot of our
supporters that are expecting to see Aston Martin Racing in some
sort of activity. Just stopping isn’t what we wanted to do, or wouldn’t
do because we have obligations that we need to fulfill, and this was
the most sensible way of doing that.”
I bet the car’s owner didn’t mind the added provenance either.
Maybe he can add another zero come auction time!
44
An Aston Vantage GT2 running in the GTE Am class showed
up very well, entered by AMR Gulf Middle East. They ran strong
all day with little incident, and finished a fine 4th in class, having
the distinction of being the only team on the 52-car grid to run
the race with two drivers instead of the usual three. Maybe they
didn’t think they’d last, but in the end they garnered their best
finish ever!
One on (AMR) One with George Howard-Chappell
It’s always a pleasure for me to be able to sit with drivers or key
team personnel for the purpose of doing these articles. I love their
insight and being able to pick their brains. Interviewing them is
always eye-opening and fun, and I always make sure I thank them
for their valuable time and the press officer – Kim Palmer in this
case - for squeezing me in.
At the start of the season, we all had high hopes of seeing the
AMR-One doing battle in the ILMC both abroad, then here at
Sebring and Petit, with, we hoped, finishing positions climbing
the scoreboard steadily as the season progressed. Alas, the reality
turned out to be more of a nightmare than a dream as the
accelerator pedal on the development program was pushed a little
too hard. AMR put the car on the back burner after a very disappointing early season performance and no one was more embarrassed by all this than team Technical Director George HowardChappell. We last spoke at Sebring 2010 as the project was in full
swing, but still very secret. George was pretty tight-lipped about
details then, but was willing to discuss the subject a bit more this
time around.
Le Mans this year was a public relations disaster for the Aston
Martin Racing team, as the two Aston prototypes retired in the
first hour with identical problems. George takes up the story. “The
failure on the day was the alternator drive. We were in the early
part of a very ambitious development program and we had one or
two more problems than we’d expected…I think we’re victims of
our own success. We work on incredibly tight time scales and with
very restricted resources, but we’ve managed to pull cats out the
bag in the past, and this time it didn’t happen.” Despite the team’s
unlucky performances leading up to and including the 24, their
45
On the prowl one last time to the aural delight of all in attendance.
stiff-upper-lip resilience shone through as they rebounded with
what must have been a difficult decision to bring back “Old
Faithful” again.
“A lot of us have been in motor racing a long time,” George
continued, “and sure, what happened at Le Mans was one of the all
time low points, but some of us have even seen worse than that –
believe it or not – and we’ve come back from it. Personally, I’ve had
13 exceptional years at Prodrive, seven of those with Aston Martin.
This is the first time we’ve had a serious problem, so it’s just something that you have to take in your stride and get on with it.
Coming over here and winning at Laguna (Seca) was the boost that
the team needed.”
When the car was revealed to the press, one of the major surprises was the choice of engine. Although no one ever imagined
AMR going down the diesel road, I don’t think that many would
have predicted the ultimate choice of straight six turbo either.
Famed Audi Sport engine designer Ulrich Baretsky publicly
scoffed at the choice, calling it absurd, but George staunchly
defends the choice on its technical merits. He has pointed out that
whereas the big teams test in private and away from prying eyes,
they are subject to the same kinds of teething problems. Astons
had to produce their bespoke design using rapid prototyping in a
very short space of time, and so all the testing was very public. “It
was going to be either a 3.4-liter normally aspirated or two-liter
turbo,” he explains. “We chose the turbocharged route and then
it was a question of what are your choices. Space was not an issue,
so one of the things that appealed from a packaging point of view
with the aero solution that we had was a narrow engine, and that’s
what pointed us in the direction of a six.
“Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with that choice. Even
with what’s happened, I’ll completely defend that.We’ve taken some
outside advice on it, and the decision was the same from one of the
world’s most renowned engine builders, so it’s not like we made any
mistakes, we just didn’t leave ourselves enough time or have enough
resource to get it sorted in the timescale we had available.”
