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.25” wrap to back cover
SPRING 2010
Issue No. 26
ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUB
North America Quarterly Journal
$12.50 US / $15.00 CDN
Rex Woodgate Victory Lap at LR
1957 Mark III Out of Africa
Sebring with G. Howard-Chapell
The VANTAGE POINT
Aston Martin Owners Club
North America Quarterly Journal
Spring 2010
Publisher
AMOC East
Chair
Jim Hazen
Editor-in-Chief
Nick Candee
Managing Editor—East
Susan Laskey
Managing Editor—West
Guy Simpson
Editor—West Coast
Kohei Saito
Art Director
Heather LaPierre
Design Consultant
Bruce Crocker
Advertising Director
John David
(314) 361-9372
Copy Editors
John David Scott Fairley Robert Obie
Mark Ransome Jane Ransome
Photographers
Robert Dennis — West
CJ Gutch — East
Tim Cottingham — UK
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,
and 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: [email protected]
Deadlines are 30 days after the start of each
calendar quarter, for the next quarter issue.
www.amoc.org
from the Editor
Rex Woodgate
The Man That Defined the Brand in North America
How many Astons did Rex
J. Woodgate save from having Chevy motors stuffed into
them? Such engine swaps were
the rage in the 1960s and 1970s
and “Jagrolets” were a leading
indicator of such ‘wisdom.’ Aston
Martin Lagonda Inc. of King of
Prussia, PA was fortunate that its
president came to this country as a racing mechanic and knew something about
keeping these cars going!
Early on in my Aston experience with
a nine year old DB5, just a used car, really,
I was the beneficiary of Rex’s encouraging
technical advice over the phone. I was 900
miles from King of Prussia, PA but Rex
gave great phone advice on how to wrestle technical problems with your Aston
down to a proper solution. I have no idea
how many other people benefited from
Rex’s friendly technical coaching, but for
me in Wisconsin it sealed an appreciation
for the brand. And if Rex were elsewhere,
Dave Linfoot would advise on some item,
and when one needed parts, Mr. Linfoot
assured that Aston had an Astonishing 90%
fill rate on items. I could wax poetic about
other people on the AML team, but this
is Rex’s moment for us to celebrate him,
Academy Awards style, with the tone of a
lifetime achievement award.
England has such a system, I think it
is called “The Honours List” and when
I saw Rex in January I asked how he
was. “OBE!!” he said. “Oh good” says I,
“You’ve finally been knighted!!” (I knew
Rex certainly had the American vote on
that matter). “NO” says Rex, “I’m OVER
BLOODY EIGHTY!” Classic Rex.
I was dragged into this club because of
Rex. I was hornswoggled into organizing
my first AMOC events in the 1970s by
Rex, at Road America with a guy named
Alf Francis in 1976, at the Watkins Glen
USGP in 1977, and becoming one of the
cornerstones of the AMOC, an Area Rep.
Rex saw the factory and the club as essential
for one another (and in those days Aston was
struggling to get approved by the
US federales for import). Others
have that story to tell.
In April 1978 I made an
impulse trip for a couple of days
to England to fetch a new stainless exhaust system for my DB5
(thanks Freddy Laker for the
$250 round trip on BA) and as I
climbed on the BA flight from Boston to
London that originated in Philadelphia,
who did I find seated in front of me, but
Rex??? (Airfreight was almost as much
as the plane ticket; getting a Newport
Pagnell works tour with Roger Stowers
was special; getting it with Rex as well—
PRICELESS!)
Everyone knew and loved Rex (OK,
almost everybody) and Rex was Mr.
Network in the US and Canadian car
scene—especially anyone who turned a
wrench at a race track. Old American
saying: when the green flag drops, the
B.S. stops. And Rex, against bigger teams,
kept tiny Astons towards the front of the
pack, and often first at the finish line. If
a personality-free bean counter had run
AML Inc. in this country, would a couple
of rescuers have surfaced from the USA
and from Canada when AML Ltd. went
bust in the mid 1970s? I for one think not:
Rex made Aston Martin a marque to be
respected, a brand to be loved. With all
the power a towering Englishman with a
darling handlebar mustache and a sterling
character can muster.
So with joy, AND with Joyce, we
welcome Rex back to North America for
another victory lap. Let’s hear it for Rex
J. Woodgate!
—Richard A. “Nick” Candee, Editor
Erratum
In our Lime Rock Vintage Fall Festival article
(Racing Line, TVP Winter 2009) we omitted
photo credit due to (c)AutoPhotos 2009, Ed
Hyman. We regret the error.
On the cover: Rex Woodgate and George Constantine in the #49 DBR2 fielded by Elisha Walker. Photo courtesy of
famous member of The BARC BOYS “Kahuna” Dave Nicholas, who now lives in Hawaii, a long way from the snow
belt of Binghamton, NY and is keeper of great period racing photos: www.barcboys.com.
Above photo: Lime Rock 1987: Ed. points out that Rex is much taller than him!
1
Table of Contents
the editor
1from
Nick Candee
prizegiving at the barn
36amoc
Nick Candee
east
7back
Jim Hazen
school at gingerman
38am
Norb Kaminski
West
7Out
George Wood
laparra
40amaury
James W. Hazen
8
woodgate
42rex
David A. Linfoot
­
her majesty’s dbs part 3
48restoration:
Thomas Mulhall
news of the marque
line
13racing
George Howard-Chapell, Nimrod Astons at Sebring 1983
­
island concours d’elegance
21amelia
Tom Smith
new members
astons
22aloha
Tom O’Keefe
review
52book
Nick Candee
xix
24cavallino
Russell Glace
classifieds
setting at long beach
27record
Kim Palmer, Aston Martin Media
upcoming events
of africa
29out
Bill Noon
at palm springs concours
35amOC
Chet Floyd
56Club Directory
Photo by Amaury Laparra
4
50
52
54
54 HOTWIRE!
AMOC-NA/East
BACK EAST
2010 is a banner year for the AMOC. This is
the 75th anniversary of our Club and the 40th
year that AMOC NA East has been coming
together in Northwest Connecticut for our
annual Lime Rock gathering. This year we will
celebrate both milestones with unique events.
For the 75th, the AMOC in the UK has
planned a week of activities starting with the
Bonham’s Auction of Aston Martin cars and memorabilia at the
Works Service in Newport Pagnell on May 22 and the Blenheim
Concours on May 23. Then for the following week there will
be activities each day, culminating with a formal dinner at the
Banqueting House in London. All members are welcome at any
of the Club activities.
For Lime Rock 40 we will be welcoming new members and
some of our oldest friends, many of whom will be returning to
Lime Rock for the first time in almost 20 years. Joining us as our
Friday guest and speaker will be former Aston Martin factory racing driver, Brian Redman.
Besides Lime Rock there are approximately 50 events planned
this year for our section. At the local level, these includes social
events in Florida, road rallies in Canada, a vineyard tour in New
England, Concours and social events in the Midwest and museum
tours and attendance at a fall football game in Pennsylvania and
New Jersey. All in all, an eclectic and fun mix.
In addition to the various local events it has been our goal
to establish anchor events in various locations during the year.
AMOC-NA/west
OUT WEST
This is the year when an event will draw members from all four corners of AMOC West.
Normally the Monterey Historics is the big
weekend, and it may still be so, but Las Vegas
promises to be another “must go to” event. In
celebration of our 75th anniversary, members
from all over AMOC West will congregate in
Las Vegas for a long weekend—and we will
report in the Summer edition of TVP. To provide something
special for the members, we have enlisted a little help from Carroll
Shelby. I am not acquainted with Carroll personally, but a couple
of our members are, and with the help of Doreen Green and Ray
Klauer, it looks like Carroll will be entertaining us on April 9, and
has already made calls on our behalf to get us access to Las Vegas
International Speedway.
Great news: Julian Jenkins, Vice President of Aston Martin of
North America, will represent the factory at the weekend events,
giving us the latest details of what‘s new at Aston Martin. The Las
We’ve already had our first winter get together in conjunction
with the Mar-a-Lago Concours in Palm Beach. Next up is Lime
Rock 40 on June 24-26. Then there is the annual Midwest gathering at Elkhart Lake in mid-July. Our fall tour this year will be in
Virginia over the first weekend in November; our annual holiday
luncheon in New York City is on December 3rd.
I hope you can make it for as many as possible. A full schedule
of our events can be seen in this issue. You can see all AMOC
events online at AMOC.org.
I also want to alert you to a change that is coming to this magazine. After over four years and 16 issues, Nick Candee has decided
to step down on as Editor of The Vantage Point. Nick has done a
great job and has created a foundation for the next person or persons to take over the editorship. As he passes the baton, The Vantage
Point is one of the best club publications of its kind, anywhere.
To keep The Vantage Point fresh and current, we need your
help. If you have an interest in taking an active role in the creation
of this magazine, WE NEED YOU! In fact we need a team. An
editorial tandem will help to distribute the work and add more
vitality to The Vantage Point.
The new editor will continue to have the support of the
dedicated volunteers and external support that make the magazine
possible and there are plenty of ideas in the pipeline to make the
transition smooth.
Please contact Nick or me to discuss The Vantage Point and
your interest.
So here’s to 2010 and plenty of great driving this year. I hope
to see you out there soon.
Enjoy the drive!
—Jim Hazen, Chairman – Section East
Vegas dealership, Gaudin Aston Martin, is coordinating events
for the Saturday, starting with a brunch, then a scenic drive and
lunch. Dinner on the strip, and the option of attending Cirque d’
Soleil round off the weekend events, just long enough to catch a
breath before going to Long Beach the following week to watch
Aston Martin Racing compete in the ALMS series.
