Fullbore Issue 26 — Autumn 2018

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AUTUMN 2018

Nicholas Mee & Co’s world of Aston Martin

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Front cover image: This issue’s featured car, the ex-Victor Gauntlett V8 Vantage, wakes up the neighbours!

Nicholas Mee & Co Ltd Essendonbury Farm Hatfield Park Estate Hatfield

Contacts

Hertfordshire

T: +44 (0)208 741 8822

AL9 6AF

info@nicholasmee.co.uk

United Kingdom

http://www.nicholasmee.co.uk

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MEE SPEAK Nick’s take on the world of Aston Martin, including the big news about our successful move and Astons making big prices at auction ULTIMATE EDITIONS Steve Wakefield tries a DBS Volante Ultimate for size on the new NM&Co test route WHAT’S IN STOCK The latest news from the showroom, including not one, but three V8 Zagatos VICTOR’S VANTAGE Here’s a scoop. Not only do we have an ex-Victor Gauntlett V8 Vantage for sale, we’ve a video of another Gauntlett – son Richard – taking it for spin ESSENDONBURY FARM Welcome to our new premises, artfully repurposed 17th century buildings with state-of-the-art facilities on the Hatfield Park Estate ESSENDONBURY FARM Grand Opening Weekend Join us and like-minded enthusiasts over the weekend of 20-21 October for a guided tour of our new set-up NEW LOOK ASTONSTORE Some ideas for you – or your car – for the winter months in the new-look online AstonStore THE HISTORIC MOTORING AWARDS FINALIST We’re delighted to be in the running for two prizes at this prestigious end-of-year event The limited-edition Aston Martin DB11 ‘CD20’ News of a modern Aston with a traditional twist from our friends at classicdriver.com

© Nicholas Mee & Co Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the copyright owner.

Creative Director: Adrian Morley, www.theseen.biz

MEE S P EA K In addition to all the news and views you’d expect in another bumper edition of FullBore, it’s my great pleasure to use the pages of our regular e-magazine to give you, our readers, friends and clients, an open invitation to view our new base.

Since late-May we’ve been finding our feet in the company’s all-new Hertfordshire facility, specially developed for us and only a 20-mile hop from central London (just eight minutes by road from the M25). We are now fully operational and a phone call or email to the team will easily fix a date for a tour of the establishment.

Relocation completed, we recently exhibited a selection of the best Aston Martins at this year’s Concours of Elegance, held at the historic Hampton Court Palace on the banks of the Thames. Our favourite concours of the year, the event once again saw a broad spread of the most exceptional cars, all meticulously displayed in the manicured gardens of the Palace.

For drama, Hampton Court was only eclipsed a few days later by the Goodwood Revival, where the Shelby Cobra currently in the showroom at Essendonbury led the famous Tourist Trophy Celebration for many laps.

Speaking of historical icons, many will know that the exJim Clark Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, ‘2 VEV’, was sold for just over £10m at the Goodwood Festival. A lot of money in anyone’s language, it was also something of a record. Then, only a few weeks later in Monterey, Aston Martin DP215 achieved $21.455m. It was the prototype racing coupé that held the record for the fastest front-engined car on the famous Hunaudières – the Mulsanne straight to you and me – in 1963. That was 198.6mph then and today’s value works out at around £16.7m – heady stuff in every sense, not least, as when we sold this car in the mid 1990s for £1.5m it seemed a pretty full figure to achieve!

Coming down to earth, our current stock has never been more diverse, with highly appealing cars at most attractive prices, from an exceptional ’88 V8 Vantage Volante to models from

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almost every other era, all of the highest quality. Of particular interest we have a superb ‘time warp’ LHD V8 Vantage Zagato, with original paint and just 6,000km from new, and the original Motor and Car road test 1980 V8 Vantage. It’s a stunning example, with additional historical context as for many years it was owned by legendary company chairman and CEO Victor Gauntlett.