46
Some people muse that this engine might form the basis of a
future Aston Martin road car, but this notion is quickly dismissed.
“The engine design is strictly Aston Martin Racing. It has
absolutely nothing to do with a road engine. It’s a very small, very
light, state of the art engine. What you’re trying to achieve with
an engine for racing is something that hasn’t got a very long life,
can be very expensive, wants to be very light, and has to be
extremely efficient and powerful.Those same criteria do not apply
for a road engine. They are almost reversed.” The next comments
I thought were quite humorous, when taken in the context of the
cars being discussed. “You want it to be very cheap, it doesn’t have
to be particularly powerful (!) and it wants to be very durable.
From a design perspective, they are poles apart.”
Since Le Mans, AMR-One has not been seen again, and its
future seems unclear. Whether the car will make a resurgent
comeback in 2012 in revamped form remains to be seen. When
pressed on future plans, George toed the company line and deftly
dodged my questions on the matter. “We looked at all the options
and it’s a tough decision to say we’re going to park it for the
moment, but that’s what we’ve decided to do for a number of reasons, and not just technical. It’s under review…on hold at the
moment. We’ve done quite a lot of work, but in terms of what’s
going to happen next, I don’t want to talk about that.”
This may spark some heated barroom debates at your local
natter ‘n’ noggin, but in the author’s opinion - unconfirmed by
anyone else – AMR has now seen that the mammoth cost
involved in factory-produced LMP1 cars is cripplingly expensive.
Small as their budget may be when compared to Audi and
Peugeot, we are still talking HUGE numbers, the likes of which
could fund a small F1 team. With little hope of beating the oil
burners, there is small reward in being the first loser, so to speak.
With its roots firmly planted in GT racing, and having seen the
ultimate reward in that class, I foresee a return to front line GT
competition in the future.
I may be crazy, but “watch this space” as they say.
47
CLASSIFIED ADS
AMOC member is seeking an excellent
DB5 or DB4 for long term ownership. Example can be either
LHD or RHD. I am an individual buyer and a member of
AMOC North America. If you are interested in having your
Aston go to a new home where it will be cherished, please contact Mike Odierna, 203-622-8717, or mikeodierna@gmail.com.
WANTED TO PURCHASE
48
49
UPCOMING EVENTS
2012
AMOC NORTH AMERICA EVENT SCHEDULE
Please contact your Area Rep for additional details and information.
ASTONS INVADE THE
PRANCING HORSE!
January
June
FL
19-22
Palm Beach Florida. Cavallino Classic
features The Aston Assembly, Collier
Collection Tour and many other events
associated with the annual Ferrari concours.
Contact Russell Glace at reglac@aol.com
or (561) 585-5564
PA
22-24
Concours d'Elegance of the Eastern United
States, Skytop Lodge, Pocono Mountains,
Pennsylvania. Aston Martin is a featured
Marque. Contact Len Levin2391@verizon.net or concourseast.org.
CT
29-31
Lime Rock, Connecticut. AMOC East
Lime Rock 41. This year's headquarters will
be at the Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, CT
(800) 222-2909. For more information
contact Jim Hazen at
jwhazen@comcast.net or (781)383-6007
February
FL
24-26
Boca Raton Florida. 6th annual Boca
Raton Concours d'Elegance. Aston Martin
is a featured marque. A weekend of events
culminating in a Sunday concours at the
Boca Raton Resort & Club. Contact
Russell Glace at reglac@aol.com or (561)
585-5564
July
WI
12-15
Road America Vintage racing- “The Hawk
with Brian Redman”
May
GA
4-6
Georgia.. AMOC Gulfstream Rally.