This is a celebration of our 75th anniversary. I hope that this
will serve as the impetus for more events that draw us together
as a club. There are many members that I only know by email
address, and the opportunity for us to share each other’s company
is something that I am looking forward to very much.
As I write, Guy Simpson is busy with arrangements for
Monterey. Last year was a real success with the inclusion of a
Thursday evening cocktail party at Spanish Bay Resort, club dinner on the Friday night, and lunch at Laguna Seca on the Saturday.
Expect more of the same this year, and so we hope to see you in
Las Vegas, Long Beach, Monterey, or one of the other events that
will be calendared during the 2010 anniversary year!
Happy Motoring!
—George Wood, Chairman – Section West
7
N E W S OF T H E M A RQU E
NHTSA CREATES OFFICE OF VEHICLE EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE
Auto Industry Leader, John Dinkel, Named Director
NHTSA Administrator David L.
Strickland today announced the appointment of John Dinkel to
the newly created position of Director of Vehicle Efficiency and
Performance. Dinkel, who currently resides in Irvine, California,
has spent his entire career in the automotive industry, having
earned two degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University
of Michigan and worked for both Ford and Chrysler before moving into a distinguished career in automotive journalism, including
20 years with Road & Track magazine.
In his new position as Director of VEP, Dinkel will be responsible for advising the NHTSA on issues related to vehicle efficiency
and performance and making recommendations on regulations to
reduce the current proliferation of excessively high performance
vehicles.
Said Administrator Strickland: “While the NHTSA recognizes
that President Obama’s soon-to-be-adopted fuel economy regulations will require all vehicle manufacturers to place additional
attention and resources on overall energy efficiency, we have also
noted a distressing increase in vehicles and engines with what can
only be considered to be environmentally unfriendly levels of
horsepower.”
According to Administrator Strickland, Dinkel’s initial attention will be directed toward the creation of revisions to the Motor
Vehicle Emissions Federal Test Procedure. The primary new element of the proposed rulemaking is a Supplemental Federal Test
Procedure (SFTP) designed to address shortcomings with the current FTP in the representation of aggressive (high speed and/or
high acceleration) driving behavior and rapid speed fluctuations.
WASHINGTON D.C. April 1, 2010
It is expected that fuel economy and emissions will be measured
during wideopen throttle (WOT) runs from 0-60 and 0-100 mph
and from 0 to the vehicle’s top speed. In addition, measurements
will be conducted at proposed steadystate speeds of 80 and 100
mph for all vehicles and at 120 and 150 mph for those vehicles
capable of reaching these excessive speeds. A factoring system will
be developed to incorporate the results of these tests into each
manufacturer’s overall CAFÉ certification performance.
“During his career in the auto industry,” Strickland commented, “Mr. Dinkel has conducted instrumented testing on thousands
of vehicles. He also has a background in racing and instrumentation, having developed the first computerized road testing equipment while working at Road & Track.”
“His appointment,” Strickland continued, “follows NHTSA’s
guidelines of finding ‘the right person for the job,’ regardless of
whether that person has had a background in the public or private
sectors. Back in the 1980s when the EPA was inundated with
requests for the importation of non-complying high performance
vehicles into the U.S., we hired Richard Merritt, an acknowledged
expert on exotic cars and the “Grey Market” to head up our Office
of Vehicle Safety Compliance.”
Dinkel will assume his newly created NHTSA position starting
on April 15, 2010.
—National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Go to www.jalopnik.com—search for “Dinkel” to appreciate other
media that fell for this April 1 foolery!
“Mr. Dinkel...developed the first computerized road testing
equipment while working at Road & Track”
8
N E W S OF T H E M A RQU E
aston martin cygnet concept: the luxury commuter car
Gaydon, Warwickshire 2 March 2010 The
Aston Martin Cygnet Concept is a bold step
towards a new form of transportation; the
luxury commuter car, a form of personal
transportation that sees the company’s core
values engage with a new environment.
The Cygnet Concept enhances the marque,
pointing to a future of ongoing innovation,
design and technology; allowing Aston Martin customers a greater
degree of freedom without compromising the levels of design,
quality and innovation that embody the brand.
An Aston Martin delivers the pleasure and exhilaration of driving combined with an appreciation of craftsmanship, design and
technology. But Aston Martin is also about innovation, forging
new links and associations; and bringing the brand’s qualities to
new sectors of the market.
“Many of our customers have a need for a small car for urban and
city use,” says Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, “The
Cygnet Concept brings intelligence, innovation and artistry to the
small car market. The Cygnet Concept represents the natural choice
for those customers looking for a premium commuter car.”
“Our past, our future and our backbone will always remain
sports cars, but the Cygnet Concept will support this by offering
our customers a greater degree of freedom in the urban context.”
The Cygnet Concept is the result of a unique and intelligent
collaboration, the coming together of two companies that are
leaders in their respective fields. The project has required a close
intellectual and engineering partnership, resulting in an inventive
solution that unites volume and niche automotive engineering.
Aston Martin has always understood the importance of an emotional engagement with its products. As the company continues
to innovate and diversify its product
portfolio, emotional design will remain
at the heart of its strategy, be it through
the exhilarating sound of a V12 engine,
the unmistakeable silhouette of an Aston
Martin sports car or the quality, craftsmanship and skill that is evident in an Aston
Martin interior. The Cygnet Concept
exemplifies this latter attribute, demonstrating the high levels of detail
design and craft that are integral to every Aston Martin, presented
within a compact and highly advanced technological package.
The Cygnet Concept is a demonstration of Aston Martin’s
unrivalled skill at creating hand-crafted interiors. The rich blend
of hand-stitched leather, Alcantara and aluminium is shared with
Aston Martin’s sports cars. The company’s extensive experience of
traditional processes and richly detailed craftsmanship gives each
Aston Martin a unique feel, bringing together detailed design
work, high technology and exquisitely tactile materials.
As a luxury commuter car that can slip easily and unobtrusively
into the city, the Cygnet Concept is a highly intelligent solution to
urban mobility. Using tried and tested technology, together with
Aston Martin’s acclaimed levels of personalisation and customisation, material quality, craft skill and tactile delight, the Cygnet
Concept is innovative and forward-thinking, a genuine solution
for future mobility and a natural partner for Aston Martin’s line-up
of acclaimed luxury sports cars.
—Aston Martin Media
Photo by Amaury Laparra
10
racing line
SEBRING 2010: FORGETTABLE RACE, MEMORABLE EVENT!
By James Edmonds
We all have those precious memories that are etched indelibly into
our brains. Mine centers around the cars and the sport that we all
love so much. If you are reading this, you too will have similar
cherished memories that make you tingle when they are triggered.
Mine include…
4 being driven around in PPP 6H (aka BS1) by my cousin as a
small kid before the car took off to the south of France to shoot
“The Persuaders” (it was the reason that I acquired my DBS);
(Question: who was the small kid, the driver or the passenger?)
4 being driven at great speed by Roger Stowers in the Primrose
Yellow V8 Vantage demonstrator CYX 1V from my aunt’s
house on Tickford Street to Oulton Park for an AMOC meet;
I remember Roger drifting that car around a large sweeping motorway off ramp with delight and then looking at me
and saying, in his charming and slightly aloof manner, “That,
Master James, is just a little bit of what Aston Martin motoring
is all about”.
In more recent years, I have had the pleasure of being treated to
behind the scenes action with Audi at big races due to my involvement with Champion Racing. Seeing the DBR9 win the first time
out was my first ever experience of an AM win at an international
race, so it’s one of my favourites! The list goes on.
During my research leading up to the weekend, I looked into
the history of AM prototypes at Sebring, and found that the last
time “we” raced a prototype there was way back in 1983 with the
Nimrod. I was able to track down one of the drivers of that very
car from that very event—a certain Reggie Smith. I suggested that
we have a chat about the race, as I thought it might make an interesting sidebar to my interview with George Howard-Chappell. He
agreed enthusiastically, and in one of those moments of serendipity, told me that he would be at Sebring for the weekend.
The many books written on the history of AM racing contain much information on the Nimrod project, but the amazing
story that Reg recounted to me has, as far as I know, never been
published before. It was with reverence that I hung on his every
word, as I was fully aware that this might be one of those very
rare moments when you are able to capture a piece of our history.
Listening to Reggie talk about his experience with self effacing
humor interjected with enough anecdotes to write an entirely
different story, I realized that what I intended originally to be a
sidebar, deserved much more, so it turned into my feature. I hope
you enjoy reading it as much as I did listening to it.
Another unexpected bonus this year was a phone call at 7am on
Thursday from one of my friends. Dane Leekam, now an integral
If you are reading this, you too will have similar cherished
memories that make you tingle when they are triggered
This year I was able to add new memories to the bank. Like
most of the fondest ones, they were quite unexpected, which will
only add to their warmth over time. Even though my thorough
planning let me accomplish my goals during what is always a very
hectic few days, the stories that unfolded that weekend were quite
remarkable.