Also featured in this comprehensive edition of FullBore is an Aston Martin DB11 ‘CD20’. Limited to only 20 cars and built to a stylish and unique specification, the CD20 marks the 20th anniversary of our friends at Classicdriver.com. Back in the mid-1990s, the forward-thinking owner of Classic Driver presented us with a new digital camera: “Take the pictures and I’ll put them on our website,” was the suggestion. To this day, we have had a presence on Classic Driver, enjoying the unmatched global exposure it brings in the luxury and lifestyle arenas.

With the nights drawing in and the awards season kicking off, we are flattered to have been nominated in two categories at the annual Octane magazine-sponsored Historic Motoring Awards. Now shortlisted, we’re up against some stiff competition from within the industry. While wishing our fellow nominees all the best, on this prestigious occasion we naturally hope FullBore readers will rally to our cause.

Lastly, just a heads-up: coming soon to a cinema near you, Johnny English Strikes Again. For one more time, our alternative secret agent is doing his best to protect the nation from the forces of evil. His choice of transport? No less than a 1979 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It has no satellite navigation or computer on board but can be rendered invisible to the enemy at the throw of a switch – even if it’s finished in bright red. Keep an eye on the listings, as apart from the car’s special equipment and the lively action sequences, our alternative secret agent is on top form.

Signing off with best wishes for the Autumn ahead, please do remember our new address. We hope to welcome you to Essendonbury Farm soon.

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2012 DBS

2 0 0 7 V an q u ish S U l timat e

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Ultimate Editions How was it for you?

W o r ds

/ S t e v e W ak e f i e l d

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The wise man, they say, buys either the first – usually flawed – version of a car or the final, carefully-honed one, often a limited-edition run for collectors.

Take the Jaguar E-type, for example: the early, hard-tofit-into ‘flat floor’ Roadsters are highly sought-after, as are the very last 50 ‘Commemorative’ V12s.

The final iteration of many car is often the ultimate – in the case of the Gaydon-era Aston Martin DBS, literally so.

In May 2012 Aston Martin announced it was building a final batch of its range-topping DBS supercar. Only 100 were to be offered worldwide, available as a coupé or a Volante, with a choice of automatic or manual transmissions.

In the end, demand worked out at 59 coupes (22 RHD, 15 in the UK) and 41 Volantes (11 RHD, every one UK).

All but three – only one US coupé and two US Volantes – were equipped with the reliable and responsive Touchtronic 2 automatic ’box.

Clients could choose from three colours: Carbon Black, Quantum Silver or Silver Fox. A host of special features differentiated a DBS Ultimate: gloss black diamond-turned wheels; a DBS badge with a red ‘S’; Obsidian Black leather interior, diamond quilted with a choice of bright red or silver contrast stitch;

Obsidian Black carpet bound in Obsidian Black leather; carbonfibre upper facia, centre console in Piano Black; gearbox paddle tips trimmed in red leather; DBS seat embroidery which included a red ‘S’ outlined in silver.

And much more. As standard the brake calipers were yellow, however red or black were options. In fact the discrete and careful use of black runs throughout the cars, whatever the exterior. The front grille, bonnet and side-strake meshes are black, the side-mirrors darkest carbonfibre, the exhaust tailpipe-finishers black-coated Zircotec. Even the rear lights are smoked with a darker tint than usual and enclosed in black-painted surrounds.

If all this sounds a little de trop, more Rodeo Drive than the Via Condotti in Rome, you’d be mistaken. The pair of Ultimates sitting in the brand-new showroom in Essendonbury looked purposeful, their highly polished blackness worthy of a Guards officer’s cap-toe Oxford.

These are very smart motor cars for serious people.

My first experience of the DBS was way back at the car’s launch in SW France in October 2007. The new car showcased CCM (Carbon Composite Material) brakes for the first time, the DB9’s engine received

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The first impression is one of solidity. This is a six-year-old car but you would not know it.

I drifted in and out of ‘Drive’, occasionally using the paddles for more immediate effect.