Bluffton, South Carolina to Savannah,
Georgia. Road rally and tour of the
Gulfstream works. Contact Charlie Rose at
(703) 606-8000 or crose77@aol.com
Aston Martin will be the featured marque during the Cavallino
Weekend and at the Classic Sports
Sunday Concours at the Mar A
Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on
January 19-22. Activities include a
tour of the renown Collier
Collection, a track day, social events
in and around Palm Beach and
Astons on the lawn at Classic
Sports Sunday.
Events can be taken individually
or you can participate in all of
them. See the ad on page 11 of this
issue for more information. Contact
TomSmithamocmembership@gmail.com or
Russell Glace - reglac@aol.com
for more information.
August
CA
17-19
Laguna Seca, California. Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion, featuring the 50th
anniversary of the Shelby Cobra.
NEW MEMBERS
50
McKeel Hagerty
Traverse City, MI
DB4
Frank Carollo
Huntington, NY
V8 Vantage
Chester Trent Lott, Jr.
Paris, KY
DB2 Mark III
Roger H. Sternfeld
Wyndmoor, PA
DB7 Vantage
Charles G. Perry IV
Summerville, SC
Vanquish S
Carsen Cornell
Canton, GA
DB7 Volante
Bill Weinstein
Wellesley, MA
DB4
Margaret (Meg) Salyer
Oklahoma City, OK
DB5C, 1 1/2 L. Mk II
John J. Padavano
Scarborough, ME
V8 Vantage
Frank DiSalvo
Fort Salonga, NY
V8 Vantage
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
NEW MEMBERS
Troy Blakely
Beverly Hills, CA
Robert J. Bleck
Los Angeles CA
DB9 COUPE 2006
TonyBlevins
Half Moon Bay CA
DB7 I6 VOLANTE 1998
Keith Blodgett
Tiburon CA
DBS 2009
Randy Brewer
Redondo Beach CA
V8 VANTAGE 2009
Chris M. Cason
San Rafael CA
DB7 VANTAGE VOLANTE
2003
Allison Pon & Chris Croudace
Los Altos CA
V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER
2008
Keith Dahl
Huntington Beach CA
DB7 I6 COUPE 1997
Christopher Davis
Park City UT
V8 VANTAGE 2006
James P. Dretler
Tucson AZ
VANQUISH 2003
Mrs. Shawn & Bill Ebert
Morgan Hill CA
V8 VANTAGE 2009
Steve & Trinidad Eldridge
Temecula CA
V8 VANTAGE 2009
Hans Fischer & Kelly Coker
Orange CA
VIRAGE 1991
Gregory L. Gussman
Flagstaff AZ
DB6 1968
Alberto A. Gutierrez
Albuquerque NM
DB6 1966
Richard G. & Velvet S. Heller
Ojai CA
V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER
2010
Michael LaBarre
San Diego CA
V8 VANTAGE 2006
Clifford Lavine
San Francisco CA
Pascal Levensohn
San Francisco CA
DBS 2009
Richard L. Munns
Los Alamitos CA
VANQUISH 2003
Wil N. Stevenson
Stanwood WA
DB7 VANTAGE GT 2003
David Jo & Alec Murray
Long Beach CA
V8 VANTAGE 2006
Mark Tofflemire
Alameda CA
DB7 I6 COUPE 2003
Denny K. Paul
Carmel CA
DB7 I6 COUPE 1998
George Tzimapitis
Lone Tree CO
V8 VANTAGE
2007
Carol Resnick
Plano TX
V8 VANTAGE 2010
Robert Matthew Reveille
Golden CO
V8 Vantage S 2012
Hobie Richards
Beaverton OR
V8 VANTAGE 2008
Cort Rockwood
Tustin Ranch CA
DBS 1968
Bob Rosin
San Francisco CA
V8 VANTAGE 2007
Andrew McDonald
San Jose CA
Charles W. Sachs
Garden Ridge TX
V8 VANTAGE 2007
Deirdre McQuillan
Pebble Beach CA
Andrew Slater
Los Angeles CA
Tim Morgan
Seattle WA
V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER
2008
Dan Smith
Mountain View CA
V8 VANTAGE 2011
Joe & Lisa Viso
San Jose CA
VANQUISH 2002
Hank & Rita Weinblatt
Los Angeles CA
DB7 VANTAGE VOLANTE
2003
Donald M. & Roberta B.