This year, I was all set for my annual trip to Sebring with my
best friend and fellow race addict, Dr Dave Lobou and a few other
friends. My plan this year was to sit down and interview George
Howard-Chappell from AM Racing about the team’s return to this
historic event with a prototype racing car. With the help of Sarah
Durose and Kim Palmer from Aston’s press office, I was invited to
the Friday evening media event and had some time with George; I
also talked to the drivers and even David Richards (again!). If you
read between the lines, there is some interesting stuff going on at
AMR for 2011!
part of Scott Sharp’s Patrón sponsored Extreme Speed Motorsports
team, called to ask if I could “help out this weekend, as we’re a bit
short handed.” Scott Sharp, son of Datsun racing legend Bob Sharp,
is fielding an all new team of two Ferrari 430s in this years’ ALMS
and I was hired to be the lollipop man on the 02 car, while Dr.
Dave was the fireman on the 01 car. Being down in the pits for the
whole race weekend was a thrill, as normally I’m not down there for
the actual race. Wearing the required fire suit all day in the Sebring
heat is not something I would want to do, unless actually working,
as I was this year. What a thrill to be on a very professional and well
funded team. (You know what a memory that was!).
[PS the Lola Aston LMP1 car took 3rd overall, HOORAY! The diesel
Peugeots in 1st and 2nd places represent a brand that failed to succeed in
the US market a long time ago, and Peugeot presently does not offer its
products in the US—gas, diesel, biofuel or electric…—Ed.]
13
racing line
RACE TALK WITH GEORGE HOWARD-CHAPPELL
By James Edmonds
George Howard-Chappell, Director at Aston Martin Racing, has been with Prodrive since 1998. He has been instrumental in engineering the
DBR9’s victories as well as overseeing the various Vantage GT programmes and now is taking aim again at Le Mans with the LMP1 Aston
Martin–Lola. I was fortunate to meet with him at Sebring for a few minutes to discuss where AMR is headed:
James Edmonds: Astons have quite a
checkered history here. The last time an
Aston Prototype ran at Sebring was in
1983 when a Nimrod finished 5th. Does
this point to a future return of the marque
to the 12 Hour, or is this just a one off?
George Howard-Chappel: I hope it is a
more regular return. We really like racing
here and had a great result in ’05 with the
GT1 car. It’s a great track and the spectators are always massively enthusiastic. It
works as preparation for Le Mans, it’s a
good market for Aston Martin out here…
it ticks a lot of the boxes.
JE: How does this year’s car differ from
last years?
GHC: There are some small changes. We’ve
adapted the car to the new regulations; the
restrictor size has changed in our favor;
we’ve done some development on the
aerodynamics; some changes on the engine
and chassis side, so it’s a small evolution of
last year’s car.
JE: What was the reason behind running
the cars again this year after it was first
announced that AMR would not run in
2010, but instead concentrate their efforts
on the new car for 2011?
GHC: I’m not sure if that was well reported.
What we were looking at originally was a
new car for 2010. We were promised pre–
Nurburgring that the equivalence between
petrol and diesel would be sorted out. The
reality is that the performance differential
has been halved, so it is much better for
us, but it’s not correct yet. At that point
we abandoned plans to do a new car for
2010, so we’re racing our old car now and
it does work for us.
JE: Will the 2011 car be a bespoke Aston
Martin racing car or will it again be based
on an existing chassis?
GHC: If we’re doing it, it’s going to be an
Aston Martin car.
JE: Is it coming along now?
GHC: Yes….the design is well progressed
on the chassis and on the engine. But it’s
14
not signed off yet.
JE: When the 2011 rules were first
announced, you were quoted as saying
that, “…no one in their right mind would
build a closed car.” Is that still the case?
GHC: Well, there is a small change to that
being evaluated, because there is a new
safety regulation coming in that mandates
that the cars have a central fin (à la current
F1 cars—JE), and that may change the
decision between an open or closed car.
JE: Would you make an open car?
GHC: I think that the primary objective
has to be to win at Le Mans, and not to
do a car that is necessarily a coupe. Aston
Martin makes open cars – it’s not like they
don’t. A lot of their sales come from cars
without roofs.
JE: Can you reveal any details of the 2011
engine?
GHC: No.
JE: Will the engine form any basis for a
future road car power plant or is strictly a
racing car design?
GHC: There may be some technologies
explored in the engine, but the basic
engine is not going to be, as it is now, the
basic engine from a road car.
JE: Do you think that the ACO have made
enough changes to the equivalency rules
this year for you to be competitive with
Audi and Peugeot?
GHC: There’s another small step for ’11,
and I hope that they look very carefully
at the results from this year and adjust it
correctly, or at least give manufacturers
assurance that when the new cars run
they will be balanced correctly in the area
of the power output. They are working
towards that, but it’s still not correct at the
moment.
JE: KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery
System) is going to a factor in 2011. Is it
something that AMR is considering?
GHC: Of course. It’s part of the performance/economy strategy, and you have
to look at it.
JE: Will the system be last year’s technol-
ogy from Formula One, or be a totally
new system for your car?
GHC: We are looking at all of the options….
(Smiling and nodding in a very coy fashion! JE)
JE: Will the experience gained with the
DBR9 at Sebring help at all with the P1
car?
GHC: It’s a different animal. But by coming to Sebring on many occasions, what
you learn is about the circuit, and how it
changes – the weather effects for instance.
It helps you not to chase the setup too
strongly, or to worry too much when
things aren’t quite right. So in that respect,
yes, the R9 definitely teaches us some
things.
JE: It must have been bittersweet for the
team to see David Brabham win Le Mans
for Peugeot last year having been a stalwart
of yours from the beginning of AMR.
GHC: I thinks it’s great. People move
around, and I’m really pleased when someone gets an opening like that. He’s a
great guy. Similar thing with Anthony
Davidson. He came here with us in 2003,
then ran at Le Mans last year with us, and
now he’s at Peugeot.
JE: I asked Darren Turner this question
once, so I know the answer from a drivers stand point, but from your perspective,
how does racing in America differ from in
Europe?
GHC: It’s much more open. It’s much
more friendly. The layout of the paddock
encourages the fans, and probably the
crews to be a bit more social. The officials
and the teams are so welcoming and generally the people are so enthusiastic that it’s
really good fun coming to race here. We
really like it.
JE: Everyone was surprised when David
Richards announced the LMP1 program,
mainly because the chance of winning
against the diesel powered cars was so slim.
Do you relish that battle, or is it enough
racing line
Reggie Smith on Nimrod Astons at Sebring 1983
By James Edmonds
just be classed as “fastest petrol car”?
GHC: Your objective of course, is to do as
well as you possibly can. You take everything into account and you go racing. The
reality is, that if you beat those cars it’s
a bonus. Coming fourth at Le Mans last
year and out qualifying one of the works
Audis was an achievement in itself. When
you consider the imbalance in the engine
regulations and their budgets, it is a David
and Goliath act! It’s not like we show up
and say we expect to win because we’re
on even terms and have the same resources
and development and it’s up to us to be
smarter and to run the race in the best possible way with our drivers so that we can
win. It isn’t like that. You just have to do
the best you can and hope that it comes
your way.
JE: Most of us in the AMOC had to be,
for many years, content with reflecting
on the racing victories of the glorious
past. Does Aston racing history hold any
interest for you and do you ever draw
any comparisons with John Wyer and his
team, or you live only in the present?
GHC: There isn’t a great deal of time for
looking back, but of course I’m aware of
it. I’ve done some events with the AMOC
and the AMHT in the UK and I love the
old stuff, but I don’t study it in a detailed
way because I don’t have a lot of time for
it when so much of my time is spent on
the current programme. But the history of
the marque is very important.
Stirling Moss, Roy Salvadori, Carroll
Shelby, Innes Ireland, Tony Brooks, Reggie
Smith, Eric Thompson….hold on. Back
up. Reggie who? That’s right. Reginald
Smith. His name may not have the glamour
or the cache of the others, but nevertheless
he is one of the lucky few in the history
of sports car racing to be counted amongst
those other famous names as one who
drove for that most glorious and legendary
marque, Aston Martin. Like so many of our
favorite Aston racing stories, many of them
come from obscure and unlikely places.
Reggie’s story is like that.
The fact that he drove the Nimrod to
its best ever result, a fifth place overall at
the 1983 Sebring 12 Hours has been, by
president, general
manager, and right
hand man to Sebring
race founder Alec
Ullman for 20 years,
from 1952 to 1972.
After Ullman stepped
aside, Reg became
the race promoter for
years to follow. From
an early age Reggie
recalls that having race drivers and those
in the fraternity over to the family home
around race week seemed normal.
“When I was little kid, we had people over to the house. Stirling Moss,
Peter Collins, John Wyer, Donald Healey,
William (later Sir William) Lyons, to mention a few out of hundreds. As a youngster,
I thought that race drivers were just normal
people. I couldn’t imagine anything more
interesting! Many of the names that you
read about—well, frankly, it is a history lesson to many people. As a youngster, I was
privileged to be in the right place.”
Having had the passion for racing well
and truly ignited, Reggie’s dream was to
be able to drive at his beloved Sebring.
“From an early age Reggie recalls
that having race drivers and those in
the fraternity over to the family home
around race week seemed normal”
and large, glossed over in the annals of AM
racing history. His name and the result have
been given a paragraph or two, but if you
check the books on your shelves, you will
see that this achievement has evaporated into
obscurity. The way that his drive came about
is so unlikely, that it could never happen in
today’s world of racing within the corporate
structure (even by Aston standards!).
Reggie’s father, Reg Smith was instrumental in sparking the motor racing passion.
He held the position of race secretary, vice
Although rubbing shoulders with the racing glitterati of the time, his family didn’t
have a history of actually driving, nor the
wherewithal to fund a drive.
“I’ve never smoked a cigarette or drank
a beer in my life. I didn’t need anything
like that…I just needed to have a drive!