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a tune-up (510bhp vs. 450bhp), it had brilliant onepiece sports seats, revised looks inside and out and adaptive damping. In effect a DB9+++. These early cars were manual-only 2+0s, which – egged on by the management at Gaydon – led journalists to believe they were to drive a Ferrari 599 GTB-beater. At a deficit of at least 50bhp and lacking the Italian car’s super-fast semi-automatic gearbox, this was a hard ask.

With a drive in the very final Newport Pagnell Vanquish fresh in my mind, I summed up my first DBS experience: “If you’ve just bought an Ultimate Edition Vanquish S you can sleep at night – it’s an alternative, appealing to different tastes”. At the launch, Dr Ulrich Bez believed the new figurehead for the company “has a different character, but has the DNA of an Aston”. Despite its minor flaws, I agreed. A Volante was introduced a little later, its cloth roof and folding mechanism adding just 115kg to the range-topping car’s weight.

Fast forward five years to 2012 and Aston Martin and its entire VH platform range is in a very different place. Every car has been improved almost without recognition and the DBS is still top of the tree, now mostly ordered as an automatic 2+2, every example a

well-rounded and highly-rated sports car for those in the know.

So how does it measure up today?

The big doors close with a satisfying thunk! as Neal and I climb aboard for a lap of the new NM&Co test route in rural Hertfordshire. It’s 30deg C outside, so why not take the Volante? Foot on the brake and slot in the ECU (‘Emotional Control Unit’, cheesy in 2017 and even more so now) and the engine fires.

Boy, it’s hot, but wouldn’t you rather drive a big Aston in the English countryside than a quick trip on the M4 to Heathrow and back? We turn left out of the gates and head to the picturesque hamlet of Letty Green, from there the run wends its way through more leafy B-roads before joining the fast A1M for a blast back to base. It’s a mixture of minor, major and motorway roads with many occasions to let the big car really go.

The first impression is one of solidity. This is a sixyear-old car but you would not know it. I drifted in and out of ‘Drive’, occasionally using the paddles for more immediate effect. It’s still effortlessly fast without the trousers-on-fire hysteria of a more recent, 600bhp+

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mid-engined supercar. Okay, the dials are still hard to read and eccentric in both calibration and direction of travel, but as a manufacturer of bespoke handbuilt cars Aston Martin has always had to make components last past their sell-buy date. The massively powerful CCM brakes need the gentlest of strokes to pull the car up.

Combine the super-stiff chassis with the clever adaptive damping introduced in the DBS and you have the most wonderful Grand Routier for covering big distances in complete comfort roof up, then dropping the top for a spirited drive over less-well-surfaced roads in the countryside. British magazine Autocar commented that “left in normal Comfort mode the DBS rides with a fluency we consider to be unrivalled in its class”. Drivers have the choice of five different settings in the car’s Sport and Comfort modes and, unlike many other cars, you really can tell the difference.

The final section of the route is a relaxed lope southwards on the A1M. It’s a furnace outside and even with side-windows up the experience is akin to opening a door on a fan oven. Did we put the roof up and wimp out? No chance.

Steering the black car back down the short drive that welcomes visitors to Essendonbury Farm, I pull up outside the new showroom and depress the ECU one last time to turn off the engine. Eleven years on from that first encounter with a DBS, I believe time has been kind to the car. Like the vintage Bergerac red wine bottled at the chateaux we stayed in for the launch, the car has matured. It’s a more rounded, well-balanced machine that now feels totally at home with its place in the world. And all the better for that.

Since the test drive this particular car has found a new home, so congratulations to the new owner, they’ll love it. If you have an interest in acquiring a DBS or Vanquish Ultimate, or indeed have one to sell, do give the team a call, we would love to hear from you.

With thanks to Aston Martin Heritage Trust Registrar Tim Cottingham for his invaluable help in preparing this feature.