Wiesner
Gold River CA
DB9 COUPE 2005
John Worthing
Granite Bay CA
DB9 COUPE 2007
51
BOOK REVIEW
ASTON MARTIN ULSTER - SURVIVORS AND THE FITTEST
Reviewed by James W. Hazen
First Edition – 2011, limited to a press run of 500 copies
Price: £400 / about US $640 plus shipping
Authors: Alan Archer with Jeffery and Stephen Archer
Publisher: Palawan Press, London www.palawan.co.uk
Size: Very Big. Very Heavy: 5 kg / 11 lbs.
Binding: Casebound with Slip Cover
Pages: 450
Illustrations: 530+ black & white and color photos, and illustrations
The foundation of Aston Martin is a series of cornerstone models. These cars arrive like a knight in shining armor, in difficult
times when finances are in peril, and the company seems doomed.
In their own way, these models helped Aston survive, setting the
tone for the next generation. The Aston Martin Ulster was the first
of these great cornerstones. This book supposes that, without
Ulsters, Aston Martin would not exist today.
The Ulster was created under the leadership of Augustus Cesare
(Bert) Bertelli; he called them,“The best car I ever built.”This model
was named in honor of their performance at the Tourist Trophy race.
Some 31 Ulsters were built in 1934 and 1935 with limited resources.
Despite that, they exceeded far beyond their humble origins.
Raced at LeMans, in the TT and on the Mille Miglia by wellheeled sportsmen like Prince Bira and Morris Goodall (founding
member of the AMOC), the Ulsters were sold successfully in customer form. The Ulster was the first great Aston model.
Aston Martin Ulster - Survivors and the Fittest [later, Ulster] from
Palawan Press is the story of those 31 cars when they were built,
how they were driven and raced - and how they have been
lovingly cared for as 28 survive today. The book is truly impressive. It is hard to fit all that I want to say about Ulster into a brief
review. It is that good.
Acquiring a copy of Ulster is a wonderful experience. You could
call it a coffee table book; it is the size of a coffee table in a small
London flat. It weighs in at more than 11 lbs, is 450 pages long, and
each copy comes ensconced in a very handsome slipcase.
When my copy arrived, I felt I was unwrapping a gift, a glorious present. Books from Palawan Press are renowned for their
uncompromising quality and design, and Ulster is in keeping with
that standard. Palawan has produced other Aston books: Aston
Martin - The Compleat Car, On Aston Martin,The Aston Martin DB3S
Sportscar and Aston Martin Zagato. Palawan provides a compelling
resource into the history of the marque, with its two examples of
a catalogue raisonné on Astons, and now its third learned monograph
on a specific model.
The first thing you notice about Ulster is the beautiful period
font on the cover. Impressed onto the black finish are the words
“Aston Martin” in gold script and “Ulster” in white. What strikes
you next is the very tactile nature of the book – the black pebble
grain of the cover, the smell of the ink, the heft of the pages and
the beautifully reproduced photos. It is thoroughly compelling to
look at, touch and to leaf through.
Aston Martin Ulster - Survivors and the Fittest is a very personal
work. It is a family project that brought together the efforts of the
Archers. The authors of Ulster are Alan Archer and his sons Jeffery
52
and Stephen. Long time members of the AMOC may remember
Alan’s visits to North America. Jeff and Stephen came, too. In fact,
there is a photo of Jeff and Stephen in LM20 in Georgia when the
late Charlie Turner owned it in 1974. (LM20 is now in the possession of Simon Draper, creator of Palawan Press.)