I never had any advances in my career,
because I didn’t have the money to commit to it. I was working five days a week,
then sneaking out Friday afternoon to go
and practice.”
15
Robin Hamilton’s team came over to the
USA in 1983 to do a season in the IMSA
GT Championship, having had a difficult
time in Group C in Europe. Sponsorship was
obtained from Pepsi at the 11th hour, and
the “Pepsi Challenger” was born. Two cars
were entered for the Daytona 24 and drivers included AJ Foyt, Darrell Waltrip, Drake
Olsen and Lyn St. James [in her first IMSA
about that one?’ pointing at the other car,
and was told there wasn’t enough money to
run that one.” But Hamilton was a keen and
optimistic enthusiast and wanted desperately
to run the full season with his cars.
By race week, the second car still had no
paying drivers, but Reggie kept hounding
Hamilton, who at the last minute agreed
to take the other car to the event, just in
race—Ed.]. Following that race, the cars were
entered for the Miami Grand Prix, which was
shortened due to sodden conditions.
“They found out that the cars wouldn’t
sink, but they wouldn’t float particularly
quickly either!”
Robin needed a place to keep the cars
as a home base, and local Aston dealer Palm
Beach Motorcars seemed to be an ideal spot,
as they had plenty of available workshop
space. Lucky for Reggie, he was friends with
the owner, who invited him over for a look
around. The cars were there, and Reggie
nonchalantly enquired as to who would be
driving them at the Sebring race which was
coming up. Due to the serious lack of funding (don’t forget that we are talking about a
private Aston venture here—it couldn’t be
any other way!), in part a result from the
apathy of British industry which had shown
an almost total lack of interest in sponsorship, that caused a rift between Hamilton
and the British motoring press, the rides
were being given to those who could bring
money with them.
“That made it simple…I didn’t have any,
so I kept asking, ‘How are you doing with
your rentals?’ The yellow car (now with
sponsorship from “Seahawk” boats) had
enough rental income that they would be
able to run it at Sebring. So I said, ‘What
case “something might happen.” Using
all his powers of persuasion, Reggie told
Hamilton he thought that the driver lineup
for the yellow car was one which may not
be too sympathetic on the machinery, and
that an early retirement was, in his opinion
a real possibility.
“I told him to give it some thought.
‘You know you could put someone in
there’, I said with a big smile, ‘who knows
his way around the course and isn’t known
for clanking up cars. It’s a 12-hour race,
and I’ve very seldom seen the fastest car that
starts the race go on to win it.’ Robin was a
very nice chap, but under a huge amount of
pressure. To make matters worse, I said that
I didn’t know if the car was going to blow
up, but with the people you have in the
car…it may not finish, and to be honest,
at two o’clock in the afternoon, you’ll be
washing up. If you start the other car? So he
said he’d give it some serious thought.
“Friday morning the day before the
race, my phone rings at the house in Fort
Lauderdale. ‘Reggie? It’s Robin. Well, I
might be seeing your point. We’ve put
about four noses on this car now,’ and it
wasn’t because they’d been falling off! He
asked what I was doing, and I told him that
I was going to work! ‘Can you take a day
off work? Maybe you’d like to come up
16
here and take the other car out. We’ll see if
we can get you round and get the car qualified.’ It didn’t take me long to say I think
that’ll be a good idea!”
Reggie and his wife jumped in their
little Chevette and motored up to Sebring
right away. Upon pulling into the paddock,
Reggie spotted the yellow machine all
polished and looking pretty, but couldn’t
see the silver car anywhere. Finding Robin
he enquired as to the whereabouts of his
steed, and looked in the general direction
of Hamilton’s pointed finger. What he saw
must have raised his eyebrows and put his
heart in his throat.
“Back in those days, the paddock was
just red dirt. The car was filthy dirty—you
couldn’t even see the paint. It had just been
standing there since they unloaded it. It had
a flat tire and in shoe polish on the windscreen it said, ‘For Let.’
“The mechanics, who were all really
great guys (and not yet called technicians,
as today) were asked to see if it could be
cleaned up and started so we could knock
out a couple of laps. So they hosed it off,
aired up the tires, and amazingly it started!
It didn’t sound perfect, but it was alright.”
So after a brief fitting, Reggie was dispatched out onto the track to get a feel
for the car. Until now, his racing experience had been limited to a few MGs and
Formula Fords, so to find himself behind
the wheel of a Group C car with almost
600bhp meant that Reggie wisely decided
“not to do anything real stupid here.”
On his first lap, and treading carefully, the engine stopped at the hairpin.
Suspecting a fuel injection problem (it
wouldn’t have been the first time in a
Nimrod!), he was able to coax the V8 back
to life, whereupon he returned to the pits
with the engine running on half its cylinders. The engine didn’t appear to be damaged, but certainly was not in the best of
health. Reggie didn’t have a hotel room,
so went back to Fort Lauderdale that night
(a good three hour drive!) and was told to
report back the next day, “I was nervous
as could be, as I knew that this could be
either Cinderella or King Kong!”
Reggie duly arrived back at the track
on race morning and was told that the
car had been out with another driver that
morning, and that it felt great having been
noted that although his times were several
seconds off the pace of the sister car, once
he settled into a rhythm they started to
come down.
“I had been in the car for a while, and I
was doing 45s to their 38s. I wasn’t going
quite as slow as STP on a cold morning,
but I was wondering where I was losing
the time. At that time the track had a long
straight, followed by a 90° corner, then
The two drivers, Lyn St. James and Reggie Smith
sorted the night before. (Lyn St. James
would be co-driving, with Drake Olsen
and Victor Gonzalez in the IMSA spec
car). After morning practice, Robin was
still in two minds about running the car,
so Reggie had to keep his fingers crossed
and just hope for the best. A drivers’ meeting was called, and it was decided that the
car would be sent out for a couple of laps
to establish some times, then be pitted in
the hopes “that somebody in one of these
hot shot cars will go out and blow to
bits, then come down and rent the ride!”
Despite being hopeful about the situation
they were in, Reggie knew that his lowly
position of 48th on the grid (in large part
caused by the car’s general lack of tune
during qualifying) didn’t bode too well for
him. The other car started a respectable
13th (unlucky as it turned out).
“There I was at the wrong end of the
grid, with one mechanic, while the other
car had properly formed seats, a drink
bottle, everything…like a race car. But I
was happy as a clam. I couldn’t wait.”
The race started and Reggie was off!
He kept his eye on the pit board and
another long straight. It was one of those
corners that somehow you had to do fast
in and fast out.
“My father was one of the race organizers, and I had always obeyed regulations as
a youngster. I knew that airport rules meant
that you didn’t put your wheels over the
painted line. I didn’t want to break the
rules, or get embarrassed or arrested or
anything. So I would come down to the
corner, fifth, fourth, third, turn the corner
then start accelerating up to fifth gear, then
I’m at the end of the next straight. I was
doing that for a while and passing some of
the slower stuff. Suddenly a couple of the
leaders came by. And they didn’t just come
by – I was rounding my third gear corner
and they came by me doing about 80 mph
faster! That’s interesting, I thought. I obviously don’t have the hang of this car!”
It didn’t take long to figure out that the
other drivers were not as mindful of the
course markings as Reggie, and were able
to take his third gear corner as a flat out
sweeper! So next time around, he tried the
same thing.
“I had been getting up to about 160,
but after that I was going considerably
faster. I thought, ‘That’ll show ‘em!’. So I
looked in the mirror to compliment myself
on what I was doing, and I saw nothing but
white. ‘Man, I blew it up! I can’t believe
it!’ And I really didn’t do anything wrong.
I didn’t miss a shift or anything. How
did this happen? So I switched it off and
coasted into the pits. ‘What are you here
for?’ they asked. ‘Look at all the smoke. It
must’ve blown up’. So they jacked it up,
pulled off the bodywork to have a look,
but found nothing wrong! So I started it
up, it sounded perfect. They sent me back
out and told me to try it again and see what
happens. So I was a little cautious, but this
time I noticed that when I got to 5900
revs, the nose got down on the ground and
the wing top mirrors that weren’t particularly well adjusted…well suddenly I was
seeing the clouds!”
Starting the race with the intention of
running only a couple of laps, Reggie had
lost time learning the car and the track, as
well as wasting time in the pits. The race
had been on for a while now, when he
saw the pit board out that said “GAS”, and
assuming it was for him, brought the car
back in. He was ready to jump out, but was
greeted by the same “what are you doing
here?”. There was no other driver ready,
so they filled the car and he was out again!
Reggie opened the race with a double stint,
on a hot Florida day with no water bottle,
no seat insert and sitting on the alloy floor
of a very hot closed coupe.
When he handed over at the next fuel
stop, Lyn St. James was ready and took over.
She wasn’t out for long when “I heard a
plane crash in the back yard! It turned out to
be the other Aston. There was a huge hole
in the side of the engine. There’s a sequence
in gear changes, and he was supposed to
be going up!” The ‘other Aston’ car was
dragged back to the pits, while the other car
soldiered on. Not gaining or losing ground,
but holding station. It was ordered in for a
fuel stop and driver change, but Reggie was
told to take his time, as they were going to
fit the bodywork from the retired car. Of
course, being hand built race cars, the nose
and tail sections took quite some time to fit
from one car to the other. Both cars were
very attractive in their own right, but I’m
not sure the silver and green car looked too
sexy with yellow panels fore and aft. I’m
sure that more than one race fan could have
17
It’s easy to wonder where he might have finished had the team
been given the chance to properly test the car and that some of the
long unnecessary stops could have been avoided
been forgiven for thinking that the car was in
for crash repairs, but that was not the reason.