W o r ds / S t e v e W ak e f i e l d Steve Wakefield is one of the most experienced commentators on the world of Aston Martin, new and old. Having club-raced DB Astons, and road-tested all Gaydon-era cars, he’s the newly appointed Editor of the Aston Martin Heritage Trust annual ‘Aston’ and also works as an independent consultant in the realm of collectors’ classic cars.

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They also served: Other ‘Ultimate’ Aston Martins 2007 Vanquish S Ultimate Edition

2018 Vanquish S Ultimate

As end-of-an-era cars go, the very last models built at the spiritual home of Aston Martin since the late1960s, Newport Pagnell, take some beating.

Ten years later, the now Gaydon company repeated the trick and used the Ultimate suffix on the final, 595bhp VH-platform Vanquish, with an announcement on 1 November 2017 that 175 Vanquish S Ultimates would be offered, all for delivery in Spring 2018.

Buyers could choose from Coupé (£211,995 in the UK) or Volante (£223,995) and, like the DBS Ultimate, the colour palette was once again limited to just three colour combinations, now slightly pretentiously known as ‘Designer Themes’.

Aston Martin announced in February 2007 that car production at Newport Pagnell would end that year and be commemorated by a special Vanquish S to be known as the ‘Ultimate Edition’. Each was finished in a unique shade called Ultimate Black, a metallic with hints of red and blue. The car’s interior was trimmed in semi-aniline leather with coarse stitching and had a leather headlining and black chrome-finish interior fittings. Every one bore personalised sill plaques denoting its limited-edition number, the original intention being to make only 40. All were 2+2s and most – but not all – had a small badge on the wing vent: ‘Ultimate’. In the UK, they carried a price of £182,095.

Such was the demand that in the end (‘ultimately’?) 50 were produced, 20 RHD, 30 LHD. A handful destined for the Middle East were painted white. The 2007 Vanquish S Ultimate Edition remain the most valuable Newport Pagnell Vanquish. The final car was initially retained by the factory and used for press purposes before being sold to a collector. Lucky chap.

The first was Ultimate Black with Copper Bronze graphics and much detailing in black. The interior was Obsidian Black leather with Chestnut Tan accents and stitching, and a carbonfibre twill facia.

Taking that monochrome look back a little, the second was Xenon Grey contrasted by Cobalt Blue graphics.

Inside, driver and passenger could enjoy Phantom Grey leather with Electron Yellow accents and Spectral Blue stitching.

Finally, there was White Gold with Bronze graphics, complemented by gloss black and carbonfibre exterior detailing. Inside, the combination of Chestnut Tan leather with Obsidian Black accents contrasted strikingly with the white exterior paintwork.

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What’s in stock In this section we showcase a selection of the best examples of Aston Martin motor cars from the 1950s to the present day, all available for sale at our new, purpose-built ‘destination’ premises on the historic Hatfield Park Estate in Hertfordshire.

Prior to delivery, all cars are supplied serviced according to schedule, with a pre-delivery Inspection Report, 12 months MOT and 12 months warranty.

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1988 V8 Vant a g e V o la nt e

£ 375, 000

OVERVIEW The example offered here, one of just 109 constructed, was delivered new in 1988 and maintained for many years by both Aston Martin and appointed service agents.

Finished in its original colours and with matching numbers, it has been maintained annually, more recently forming part of a small collection.

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Fitted with subtle upgrades to the interior, including a Nardi woodrimmed steering wheel, additional door pockets and a ‘PoW-type’ centre consul, this highly specified and excellent condition car is complete its with service history and previous MoT certificates, its original tools, handbooks and service voucher booklet.

Call (0)20 8741 8822

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2010 A ston M ar tin D B S Vol ante £119,950

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2 007 As t o n Mar t i n V a n q u ish S £149,9 50

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1971 Aston M ar tin DBS V8 £149,950

1984 As t o n Mar t i n V 8 V o l a n t e (t o P o W spec) £ 225,0 00

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1 9 88 Aston Mar t i n V 8 V a nt a g e Z a g a t o ( LH D ) £525, 000

OVERVIEW One of the final examples and 1 of only 21 original LHD cars built.