Alan wrote Ulster over a number of years, finishing the original manuscript in 2004. It was not published until 2011 after Jeffrey
and Stephen took up the challenge of completing the work after
Alan died in 2009. [Then Jeff died in July 2011 at the tender age
of 58. -Ed.]. While the words were there, editing and more photo
research were required to find appropriate photos. The result is a
truly shared effort from author to collaborators, father to sons.
Ulster is divided into three parts: Part One describes the genesis of the Aston Martin marque and how the first 20 years led to
the creation of the Ulster.
When Robert Bamford joined Lionel Martin and started the
company called Aston-Martin, Martin, ever the salesman, decreed
that they would put England at the forefront of the light car. He
set his sights on producing a model equal to the Bugattis of the day.
Racing formed the foundation of Aston Martin; early success
could be measured by the results of racers with nicknames like
“Coal Scuttle” and “Green Pea” and “Bunny” and “Razor Blade.”
But while the cars were of note, the partnership was not, and
Aston-Martin fell into the first of many financial crises.
Receivership was mandated and new ownership was sought.
In the autumn of 1926 a deal was struck and a new company,
Aston Martin Motors, Limited was formed, with Bert Bertelli and
Bill Renwick at the helm. Despite continuing ups and downs the
little company managed to survive and produce road cars and to
compete actively at the highest level. New capital infusion and
management changes in the form of Gordon Sutherland kept
Aston Martin going through the 1930s and ’40s. Bertelli, though
no longer the owner, stayed on to lead development and the
racing efforts.
In 1932 a trio of factory Le Mans racers were the first British
team to be awarded the Rudge-Whitworth Cup for their performance at la Sarthe. In 1933 a pair of privateer cars won the
highest awards at the grueling Alpine Trials, and in 1934 an outright win was achieved at the Tourist Trophy race at Ulster in
Northern Ireland. It was this last achievement that was celebrated
with the name Ulster being tagged on the next generation of
Aston Martin racing cars.
In Part 2, Ulster covers the building and competition of the
Ulsters, and the follow-up generation of two-liter Astons through
the 1940s. Throughout this section many wonderful details make
the book special.
Period photos show the factory workrooms where engine components are readied for assembly, and the panel-beating shop where
the workers look into the camera. The typical work dress is a vest
or an apron, white shirt and tie with sleeves rolled up. One stares
at the camera with his protective welding goggles pushed up on his
forehead. There are examples of factory drawings for bodies (the
clam shell boot) and for the engine. The wonderful images of the
Ulster Team cars lined up in the pits at Le Mans and at the start of
the TT Race show the atmosphere and energy of those events. All
add to the richness of the reading experience.
An Aston Martin Ulster is described as “…a 1934 or 1935
works team car or a replica built in the spirit of their specifications
and embodying their salient features, in Victoria Road, Feltham
during those two years.”
Part 3 covers each car in detail that meets that description. By
serial number starting with the customer cars, followed by the team
cars, each Ulster is given its own section.This represents the majority of the book, and it is the most fascinating part to read.
As the cars were researched, the authors compiled the history
with facts, dates and tidbits on each. This is supported by a wealth
of period photos and modern shots. The photos and reproduced
documents number in the hundreds. The life of each Ulster is presented from build to the present. AMOC North America members
David Van Schaick and Dick Schultz have their Ulsters featured;
both are beautifully presented.
The stories are humorous; there were plenty of characters who
owned Ulsters. Touching – as one Ulster changed hands among
fighter pilots at an RAF base during World War II as the owners
lost their lives defending their country. Sad – in one case the
owner has stored Ulster G/460/S outside, unused for years, and it
has been allowed to deteriorate terribly.
As a fitting conclusion to their work on the book Stephen and
Jeff assembled over half of the Ulsters still extant at Donington in
July 2011.Twenty-eight survive today; most are still regularly either
on the road or raced with abandon. They still represent the quintessential British sports car of the 1930s.