Robin was an honorable man and was willing
to sacrifice a better finishing position in order
to give his “Seahawk” sponsor maximum
exposure!
The next few hours were thankfully
uneventful, but as night fell, Drake Olsen
from the “Seahawk” car took over, as he
had only driven one stint before his car was
retired. Reggie was not in any position to
negotiate, so sat by and watched as his car
went out. It was not out for long before
returning with a punctured radiator. With
no spare to install, the tubes were pinched
off and soldered, before the cooling system
could be slowly filled, as it was of course
very hot! And more time lost. The car
went on reliably, and steadily climbed up
18
the leader board thanks in no small part to
the drivers’ adherence to the rev limit. John
Wyer would have been proud!
“Final analysis: We were 1st GTP, 5th
overall. We didn’t change tires the whole
race. We didn’t change brakes. I think those
tires had even been on the car the year before
at Le Mans where the car went upside down!
We weren’t driving an economy run, but
we were getting fantastic gas mileage because
we weren’t being silly—we were driving an
endurance race. Today you couldn’t win like
that, but you couldn’t win by driving faster
than the car was able to survive either. So it’s
not always the quickest car that wins.”
Reggie went on to become the sales manager at Palm Beach Motorcars and had a few
more races, but none that touched that of his
1983 Sebring race. It’s easy to wonder where
he might have finished had the team been
given the chance to properly test the car and
that some of the long unnecessary stops could
have been avoided. They finished only seven
laps down, so who knows?
“The history of Aston Martin at Sebring
in the early ‘50s carried significant charm for
me, to be associated with Aston in 1983, and
I will admit that Saturday morning this year,
as I looked at the Gulf colored Lola-Aston
Martin standing on the grid before the start,
I felt a major wave of nostalgia and wished
for a moment I was standing in a driver’s suit
waiting to climb in.”
This is what memories are made of.
Photos courtesy of Reggie Smith and one photo courtesy
of Lyn St. James
florida
AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE 2010
By Tom Smith
the cover of Motor Trend in the 1950s
including a turbine powered car that was
a real crowd pleaser. A very cool mix of
really neat cars!
There must be something about anniversaries this year, after all it’s the AMOC’s 75th
and this year was the 15th Anniversary of
the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance,
which, in its relatively short life, has
become the premier East Coast classic
car event. If the crowds in attendance at
the two auctions on Friday and Saturday
and then finally on Sunday for the actual
Concours are any indication, this wonderful weekend is “just getting started”.
The “Collections” are as well…..
As mentioned, many of the major collections were well represented among the
entrants including Nethercutt, Gateway
Museum, Off Brothers, Green Motors,
Collier Collection, the Brams Collection,
Indianapolis Speedway Hall of Fame, the
North Collection, Mercedes Benz Museum
Stuttgart and, of course, the Simeone
Museum and Foundation. In several classes
“Collections” cars made up the majority
of the entrants and its really terrific to see
these special cars out of their museums and
on the show field at Amelia!
The Honorees are impressive….
This year as always, a “racer” is the
Honorary Chairman. In the past, sports
car luminaries as Sir Stirling Moss, John
Surtees, Hurley Haywood and Carroll
Shelby have graced the field showcasing
their cars and careers. This year was a little
different, the honoree was “King” Richard
Petty, in the southern United States anyway arguably the best known race car driver of all time. He made his grand entrance
onto the show field early Sunday morning
in one of his former NASCAR championship cars and what an entrance it was!
Another aspect of Amelia is they always
have a panel of notable drivers for seminars
and to serve as judges in special classes of
cars that this year included “Cars of the
Cuban Grand Prix” with notable entrants
from the Simeone Collection, the McCaw
Collection and others. Sir Stirling Moss
was to have been a guest speaker and judge
in this class (which included the wonderful
“birdcage” Maserati with which he won
the 1960 Cuban Grand Prix) but alas an
elevator mishap at his home in London just
a few days before the Concours prevented
his attendance. So, Bill Warner, Amelia
Concours chairman and founder went to
his Rolodex and dialed up another noted
sports car driver to appear in his place,
none other than the 1959 Aston Le Mans
winner, Carroll Shelby! Needless to say,
the crowd loved this and it was great to see
Carroll in the crowd.
This year, as always, there were several
great special classes including “Forgotten
The AMOC was there in force….
Fiberglass” and “Etceterini” a collection
of small, Italian specials, many with Mille
Miglia provenance. There was also a collection of unique show cars that had graced
The AMOC NA East was extremely well
represented in the Concours and many
members were spotted at the auctions held
by RM and Gooding and on the day of
the Concours as either entrants or spectators. Spotted in the crowd were members
Jimmy and Lisa Dobbs with their wonderful 1962 Ferrari Dino 196SP (Best in Class),
Jim Utaski with his Pebble Beach winning
1965 DB5C (Amelia Award), Tricia and
Dick Schulze with their 1935 Le Mans
Ulster (Amelia Award), Jim Taylor with
his very cool “barn find” 1964 289 Cobra,
Tom Smith with his 1952 DB2 Saloon,
two Porsche 917 race cars presented by
Miles Collier, Richard and Lynda Sirota,
Chris Mulvihill, Sally & Bob Stockman,
Kathy and Jack Boxstrom, and Don Rose.
Many members attended the first annual
“Meet & Greet” luncheon at Sliders Beach
Bar and this looks to become an annual
east coast meetup for AMOC.
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in
March, a fantastic event, a great AMOC
gathering spot and a “not to be missed”
preview of the great “anniversary celebrations” yet to come for AMOC!
Photos: Tom Smith; Schulzes & 1935 Aston enter the field; Jim Utaski smiles again with DB5C; Dick & Tricia Schulze
21
Hawaii
Aloha Astons: Tom O’Keefe Speaks on AM at Waikiki Yacht Club
By Tom O’Keefe
Thanks to Aston Martin drivers Lindsey
Akamu (2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage),
Kelvin Bloom (2005 Aston Martin DB9),
and Glover Nathasingh (1999 Aston Martin
DB7) for showing their Astons, beautiful
even in the rain.
The “Gearhead Club” of Oahu, the
premier car club in our westernmost time
zone, asked me to speak on Aston Martin
on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at their monthly meeting. About 50 people
showed up in the rain including three of the five or so Astons in
Hawaii. Two of the owners send their Astons back to the mainland for warranty work and servicing via boat or air! The talk was
about the history and future of Aston Martin with some anecdotes
thrown in.
The speech was well received and Shelley Wilson won a prize
for being the only one to know where the word “Aston” came
from. It helped that her husband, also in attendance, controls the
Aston Hotel chain in Hawaii and California.
The Club provided several copies of The Vantage Point as well
as the AMOC East Membership brochure/poster from the DB7
Vantage era.
Famous member of The BARC BOYS “Kahuna” Dave
Nichols now lives in HI, a long way from the snow belt of
Binghamton, NY and presented Tom with a 1959 racing photo
of Rex Woodgate and George Constantine in the #49 DBR2
fielded by Elisha Walker (www.barcboys.com).
The three Aston owners attending actually met one another
for the first time, and will be meeting each other again. Hawaii
chapter for AMOC!!! John Purser will want to come from Club
HQ in England to inspect operations no doubt, in January.
Photos courtesy of Lindsey Akamu
22
florida
Cavallino XIX: Palm Beach in January
By Russell Glace
For the 19th year of this event, the weather cooperated with mild
temperatures and no rain. Cavallino started Tuesday, January 17,
2010 at the track, the Palm Beach Driver’s Club, with practice on
Tuesday and Wednesday for races on Thursday and Friday. By
Thursday things were in full swing as seminars were underway, as
well as the Palm Beach Tour and the Tour lunch on the croquet
“Our field was graced with approximately 80 cars of all types
from micro cars to saloons of all marques”
lawn prior to the cars lining the Breakers entry for the road tour.
As every year, the tour finished at the Jet Port.
This year, my friend Ralf Berthiez, from Virginia, joined my
daughter, Heather, her fiancée, Bentley, and me at all of the
events. Thursday evening Ralf and I were in charge of parking the
Ferraris and guest cars on the tarmac. When I awoke Friday, my
voice was gone due to trying to communicate with drivers over
the jet noise. Friday was the big day at the track as Cavallino hosted the Historic Ferrari Challenge, the race I wait for each year.
Friday evening’s event was the Yacht Hop at Ribovich Marina. As
the Ferraris entered and lined up for another impromptu show, we
were touring all the beautiful yachts. Saturday was the Cavallino
XIX Concours. We arrived very early to organize and place all
of the incoming cars. This year went without a hitch as all cars
were placed in their pre-assigned spots. As the judges scrutinized
each entry, our tasks were complete. That gave me a chance to
walk the field and enjoy the show. The award ceremony was
scheduled for that evening. Unfortunately, I had previous plans
with the Aston club that was involved in the next day’s event at
Mar-a-Largo
My appointment was with the Aston Martin Owners Club at
a Palm Beach restaurant, 264 Grill. I was appointed the AMOC
Florida Representative earlier this month so this was a meet and
greet with the members to welcome them to Cavallino XIX.