The car has a total of 4,000 miles/6,500 kilometres recorded and has just received a major service and preparation by Aston Martin Heritage agents prior to being offered for sale. A comprehensive schedule of these works is supplied, complete with its original owners handbooks and service booklet, spare wheel, tool roll and jack. Within the history file are photographs taken in 1990 recording the last owner personally taking delivery from Victor Gauntlett, then Chairman and co-owner of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.

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The lowest-mileage LHD car known, this example is one of Aston Martin’s greatest driving cars, created with performance and exclusivity in mind. Over the last 30 years the X-Pack engined Vantage Zagato has gained legendary status and forms the basis of many Aston Martin collections worldwide, with a superb example shown to great acclamation at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2016.

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1980 A ston M ar tin V8 Vantag e £270,000

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1 984 V 8 V a n t a g e – X - P ack specifica t i o n S £ 235,0 00

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2011 Aston M ar tin V irag e Vol ante £87,950

1966 As t o n Mar t i n DB 6 £ 295,0 00

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1 9 8 4 Aston Mar ti n V 8 V a nt a g e ( LHD )

ÂŁ350 ,0 0 0

OVERVIEW The left-hand drive example we are pleased to offer, originally supplied via AM for export to the Middle East, has in more recent years been the recipient of a substantial programme of restoration and upgrades carried out by Aston Martin Works, bringing it to the exceptional standard presented today. This car’s comprehensive history file comprises a detailed assessment and chronicle of the works carried out by Aston Martin in 2014, including chassis works, a bare-metal repaint to original colours of Royal Cherry over Parchment hide, and a complete engine rebuild to later X-Pack specification.

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A gearbox rebuild and upgraded braking, steering and suspension modifications were carried out at the same time.

The scope and execution of the works completed on behalf of the last owner has brought this rare (1 of 127) and original left-hand drive example to its current outstanding condition. Professionally stored and very lightly used since completion, the car is ready for its next custodian to cherish and enjoy, while taking advantage of the considerable expenditure recorded.

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2002 A ston M ar tin D B7 V antag e Vol ante £49,950

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2 016 As t o n Mar t i n GT 12 £385,0 00

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2007 Aston M ar tin D BR S 9 GT3 racecar £199,950

1986 As t o n Mar t i n V 8 Z a g a t o ‘ F as t r o ad ’ £450,0 00

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1988 Aston Mar t i n V 8 E fi

£164, 950

OVERVIEW An exceptional example of the ultimate series Aston Martin V8 Coupé. Built between 1986 and 1989, Series 5 V8s were equipped with electronic-sequential fuel injection in preference to carburettors, delivering a smoother and more fuel-efficient power package rated at 310bhp. Production ceased after just 59 Coupés had been built and the new 1990 Virage model was introduced.

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This car, one of the 59, is now ready to be enjoyed on any tour or event. Supplied new in 1988 via Aston Martin Sales in Knightsbridge, this superb late-model V8 EFI is accompanied by a comprehensive history file which includes factory build records, the original warranty card, MOT certificates, handbook and service records with Aston Martin and recognised specialists.

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2001 A ston M ar tin D B7 V an tage Vol ante (M anual) £46,950

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1 988 As t o n Mar t i n V8 Vantage Zagato £495,0 00

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2010 Aston M ar tin DB S Carbo n B l ack Edi tion £94,950

2000 As t o n Mar t i n V 8 V a n t a g e ‘ Le Ma n s ’ £425,0 00

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1963 SHELBY CO B R A - F I A HTP

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£P O A

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2002 A ston M ar tin D B7 Vantag e £45,950

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B u ying an A st on M a r tin f r o m N ich o l as M ee & C o is y o u r ass u r anc e of o wning a ca r p r epa r ed t o th e high

2005 Aston M ar tin DB9 £42,950

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standa r ds ass ociat e d with the A st on M a r tin b rand .

