ASTON MARTIN vANQUISH S - The Seen

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GARRARD’S GEMS + SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW GARRARD’S GEMS Compiling each issue of FullBore, while being a not insignificant task in itself, helps stimulate reflection on the recent past while also focussing our minds on the challenges and adventures in the coming year. Although as this is written we still have the exciting run-up to Christmas and the holiday season ahead of us, 2012 has been a very busy year, as well as being a groundbreaking year for the company. In addition to moving into our new Brackenbury House showrooms, there’s also been much behind-the-scenes activity at our Brackenbury Garage Service & Aftercare centre where we’ve implemented a number of organizational changes and improved our resources to drive this important area of our business further forward. Speaking for the ‘New Era’ side of our business, I look back on 2012 as a year of mixed fortunes. The new showroom has had a fairly dramatic effect on our sales activities as we are now able to offer more cars than previously, and our dedicated sales environment allows us to present them to the highest standards, the result being an increase in sales. However, the general economic conditions don’t help buyer sentiment, and trading conditions are not easy, but the good news is that 10 there’s fantastic value to be had. The DB7 Vantage, for example, has probably now reached the bottom of its deprecation curve, but it still looks as sharp and timeless as when launched. We expect it to be a popular model in 2013 and so prices may well soon start to creep up. The original Vanquish and Vanquish S models are certainly being looked upon as future classics and, as such an important car in Aston Martin’s history and with relatively low production volumes, they have been gaining in popularity with prices of low mileage, well maintained examples firming up. One also can’t ignore the DB9 – a superb GT car that now represents startlingly good value with entry prices at approximately £40,000 for a coupe and £45,000 for a Volante. With annual service intervals, predictable maintenance costs and now the peace of mind provided by our new Warranty policy, these fantastic V12s now make a lot of sense. Go on, you know you want to. You won’t regret it! So, a quick reflection on 2012. My Car of the Year? Well, recently we received our first pre-owned Rapide for sale and I must say that we are all quite smitten. It’s a highly capable sports car with the ability to carry four in style and comfort, while the build quality and finish are superb. And my Event of the Year? While the Goodwood Revival is always tough to beat, I was lucky enough to attend the London unveiling of the new Vanquish – a great occasion that certainly did justice to what is set to be a mind-blowingly good car. 2013 will be another exciting year, not for just for NM&Co but for the Aston Martin marque as it celebrates its centenary year. We’ll continue to provide you with previews of the various events planned by Aston Martin and the AMOC in our new FullBore Lite monthly newsletters. You can also keep up to speed with all our news at our Facebook page and Twitter feed. Meanwhile, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year! Neal SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW SOMETHING OLD - V8 VANTAGE VOLANTE ‘SPECIAL EDITION’ SHORT CHASSIS Built during 1965 and 1966, the Short Chassis Volante was based on the DB5 Convertible but was introduced at the same time as the DB6 saloon. Though similar to the DB5 Convertible, it was the first Aston Martin to be called a ‘Volante’ and it had several DB6 features such as split bumpers, a bigger oil cooler intake plus the DB6’s interior trim and instrumentation, although one feature unique to the Short Chassis was its rear light clusters. Of the 37 DB Short Chassis Volantes built, three were equipped with the DB5’s 314bhp, Vantage spec engine. Regarded by the cognoscenti as the ultimate of the convertible DB series, recent cars to market have fetched up to the region of £750,000 for restored examples – hardly surprising given this DB’s highly satisfying aesthetics and rarity. SOMETHING NEW - VOLANTE ‘SPECIAL EDITION’ SHORT CHASSIS For a concise description of all Aston Martin models from the DB1 to the 2013 DB9, visit our Models section » FULLBORE FOR THIS ISSUE WE BRING yOU SOMETHING OLD, AND SOMETHING A BIT LESS OLD, BUT WE MAKE UP THE RULES AROUND HERE, AND WE FELT THAT WE SHOULD THROW SOME LIGHT ON THE TERM ‘SHORT-CHASSIS’. Just nine Special Edition V8 Vantage Volantes were ‘unofficially’ built to order during 2000, and they were the very last V8powered Aston Martins to be produced at the Newport Pagnell factory. Commonly referred to as ‘short-chassis’ Volantes, the Special Edition versions’ wheelbases were shorter than the standard Volante’s, although just one Special Edition car was built on the standard longer chassis. All however were powered by 550 or 600 bhp supercharged engines and, although all were unique in terms of precise specification as they were all built to individual client requirements, they featured much of the ultra-high performance hardware of the V550 and V600-spec hard-top coupés. When new the short chassis Volantes’ prices, including the various individual options, were generally in the area of £250,000. As one might imagine, instances of this model coming to market are infrequent due to the very limited numbers built and so it’s hard therefore to give recent or meaningful indicators on current value, but it would be relatively safe to assume that an example coming to market today would command a figure in excess of its price when new.