Photos courtesy of event organizers
24
Eliott’s DB4C; Mickey’s DB5C owned since 1969; luscious Lagondas; Mr Penske and
Mr Elliott discuss Mr E’s star 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 # 10071
Sunday was the Concour d’Elegance at Mar-a-Lago and the
American Council of the Blind was the charity. As the Chief
Judge for the event, my day was filled with all of the logistics
that a Concour of this type requires. After helpers parked and
we professionally photographed all the entries, I met with the
field judges and assigned tasks. This year’s event was sponsored
by Rolls Royce with some very impressive pre- and post-war
examples next to new models parked on the lawn facing the
pool at the Merriweather Post Estate. Our field was graced with
approximately 80 cars of all types from micro cars to saloons of
all marques.
At our Charity Lunch and Awards Ceremony all “Best” and
“Excellent” in Class were recognized as well as overall “Best of
Show,” won by Mr. Patterson with his beautiful 1937 Delage. The
week’s events were then over. Time to recharge for the rest of our
busy season’s automotive-related activities.
Cavallino/Classic Sports Sunday: Palm Beach, Florida
Astons Invade Italian Treasure!
By Tom Smith
The Astons invaded Cavallino! Well not quite that dramatic, but
our beloved marque was well represented at this year’s Classic
Sports Sunday held on the beautiful grounds of Mar-a-Lago, the
Marjorie Merriweather Post mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.
Held the Sunday after the famous Ferrari spectacle of The
Cavallino Classic at The Breakers Hotel, the AMOC kicked
off their involvement for the weekend with a Saturday night
dinner at 246 Grill hosted by new Florida Area Rep Russell
Glace. Russell is a well-known Jaguar and Aston collector who
also has a Maserati and Ferrari! In addition to serving as a host
for Cavallino he is also the Chief Judge for the Classic Sports
Sunday event which this year attracted a number of beautiful
cars. Russell was kind enough to ask me to judge in the British
Car class and I was teamed up with Englishman Keith Bluemel
who happens to be one of the foremost Ferrari historians in the
world! What a treat for me to work with Keith, a gentleman
and true car aficianado.
Aston Martin was well represented with several new members in attendance and long time member Elliott Hillback
bringing his beautiful DB4 Convertible which won Best in
Class. Other AMOC members at this wonderful event, a benefit
for the American Council of the Blind, were Jim and Nancy
Utaski (alas, without his Pebble Beach-winning DB5C) and
Jimmy and Lisa Dobbs. A particularly neat car in attendance was
a DB5C which Mickey Graham, a gentleman who lives in Palm
Beach and CT uses as his daily driver. I’ve seen this car many
times near the Palm Beach City Dock and always wondered
who’s it was, great to see it out and in attendance at this venue!
Russell did not have his “barn find” DB2/4 on display as it is
undergoing a complete restoration at his shop.
It is Russell Glace’s and my hope that this event becomes
the “must attend” AMOC Winter Show for our members. The
venue is beautiful, the activities around Cavallino are great, and
what’s not to like about being in Palm Beach in January?
25
40
Lime Rock
3 Days to Celebrate Aston Martin and the AMOC
June 24-26
2010 is a milestone year. It is the 75th anniversary of the AMOC and the 40th year we will return
to Lime Rock.To celebrate we’ve invited some special people to the event.
The first is Brian Redman,
former Aston Martin factory race driver, team
member of John Wyer’s
all conquering Porsche
and Ford GT race teams
as well as the McLaren and BRM F1 teams. Brian
won the Targa Florio, raced in CanAm and at the
24 Hours of LeMans. Brian will be our guest speaker on Friday night.
Our other guests will be
Rex and Joyce Woodgate.
For years Rex was the presence for Aston Martin in
North America. He began
his career in the Competition Department at Aston Martin, was the Team Manager for the works racing entries in North America and
oversaw the management of all Aston Martin Operations in the United States. Joining Rex will be some of
his friends and colleagues from his time in the US.
Photos courtesy of Alexander Davidis, Tim Cottingham, CJ Gutch and Tom Paretta
Lime Rock 40 Activities:
Lime Rock 40 HQ:
Options for accommodations:
Thursday June 24 Road Tour
Our HQ will be Troutbeck in
Amenia, NY. For information
go to www.troutbeck.com or
contact them at (800) 978-7688.
Currently all rooms at Troutbeck
are reserved.
The
through the Berkshires and lunch.
Friday June 25 Concours for
all Astons at Troutbeck Inn,
Amenia, NY. Dinner with
Brian Redman.
Saturday June 26 A day at
Lime Rock Park and dinner
with our annual prize giving.
in
Lakeville (www.interlakeninn.
com). They are holding a block
of rooms for us. When you call
to book a room, tell them you
are with the AMOC. Their
number is (800) 222-2909.
Interlaken
Inn
The White Hart Inn which is
located on the Village Green in
Don’t miss this year!
Salisbury (www.whitehartinn.
com). Contact them at (800)
832-0041.
The Inn at Iron Masters in
Salisbury (www.innatironmasters.
com). Contact them at (860)
435-9844.
If you’ve never been to a Lime
Rock Classic, if you have not
been in years or if you come
every year, this is one year that
you don’t want to miss.
Book your
accommodations ASAP.
california
WOW! RECORD-SETTING ENTRY FOR
SERIES AT LONG BEACH
Thirty-five world-class entries to pack it in at historic circuit
Text and photos by Kim Palmer, Aston Martin Media
One of the largest fields for any event in the 36-year history of the
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will take to the famed southern
California street circuit for the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans
Series at Long Beach. Thirty-five cars will compete in the second
round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila
Patrón championship.
The field for Long Beach is the largest for a standard-length
race in the Series since 2003 and is also the biggest at the circuit
for the Series since its first race there in 2007.
“We were blessed with a fantastic field of world-class competitors at Sebring, and they certainly did not disappoint,” said Scott
Atherton, Series President and CEO. “As we move on to the biggest and most strategic market for our series—southern California
—we have been overwhelmed by entries, both the quantity and
quality. There is no question we will have a record-breaking field
for our fourth-annual event through the streets of Long Beach. I
am confident that the tens of thousands of spectators in attendance
at America’s premier street race will witness a great race among
the world’s best sports cars, teams and drivers.”
The Series’ fourth consecutive visit to the 11-turn, 1.968-mile
historic Long Beach track will boast a number of new features.
First and foremost is the debut of the Series’ combined LMP class.
Five separate marques will fight for overall victory—Aston Martin,
Lola, Mazda and Porsche. Adding to the mix is the inclusion of
two exotic closed-top prototypes: Drayson Racing’s E85-powered
Lola-Judd and Aston Martin Racing’s Lola-Aston Martin with its
screaming V12 production-based engine.
Another new addition to Long Beach is the first-year LMP
Challenge class featuring ORECA’s FLM09 prototype. Seven
FLM09s are entered after a successful opening race last weekend
at the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh
from Florida, where the ORECA-built racers passed their debut
with flying colors.
Among the highlights on the entry list are two cars for Level
5 Motorsports, the class winner at Sebring, and G-Oli’s Green
Earth Team Gunnar. There is one new entry—PR1 Mathiasen
Motorsports for prototype expert Johnny Mowlem and Tom
Papadopoulos.
The GT class is its usual spectacular self—double-digit entries
representing six manufacturers (BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford,
Jaguar and Porsche). Risi Competizione’s duo of Jaime Melo and
Gimmi Bruni enter as the championship leaders after another
Sebring victory for the Ferrari F430 GT. Of course the list of
challengers is extensive including Corvette Racing’s two Corvette
C6.Rs (making their first Long Beach start in the class), JaguarRSR’s
Jaguar XKRS and two cars each for BMW Rahal Letterman
Racing Team (second and third in
class at Sebring) and
defending Series
and race champion Flying Lizard
Motorsports.
A
nine-car
field for the GT
Challenge class will be part of the Long Beach grid with new
additions from 911 Design (Loren Beggs/Doug Baron) and Black
Swan Racing (Tim Pappas/Jeroen Bleekemolen). Sebring classwinner Alex Job Racing leads the GTC contingent with three
cars—one ounder the Car Amigo-Alex Job Racing banner.
The Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach is
the second round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented
by Tequila Patrón. The race, set at the historic Long Beach street
circuit, is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 15 with
coverage on SPEED set for 8 to 10 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio presented by
Porsche—a production of Radio Show Limited—as well as Sirius
and XM. Visit the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule,
entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at
americanlemans.com.
You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes) and on our
Facebook page and the official YouTube channel.
27
Belgium/RSA/Rhodesia/RSA/Japan/USA
Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark III Competition Saloon:
Out of Africa…But did it race in Belgium and Rhodesia?
By Bill Noon
Everyone loves a mystery…and I hope
you enjoy this one about a remarkable
production-derived Aston with racer characteristics from a bygone era.
A warning: the story of this magnificent
machine is incomplete. Even in this age
of instant information, many names, dates
and places remain unknown. We know
only a fraction of this car’s history.
Should you have suggestions on where
to look, or a bit of missing information
on this car, we warmly welcome your
input. We should all remember something
so often ignored: we are merely temporary custodians of these coveted machines;
someday we will be gone, and if we are
careful, what passed through our hands will
be better understood by future enthusiasts.
A brief history of Aston Martin: the
post WW II
production and
racing has been
thoroughly documented by far
better souls than
me. Never can
enough credit for Aston’s
post-war fortunes be given to David
Brown, who purchased the remains of
Aston Martin and of Lagonda in 1947.