F O R OU R V E R Y L A T E S T S TO C K L I S T P L E A S E S E E OU R W E B S I T E VISIT

Victor’s Vantage Exclusive, Exquisite, Exhilarating

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You’d have got just £1.00 change from £40,000.00 if you had bought a new Aston Martin V8 Vantage in 1981.

But for the fortunate few – advertising and music business tycoons, peers of the realm, buccaneering property entrepreneurs and the stars of stage and screen – the pain of writing that cheque was worth it: the model was the fastest-ever car tested by Motor magazine, one of its all-time favourites.

In 1981, Motor magazine – now incorporating Autocar – carried out a fully figured road test of PBW 744W, a car then owned by the CEO and chairman of Aston Martin, Victor Gauntlett. When the magazine testers clicked their stopwatches at 100kmh/62mph a scorching time of 5.2 seconds lit up the digital display. Top speed was confirmed as 168mph and the hand-built British classic was the fastest production four-seater in the world. Motor’s road test highlighted the “superb road manners”, remarking that “others may have more cornering G-force, but none offer more feel, predictability or more control than the Vantage”. A subsequent test by Car stated that “this old-fashioned British heavyweight outguns those exotic foreigners”.

Today, we are delighted to offer this very motor car, PBM 744W, the ex-Victor Gauntlett, magazine road-test V8 Vantage.

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Richard Gauntlett: Like father, like son “He was such a great man, with a heroic sense of humour.

Over a 12-year period, fewer than 350 V8 Vantages were carefully hand-built by the engineers and artisans at Newport Pagnell. After life in effect as a ‘factory car’, PBM 744W later passed into private ownership. In 2007 it was acquired by a respected marque specialist who, over the course of some six years, carried out a substantial restoration, bringing the car up to its current, excellent condition.

Works completed include: chassis and body restoration with bare-metal repaint, a full mechanical rebuild including the engine, transmission, suspension, braking and electrical systems. The restoration was finished in 2013, since when the car has been used only sparingly, carefully cossetted as befits such a significant example of Britain’s First Supercar.

Available to view at our Hertfordshire home, this exceptional and rapid V8 Vantage is offered with a photographic record of its restoration and copies of the original road tests in Motor and Car. Prior to its next owner taking delivery, it will receive a service to the manufacturer’s schedule, a detailed health check list, a new MOT certificate and 12 months warranty.

“What was so impressive about him – and looking forward I wonder if I’ll ever be able to do the same – was how he kept so many things going and looked after so many people, yet still found time to be the most attentive parent.

“As I get older, my appreciation of how he did what he did grows.

“As a result, even though he’s gone, my family remains very close. I can still smell the Gloucestershire air as he left for work in his V8 on a cold early morning…”

Richard – one of four Gauntlett children – was speaking about his much-missed father to Classic Driver in 2016. Still a passionate motoring enthusiast, Richard splits his time between homes in California and Berkshire and has a thriving interior design business with a worldwide clientele.

Make sure you catch our video, staring this very car with a cameo appearance by Richard Gauntlett here:

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essendonbury f A ‘New Era’ for Nicholas Mee & Co

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Twenty-five years after Nick first set out on his own, having established NM&Co as a globallyrenowned centre for the sales and servicing of Aston Martin motor cars, the company has opened the doors of its new and expanded, state-of-the-art home in Essendonbury, Hertfordshire.

The multi-million-pound project was carried out in partnership with the Hatfield Park Estate and involved the sympathetic restoration and conversion of a collection of historic farm buildings close to Essendon – a picturesque village only a few miles from London.

Hatfield House, the Jacobean historic home to the Cecil family, lies nearby and the extensive estate owned

by Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, covers many square miles of picturesque countryside with several modern business developments carefully woven into its fabric.

Local, Hertford-based builders Ekins carried out the construction work at Essendonbury Farm, using plans

by Brooks Murray Architects who have assisted the Hatfield Park Estate on many projects over the years.

From initial designs, through to planning applications, project management and final fit-out, it’s been a seamless process and one we’ve been delighted with.

It’s also boosted the local economy.