Make no mistake: Ulster is a luxury product. It is beautifully
conceived and executed, numbers are limited and a copy costs
significantly more than most other books on cars. In an era when
technology has reduced the published word to a download onto an
eReader, a book from Palawan Press is a fitting antidote to the
Kindle and its ilk.
But my question was: is Ulster worth it? In my opinion it
absolutely is worth every pound/dollar. This is true if you love
Astons, if you love history, and if you love to collect something that
is fine and rare. Aston Martin Ulster - Survivors and the Fittest is more
than just a book: it is a family heirloom to be passed down for
enjoyment by future generations. This is a glorious publication that
stands as a testament to the survival of a great marque, to Palawan’s
publishing prowess and to the dedication of the Archer family that
describes the history.
IM MEMORIAM
ROBERT ASBED DJEREJIAN AIA
Robert Djerejian, Senior Managing Partner of HLW
International, was a true pioneer, responsible for establishing the firm’s international operations worldwide.
After graduating from Pratt Institute’s School of
Architecture, Robert first served as Plans and Projects
Officer in the United States Army Corps of Engineers,
later moving on to join HLW and become Design
Director involved in all phases of project design and production. As architect and planner his projects have earned
design awards from the American Institute of Architects,
the National Council for the Endowment of Arts, the
New York Society of the American Institute of Architects,
and the United States Postal Service. He was the recipient
of honors including Architect of the Year by the
Association of Contractors. He was a sought-after consultant and speaker to executives in various industry
groups and universities here and abroad.
He was the firm’s unofficial ambassador to the Middle
East, establishing offices in Beirut, Athens and Riyadh. He
exhibited the same adventuresome spirit in his personal
interests. He loved to race his Aston DBSV8 at Lime
Rock, Connecticut, and took first place in 2009. He also
had a passion for mountain climbing and scaled the
Matterhorn, the Riffelhof and Mount Kilimanjaro. He
was and avid and knowledgeable music lover and collector and delighted in his wife’s international vocal career.
Robert’s major projects have included NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, IBM Manufacturing and Research
Buildings, Corporate Headquarters for American
Reinsurance and Xerox Corporation Research facilities,
United States Trust Company Office, United States Postal
Service Centers and Maintenance Facility New York City,
AT&T Communication Centers, Family Court of New
York City, Keio High School New York, Hallmark
Headquarters and Commercial High School mixed use
New York City, Mercedes Benz of NA New York City
and the World Financial Center New York City.
International clients have included ARAMCO
Medical Facilities, Prince Sultan City for Humanitarian
Services, Kingdom Medical Center, Ministry of Health in
Saudi Arabia, American University of Beirut Medical
Center and College Hall, Agricultural Research Center
Nigeria, Kuwait Chamber of Commerce, Headquarters
Korean Pension Fund, Seoul, and in Shanghai, Ciros
Headquarters Center and Taibo Mixed Use Complex.
Robert Djerejian served on the Board of Trustees of
Pratt Institute, was a Board Member of Fonar
Corporation, a Founding Director of the Delaware
College of Art and Design and on the Board of Advisors
for the Consortium for Advancement of Building
Sciences at Penn State.
To his cherished family, dear friends and admiring colleagues, he will be remembered as a stunning, charming
and gifted man, and will remain an eternal inspiration.
53
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
54
ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUB
NORTH AMERICA
QUARTERLY JOURNAL
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: (905) 617-7011
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
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
JOHN MUTLOW
2658 Glendower Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90027,
(323) 664-4373
mutlow@gmail.com
CALIFORNIA—NORTHERN
DON LOVASIK
6723 Corte Tercera
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 288-9191
donlovasik@juno.com
Password access to Members Area available by contacting Webmaster
with your membership number: amocweb@amoc.org
MOUNTAIN
VACANT
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA
JOHN LAVENDOSKI
8127 Meas Drive B206-116
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 748-1434
john@prodicus.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
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