Those early years saw only 14 completed
examples of the car known as the Two
Liter Sports, later dubbed the DB1, based
on Aston’s prewar design and 4 cylinder
engine. What Aston learned early on led
to a heavily revised, far more productionoriented DB2 built from Spring 1950
until Spring 1953 with the Aston chassis, and the Lagonda twin cam 6 cylinder engine designed by W.O. Bentley,
enveloped in a new body. Four hundred
and eleven DB2s were completed with a
variety of coachwork configurations and
competition derived options. Nearly in
parallel to the development and production of these sporting GT cars, Aston was
heavily involved in racing, both “Works
“We are merely temporary custodians
of these coveted machines”
29
Team Cars” and client cars, with their
first true post-war race car, the DB3.
Although only 10 DB3s were completed,
success on the track came early and what
was learned there often found its way into
option lists for the DB2.
The logical successor to the DB2 was a
slightly revised, more comfortable version
called the DB2/4. There were improvements to reliability as well as the addition
of “occasional” rear seating, hence the
2/4 label. Most notable on the standard Tickford Saloon was the rear-hatch
back, thought to be the first such practical application. Continued performance
improvements and available upgrades saw
more than a few enthusiastic owners competing with their vehicles in many UK,
also the last, most refined of the original
DB2 design, in production for seven
years. From March 1957 until July 1959
Aston produced 551 Mark IIIs. Aston
offered both comfort and performance
options, including four levels of engine
tune. While Aston’s reliability and performance had reached its zenith, so had
the new model’s weight, now tipping
the scales just over 2,800lbs. Even so, in
basic 162bhp configuration, the MKIII
was capable of top-speed well in excess
of 120mph.
Few of the new MKIIIs are recorded as
having active competition careers despite
the engine tuning options to bring horsepower well over 200bhp. Those that were
run in competition rewarded their owner-
few weeks, I began preliminary research
to see what we had acquired.
The chassis number made it clear that
sequentially this particular MKIII was the
25th of 551 examples. To my untrained
eye it was nothing more than a “production” road car and at best I might be able
to trace back and contact a few previous
owners. Beyond that I had almost nothing
else to go on. I wrote to the Aston Martin
factory and was amazed at how quickly
and how enthusiastically they got back
to me. The Aston Martin Heritage Trust
Secretary was quite shocked at my initial
inquiry, explaining that both the Factory
and the AMOC (Aston Martin Owners
Club) had lost track of this car after April
1960. It was recorded in the AMOC
Continental and US venues. The DB2/4
was an overwhelming success, and 565
examples were built from October 1953
to October 1955. As with the DB3, Aston
produced a vastly improved competition
model in parallel with the DB2/4, for
“Works” use and that of favored privateers.
This legendary sports racer was the new
DB3S; Aston produced 30 examples.
Beginning Spring 1955, Aston planned
a vastly improved replacement model for
the DB2/4. But, prior to the introduction
of this new model, a revision of the DB2/4,
simply called the DB2/4 Mark II, made its
debut in October 1955. Improvements
were subtle, leaning towards more refinement as well as standardizing previously
optional equipment. Mark II production
ran until August 1957 and actually overran the release of the DB2/4 Mark III.
Total Mark II production tallied 199 cars.
entrants with a reliable and competitive
machine on equal to Ferrari’s then current
250GT Series, and far better performing
than Maserati’s all new 3500GT.
Today for a variety of reasons, of the
production “Feltham” Astons from the
1950s, the MKIII is most sought after
by collectors. The near perfect lines
and abundant torque are merely a starting point. Closer examination reveals
so much more, but in the end most of
today’s collectors are simply amazed at the
overall package and performance of even
a “base” tune MKIII.
REGISTERS as simply “missing.”
As noted, Mark III production began
in Spring 1957. Chassis 1325 was an early
order car for “export” in left-hand-drive.
How and when this car was assembled,
and for whom, are all well documented by
Aston Martin’s impeccable records. The
original Factory Assembly Data Sheets as
well as Warranty and “after” Warranty service records provided an amazing amount
of vehicle specific information.
In March 1957, the Aston Martin concessionaire in Belgium, Mannes, processed
an order on behalf of their favored client,
Mr. Therasse of 114 Faubourg de Namur,
Nivelles, Belgium. The order specified a
“left-hand-drive” export model, odometer in kilometers, a “DBA” specification
engine, and the optional dual exhaust that
bumped horsepower from 162 to 178.
The original color was “Peony” a brilliant shade of bright red with a slight hint
of metallic. Interior was standard black
carpet and Connolly leather.
Chassis 1325 was recorded as wholesaled on June 26, 1957 and delivered
three days later on June 29. The car was
however completed no later than May
1957 as it was tested upon completion on
both the 2nd and 3rd of that month prior
to being readied for delivery.
DB2/4 Mark III or simply DB MKIII
The development of the DB2/4 Mark
III was carried out over many months.
With the MKIII, Aston incorporated the
best of what had been proven reliable
and competitive along with innovative
features. These would be the last Astons
built at the old Feltham works—and
30
AM/300A/1325: an Aston Martin of particular distinction
I first became aware of this Aston in
October 2008. A dealer in Gifu Shi, Gifu
Ken, Japan advised me of its availability.
He knew only the color, chassis number
and price. His poor quality photos were
less than complimentary; knowing no
more than that, I did not make a second
inquiry. One year later, the owner of
our company advised me he had struck
a deal and purchased an old Aston. He
sent photos, one of which showed the
chassis number. Armed only with this and
knowledge that the car would arrive in a
Mr. Therasse by any account was an
enthusiastic owner. His surviving factory service records give more than just
a partial glimpse of both how often and
how hard he pushed his beautiful new
machine. By mid September 1957 he had
already covered some 6,500 kilometers
and two weeks later he had added another
2,700 kilometers! Such mileage in such
a short period of time begged the question: how was this possible? The Aston
Martin Historical Trust Secretary as well
as various AMOC members and their corresponding REGISTERS could provide
very little information.
While still decoding the factory build
sheet and Service History, I began inquiring of various known Aston “gurus” via
There is an eight month gap in the
Factory Service records in which Mr.
Therasse added another 7,500 kilometers
to this Aston. While no longer averaging 2,000 kilometers/month, he was still
putting on nearly 1,000/month. In late
September 1958, with just over 20,000
kilometers on the clock and the car just
over a year old, Mr. Therasse had the
engine completely rebuilt to “DBC” or
full racing specifications. This was a significantly involved rebuild and one that
would limit the car’s usability on the road.
The DBC sported several modifications:
• Triple Weber carburetors and matching intake manifolds,
• Radically raised compression ratio,
• Different ignition and exhaust cams
in just the first two years of his ownership.
While not excessive by today’s standards
and the norm of a “heavy commute,” it
becomes apparent that for more than six
months Mr. Therasse drove his Aston
with a “full race-tuned” engine nearly
1,250 kilometers per month.
To date our research on when and
where this car may have been competing remains a mystery. The only clue
for possibilities comes from a persistent
rumor that the car was run in both the
Tulip Rallye and Rome-Liege-Rome
events of 1957, 1958 and 1959. My
persistent inquiries to a knowledgeable
individual with access to these races’
entrants, results and dates have produced
no results.
“Both the Factory and the AMOC had lost track of
this car after April 1960. It was recorded in the
AMOC REGISTERS as simply ‘missing’”
standard email searches and AMOC chat
sites. Having had several very important
Aston racers pass though my hands over
the years, (DB3, DB3S, DBR1, DB4GT
& DB4GT Zagato to name a few) I
was given welcome assistance from all
parts of the world. Unfortunately almost
nothing was known about this particular
car or owner.
Knowledgeable experts suggested I
check to see if Mr. Therasse was racing
or rallying the car in endurance events in
Europe at the time. I thought this was a
“sporting” road car and had not considered the possibility of it being raced.
One astute AMOC historian requested
copies of the factory records. We both
took a closer look at the service history and mileage recorded. In his first six
months of ownership, Mr. Therasse accumulated more than 12,000 kilometers—
averaging more than 2,000kms /1,200
miles per month! In that same time frame,
Aston performed two major rebuilds of
the engine. Was this merely an enthusiastic owner and possibly a car with some
unsolved engine issues? My own experience with such things led me to believe
that Mr. Therasse was most likely racing
his Aston Martin, but where he was doing
so remained a mystery.
and valve train hardware, and
•N
ew distributor and revised engine
timing.
With the tuned exhaust system and
open velocity stacks, the DBC engine
produced a reliable 214bhp! This was
more than a 50bhp increase over the
standard MKIII. I spoke at length with
the Aston Heritage Trust Secretary about
this optional engine. He clarified that
in addition to our car, only one other
MKIII was so equipped, which was
delivered new specifically for racing
in the Cuban Grand Prix in October
1958. (Aston Martin Factory Records
confirm that both MKIIIs received the
full “DBC” engine specification in
September 1958. The second example
built to these specifications for Cuba was
AM/300/3/1708.) He further stated that
with the engine in this state of tune, the
car would be suitable for the most part
for racing only and that this is where we
needed to continue our search to learn
more of the car’s history.
The last known recorded mileage for
this Aston while with Mr. Therasse shows
the car having covered some 30,000kms
just shy of the car’s second birthday. This
would give Mr. Therasse an overall average of nearly 1,000 miles of use per month
Mr. Therasse’s involvement with 1325
ended in early 1960 when it is recorded that
the car was sold to fellow Belgian, G.V.S.
Pearson of Brussels. His ownership was brief
indeed as the car was sold later in 1960 to an
unknown owner in South Africa.
While specific information such as
mileage, owners and dates are factually
known for the first three years of this
car’s life, the next 50 are almost entirely
blank. There are only a handful of clues.