Essendonbury Farm’s artfully repurposed 17th century buildings have been incorporated into a new heritage facility covering two acres of the rural setting. Having moved from West London over the summer months, the service, parts and car sales operations are now fully

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operational in their new facilities. The additional space offered has already allowed us to introduce a number of additional skills, including a trim and upholstery department and four-wheel alignment equipment.

Further services will be added over the next 12 months.

The Essendonbury Farm heritage site also incorporates a galleried show hall that can be configured for a variety of purposes including customer and media events. We’ve already hosted a summer barbecue for the local AMOC area 12.

Ample parking and spacious, high-tech workshops combine to create the definitive environment demanded by you, our discerning Aston Martin-owning clients. Main agents Grange of Welwyn – who we would have no hesitation in recommending to our clients for new and nearly new Aston Martins – are just a few minutes by dual-carriageway from Essendonbury Farm. The new rural base enjoys excellent transport links: the A1(M), M25 and M1 motorways are all within easy reach, Hatfield mainline train station is only a few minutes away by car, and London Stanstead and London Luton international airports are comfortably within striking distance.

For ‘time-limited’ clients we even have a dedicated helicopter landing area.

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With the move completed, the builders’ vans departed and everything functioning as it should, Nick is delighted with how things have turned out: “This is an extremely exciting time for our company, our new and existing Aston Martin-owning clients and our dedicated workforce. As the ever-expanding classic car world continues to evolve, our relocation is in direct response to the needs of both our clients and ourselves.

“We’ve been fully operational in our new home for some three months, and the universal praise received from Aston Martin owners for both our commitment to the future and the breadth and standard of the services has been heartwarming.

“Away from the hustle and bustle of London, when visiting to discuss their requirements we’ve found our clients to be highly appreciative of the relaxed rural ambiance and our new expansive buildings. It’s a new home from home and we are confident it’s the way forward.”

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Essendonbury Farm G 10am to 4pm, Unless you’ve been living on a desert island these past few months, you’ll have learnt that the entire NM&Co operation has moved to a state-of the-art facility in newlyrefurbished historic buildings on the Hatfield House Estate.

We’re very excited about it all and we’re sure you will be too. To this end, we are hosting an open house weekend over 20-21 October when the full range of services – cars for sale, servicing, new trim shop and much more – will be on view.

You, our friends and valued clients old and new, are invited to visit us to see the new

R.S

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Grand Opening Weekend , 20-21 October set-up. There’s ample parking and light refreshments will be available – what better opportunity for an autumnal run in your car?!

It will be a casual couple of days with like-minded enthusiasts enjoying the Hertfordshire countryside as the leaves turn, and an opportunity to talk to the NM&Co team about all things Aston at its new Essendonbury Farm base.

So that we can best manage what is sure to be a busy the weekend, we kindly ask you to RSVP, stating whether you will be coming morning or afternoon, Saturday or Sunday.

Thank you.

S . V. P

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New - l o o k A s t o n S t o re u n vei l ed First launched in 2009, our separate online parts store – astonstore.co.uk – soon established itself as the go-to site for genuine Aston Martin accessories and merchandise.

Over the last few months we have been working away behind the scenes on a brand-new website that employs the latest in internet technology to help users identify the exact part they require. It then seamlessly completes the order.

A fast search function enables visitors to look for the correct Aston Martin part using the manufacturer’s reference number, if known. Alternatively, the most popular service items are listed for each model. A Live Chat messenger system allows worldwide visitors to the site to communicate in real time with an experienced member of our team.

New for 2018. From time to time we collect rare and

hard-to-find used or reconditioned parts, and a section on the updated AstonStore now lists availability of second-hand items, with images and descriptions.

This useful feature will be greatly expanded at the new NM&Co Parts Department at Essendonbury Farm over the coming months. A variety of payment methods can now be used including all major credit cards and PayPal. Astonstore.co.uk is now live and over the next few weeks will feature new merchandise and gifts ready for the Christmas season.