ASTON’S AT AUCTION + TECH TEAM NEWS ASTONS AT AUCTION A NUMBER OF ASTON MARTINS HAVE COME TO AUCTION SINCE THE LAST ISSUE OF FULLBORE IN JULy. HERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE COME UNDER THE HAMMER MORE RECENTLy, PLUS ONE VERy SPECIAL LAGONDA, THAT GRABBED OUR ATTENTION. RM Auctions, Battersea, London, 31st October 1960 DB4 Series II coupé Fully restored in the mid 1980s, an AMOC concours winner in the 1990s and fastidiously maintained by marque specialists since then. Sold for £235,200 1964 Aston Martin DB5 coupé Delivered new in September 1964 to Paul McCartney. Options fitted include a Philips Auto-Mignon record player. Full 11 All sale prices inc. buyer’s premium cosmetic restoration completed in Italy in early 2011. Sold for £344,400 1964 DB5 Convertible Restored to Concours-level in late ‘80s, low mileage since then. Very recent respray, engine detail and service. Sold for £632,800 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake Commissioned new by Innes Ireland, one of two DB6 Shooting Brakes by FLM Bonhams, Goodwood Revival, 15th September 1939 Lagonda V12 Le Mans Team Car Despite limited development time and experience, Lords Selsdon and Waleran’s privately-entered No. 6 Lagonda finished 4th overall in the 1939 Le Mans 24hr, one place behind the works-entered ‘Old Number 5’. Sold for £1,289,500 – a new world auction record for the marque. Christie’s 50 Years of James Bond sale, South Kensington, 5th October 2008 Aston Martin DBS As driven by Daniel Craig as James Bond in Quantum of Solace. Sold for £241,250 (proceeds to Barnardo’s). Panelcraft. Full Works Service restoration. (Estimate: £325,000–£375,000). Not sold at £300,000 2001 Vanquish Prototype 2+0 The second Vanquish prototype. Featured in publicity photographs and media roadtests. 35,716 miles from new, full AM dealer service history. Sold for £58,800 TECH TEAM NEWS As regular FullBore readers will already be aware, during 2012 Nicholas Mee & Co migrated its AM Heritage sales showrooms to the Goldhawk Rd., just five minutes walk from our service and aftercare workshops at Brackenbury Garage in Hammersmith, West London. This move has allowed our New Era and Heritage workshop facilities to expand into the entire 6,400 sq ft of the building. The additional space has allowed us to increase the number of cars that we’re able to provide servicing, maintenance and restoration support for. In 2012, additional ramps, further specialized tooling and equipment, and the addition in June of another technician, Angus Payton, have all bolstered NM&Co’s Service & Aftercare operations. To support the significant increase in demand we’re also pleased to confirm the forthcoming arrival of a highly experienced Service & Aftercare Manager, who will lead our dedicated team from January 2013 onwards. In the meantime, here’s an update from our Heritage and New Era heads of department on their 2012 activities and their outlook for the forthcoming year. Andrew Weller – New Era: During my three years with the company, I have overseen the rapid growth in the servicing and maintenance of New Era cars from the DB7 to the latest Gaydon-built models. With the support of my colleague Paul Hill, another highly experienced Aston Martin-trained technician, we’ve seen a continued increase in the number of new customer cars for which we are providing servicing and maintenance. Although Nicholas Mee Racing’s activities are currently on hold, we have continued to provide parts FULLBORE and technical support to a number of teams campaigning V8 Vantage GT4 racecars. I recently supported our client, Perfection Racing, at the Silverstone 24hr endurance race where we achieved a podium finish with the fantastic result of 3rd overall and 1st in class. I’m now looking forward to my next outing with the team in the sunnier climes of Dubai for the gruelling 24hr race held there each January. I shall be posting progress updates via Twitter and our Facebook pages. David Swadling – Heritage: The company’s showroom expansion has had a dramatic effect on our Heritage workshop this year because it has lead to a significant increase in the amount of sales preparation and servicing undertaken. During 2012 the workshop delivered a number of projects including a restored DB5, a refurbished DB4 and DB6, and a 7-litre conversion on a V8 Zagato. We’ve also supported a number of highly prized classic Aston Martins and we’re currently into the restoration of two DB4s, to be completed during the 2013 season. With Angus now on the team he’s rapidly extending his experience of Heritage Aston Martins, and we’re all looking forward to the challenge of future projects, welcoming new enquiries and bringing our skill sets to bear on Aston Martin’s timeless classics. Nicholas Mee & Co provides servicing and maintenance support for all post war Aston Martin models. For pricing for a scheduled service, or for any further information, please contact a member of the team. Tel.: +44 (0)208 741 8822 info@nicholasmee.co.uk | Book a service »
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE.15 | AUtUmn—WIntEr 2012
Page 3 and 4: HOLIDAy PERIOD OPENING HOURS: Satur
Page 5 and 6: NEWS AM NEW INvESTMENT? You may hav
Page 7 and 8: FEATURE : TWO’S BETTER THAN ONE W
Page 9: FEATURE : ?????????????? 19 With it
Page 13 and 14: 13 THE FB CENTREFOLD: ASTON MARTIN
Page 15 and 16: WHAT’S IN STOCK ASTON MARTIN DB6
Page 17 and 18: 17 CHRISTMAS AT THE ASTONSTORE THE
Page 19 and 20: A FlIgHT INTO SpACE?! As the late N
Page 21 and 22: ASTON MARTIN db5 1/18TH SCAlE MOdEl
Page 23 and 24: FEATURE : RAPIDE TRANSIT As I appro
Page 25 and 26: CTR EVENTS 2013 LE MANS 24HRS 21-23
Page 27 and 28: FEATURE July: New Vanquish unveilin
Page 29 and 30: FEATURE : 3 29 27 « September: Che
Page 31 and 32: FEATURE : 2012; A SOCIAL REVIEW Jul

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