As always, for customers who prefer the human touch, our knowledgeable parts specialists are on hand to handle your call during normal working hours.

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Nicholas Mee and NM&Co Ltd nominated in the Historic Motoring Awards 2018 Held in association with EFG Private Banking and sponsored

by Octane magazine, the Historic Motoring Awards are widely considered to be the most prestigious in the industry. They are dedicated to recognising the elite in the international classic automotive world.

This year, the event’s eighth, we are delighted to have been nominated for both The Vantage Award (NM&Co) and the Personal Achievement prize, where Nick himself is up for an honour recognising his long service in the industry and the efforts to which he and his team have gone to further the worldwide recognition of classic Aston Martins.

The event will be held on 25 October at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane Hotel. The winners will be decided by the experts at Octane and an international panel of judges.

The evening will be hosted by broadcaster and Formula 1 pundit Steve Rider, with Awards being presented to winners in front of a room of guests including many celebrities from the world of motoring.

Tickets for the pre-Christmas, must-do event can be ordered online from the organisers.

TICKETS

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W o r ds

/ S t e v e W ak e f i e l d

The limited-editi Aston Martin DB11 ‘CD20’ »

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dition

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“This collaboration is the perfect way to celebrate Classic Driver’s 20th anniversary.”

That’s straight from the mouth of Aston Martin President and CEO Andy Palmer, high praise indeed for the commissioned run of only 20 cars built at Gaydon but fashioned by Classic Driver’s very own designer, Benjamin Knapp Voith.

It was two decades ago – millennia in the history of the internet – that classicdriver.com went online.

Its visionary is Alexander Knapp Voith, a confirmed car enthusiast and past owner of the Hamburg Aston Martin Lagonda dealership, Car & Driver. With the power of the internet there would be no need for old-fashioned paper magazines, 1000s of cars for sale could be searched for at the click of a mouse. Magazine stories would appear direct from events, with breaking news instantly posted, keeping ‘classic drivers’ abreast

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of the latest from the frontline.

It’s been a story of great success and today Classic Driver enjoys over 600,000 visitors a month. It’s become the pre-eminent source of information about the world of luxury and prestige cars and lifestyle on the web. At NM&Co, we’ve been delighted to work with Alexander, Benjamin and the rest of the CD team, right from those early pioneering days in 1998.

Roll forward 20 years and it was announced recently that a run of only 20 DB11s would be produced to a unique ‘Classic Driver spec’. We were intrigued.

“It was a challenge to narrow down our ideas and inspirations from Classic Driver’s 20 years into one specific design. But with the expertise and consultancy of the Q by Aston Martin team, we’ve succeeded in building a very special car,” said Benjamin.

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Anybody interested in future classics, and the prospect of capturing one of these unique celebration cars, should contact Philip Rathgen for the latest availability: jpr@classicdriver.com

“One of the great aspects of this project is that we were approached with a very clear idea about what the car represents,” says Robert Lihou, Colour and Trim Designer at Q by Aston Martin. “It celebrates the past and the present, but also looks into the future.”

or check online: cd20.classicdriver.com

We think they’ve done a superb job, creating a uniquely modern and yet traditional feel to the car. The CD20 is based on the 496bhp, twin-turbo V8 DB11 and is available as either a Coupé or Volante. All are finished in Classic Driver Grey (unique to the car, it’s a subtle blend of modern pearl pigments – including greens, yellows and whites – by the official paint supplier Akzo Nobel) with an interior in exclusive Eifel Green Caithness hides. The Volante sports an exclusive Westminster Green textile roof. Q by Aston Martin supplies the intriguing carbonfibre pack, exclusively finished in satin Eifel Green lacquer.

As always, the cars are painstakingly hand-finished by the craftsmen at Gaydon to the very highest standards.

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1963 Shelby Cobra.

One careful owner.

Little raced or rallied.

The ’63 Shelby Cobra that we are currently offering for sale battles for the lead in the RAC TT at this year’s Goodwood Revival.

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