Sometime prior to being sold to South
Africa, the car was repainted in a very
attractive shade of dark green. The only
other clue to the what/where/when, after
arriving in Africa, comes from a polite
New Zealand enthusiast who spent his
youth in Rhodesia.
Mark Cotter worked on a farm in
Rhodesia that serviced vehicles including race cars beginning in the late 1950s
and well into the 1960s, after which he
returned to New Zealand with his family.
He stated that this Aston was run regularly
under the “BMRC” (Bulawayo Motor
Racing Club) banner in Rhodesian, South
African and Angolan events at least until
1965. Even after nearly 50 years the rear
window still has the remains of a BMRC
sticker attached.
31
In storage mid-1960s to mid-1990s in
Rhodesia—then over a decade in Japan
Very little is known about the car’s
African phase, only that sometime in the
mid-1960s it went into long-term storage
from which it was not liberated until the
mid-1990s, when it surfaced at a private
garage in South Africa. The engine, gearbox, brakes and suspension were thoroughly serviced but the car was other-
wise completely cosmetically untouched,
preserved as last used in the early 1960s.
From there the car was purchased by a
private museum in Japan, but on arrival it
again went into storage, remaining unused
until our purchase in late 2009.
The car has been with us and on the
road for several weeks. Today the Aston
remains a bit dusty but even so, the ancient
paint and interior retain their charm. The
Aston is clearly tuned for competition but
despite this, it is an absolute delight to
drive and begs to be pushed hard.
I do not know who might be the
Aston’s next custodian. I hope a few
things will have happened since I put pen
to paper: that we have a far better understanding of this car’s history and those
involved with it.
Epilogue
[Steven Dudley M.D. and his wife Lynn
of Oshkosh, Wisconsin have since acquired this
Aston from Bill Noon of Symbolic Motors,
and drove it for the first time at Palm Springs
CA in January 2010. Please see our report
on that event. New Members of AMOC, the
Dudleys were the first entry for Lime Rock
2010. Steve has raced 1950s Ferraris as well
as the ex Eddie Weschler 250 TDF, a great
Ferrari that your Ed. chased around Road
America a few times in the early 1980s. We
think that the Club will enjoy the Dudleys
enjoying this fascinating Mark III—whatever
its history may be.—Ed]
32
california
AMOC at 2010 Palm Springs Concours
By Chet Floyd
Harry Hart really knows how to throw a party. For the 3rd annual
Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance in the Palm Springs area in
February 2010, the venue moved to the historic La Quinta Resort.
Harry Hart did his usual magic for the AMOC:
4 Great deals at the exclusive and photogenic La Quinta
resort,
4 Wonderful dinner at the beautiful new club house at the
Indian Wells Golf Resort,
4 Memento beer steins engraved for the event,
4 A sprawling cocktail party at the Hart’s lovely Indian Wells
residence, and…
4 A car corral at the concours for folks that didn’t wish to
display in competition.
Anita Hart can appreciate the work that Harry put into this
weekend for the AMOC, but few others might do so.
AMOC entrants on the field of play included…
4 Mark and Jane Ransome with “Samantha” their 1955
DB2/4,
4 Dan and Katy Rhodes’ DB6,
4 Robert and Patricia Dennis with their stunning Triumph
TR6,
4 Harry and Anita Hart with their Siata, and
4 Steve and Lynn Dudley from Wisconsin taking delivery of
DB2/4 Mk III #1325.
The Dudley Aston is unique with its DBC spec engine, an
upgrade to DB3S specs the original owner, a Mr. Therasse of
Nivelles, Belgium, had the Works do to the 25th Mk III. And
today it is in remarkable, unrestored condition and Steve is
undoubtedly looking forward to many pleasant miles ahead. Alas
the Preservation Class judges did not have an award for this Aston
on that day.
The Dennis TR however snagged a 3rd in class, the only
award for the AMOC, despite driving the TR to La Quinta the
evening before in a driving rain of biblical proportions that lasted
all day, and only that day. Also caught in this misery was Dan
Rhodes, who left LA at 5am hoping to outrun the rain. Instead,
Dan got to exercise his great skill at combating hydroplaning.
A special treat for the AMOC was the appearance of our
good friend Bev Suhrbier who brought the 1957 Mercedes Benz
Cabriolet she and her late husband Ed drove from Santa Monica,
CA to Peking in 2000. Bev still keeps the DBS in Indian Wells.
The Desert Classic moved this year to La Quinta, east of Palm
Springs and nestled against the ridge that provided total isolation in
the early 1920s when the Resort opened to the delight of silent film
stars. Greatly expanded now from the original 21 bungalows, still in
use, and surrounded today by three golf courses and the trappings of
urban sprawl, it remains nonetheless a superb getaway destination.
Harry’s hard work paid off with 20 AMOC couples participating in the weekend and having a great time.
Photos, from top: 25th Mk. III from Belgium; Dennis TR4 takes 3rd, Harry Hart Siata;
Hart hearth with Aston pals; Joan Floyd and pals’ Floyds & Dudleys; Mark Ransome..
35
UK
AMOC Prizegiving at The Barn—
NA EAST Among the Honorees
By Nick Candee
Our long-time Member Rex J. Woodgate was presented the
Victor Gauntlett award by Victor’s widow Jean, with their son
Mark on hand. The Gauntletts had visited the AMOC East annual
event at Lime Rock, and Victor was the fastest driver sporting a
bow tie and helmet hurtling around the Connecticut circuit, outshone only by his wit in sharing news of Aston Martin.
Our friend (and infrequent visitor) Brian Joscelyne was presented the Bertelli trophy, the club’s highest award.
EAST Treasurer Brewster Miner was given an Award of Merit,
and as the editor of The Vantage Point, I was given the Oskar E.
Ruegg award for service by an overseas member.
John Purser did a suitable roasting of the American honoree;
Dutch Area Rep Jan Ten Cate (who has joined us at Lime Rock) and
Austrian Area Rep Georg Elbogen were spared John’s humor. Georg
drove his magnificent Feltham DHC to the event from Austria.
The Barn is a great setting for a party, even in mid-winter,
36
and I was delighted to see a number of pals from the Club and
from the works, especially Kingsley Ryding-Felce as well as Chris
d’E.Vallancey.
I went to London for the weekend and up to Oxfordshire
with long time friends Brian and Susan Dickie (note that Boston is
equi-time from London or Los Angeles so it is just beyond a day
trip). Brian made his track debut when the AMOC hosted a day
at Mid-Ohio in 1982. Brian also joined the Aston gang at a track
day at Mosport in 1982. Brian kindly met me at Heathrow to go to
their house in Notting Hill—which was the first time anyone ever
collected me from that airport, not just the first time the transport
was Brian’s DB7 Vantage Volante. Sue Dickie took some of these
photos; the others are from the Club site.
Coming back from the AMOC HQ we stopped at Brian’s
golf club, Stoke Park, which 007 aficionados will recognize from
Goldfinger—a nice little surprise (even if no Oddjob was in sight).
Photos: Opposite page, top right: Rex J. Woodgate gets Gauntlett award from Jean.
Opposite page, left to right: Row 1: Lovely Anne Wright of AM Heritage Trust on left;
Dodger Green Shoes award went to the great Scot Roger Martin; man of parts Chris d’E.
Vallencey heads Aston’s Heritage programme
Row 2: John Purser with Georg Elbogan and fab Feltham DHC from Austria; Mrs.
Gauntlett with Joyce and Rex Woodgate; Bertelli award which went to the ever-serving
Brian K. Joscelyne
Row 2: Roland Cherry with the new GT4 Aston; the dynamic Kingsley Ryding-Felce of
Works Service with Lord & Lady Drayson; Lady Diana with Roger & Heather Martin,
who has served for decades as Area Rep - Scotland and even loaned his cars to Chet Floyd
[Mr. Martin’s kilt was splendid]; some of 40 some awards for 31 recipients.
This page, left to right: Row 1: The old tithing barn makes a great party center - with the
cars rolled outside! Purser roasting Candee. Lady Diana: “Did you sign the receipt
for this?” Nick Candee: “Really, I signed!”
Row 2: GT4 V8 Vantage; AMR1; the Club 1.5 Liter, Roger Jackson confirms.
Brewster Miner gets award in absentia, present in spirit as Lady Diane stands with auslanders TenCate, Elbogen etc. BKJ flanked by Mr. d.E’V. and Lady D.
Row 4: Brian N. Dickie and pal contemplate the AMR1 as a quicker way back to
London.
Bottom: Big Bang Award from Goldsmith Young. Right: Brian & Sue Dickie, with Jan
& Mrs. TenCate from NL. Luminaries included George Howard-Chappell, left, and RS
Willams, right
Photos courtesy of Susan Walton Dickie and AMOC website
• California Sage/Westminster Green top, Absynthe Green upper/Sandstorm lower
• VIN SCFAD02AX6GB04482
• 15k mileage
• TT2 gearbox
• 15 spoke alloys
• Full bamboo
• Bright grill
• 260w ICE
• HomeLink
• 3M clear bra
• Power fold mirrors (updated fold back upon locking car)
• OEM car cover
• Recent service: Oil/filter/brake fluid flush plus recent brake pads front and rear
• Service history available
• One owner private seller w/o dealer mark-up!
• Photos: picasaweb.google.com/rowednrode/06AstonDB9VPhotoLink?feat=email#
$96k
OBO
[email protected]
or
(407) 257-6005
37
event
ASTON MARTIN SCHOOL AT GINGERMAN RACEWAY IN september!
By Norb Kaminski
WHO: Any Aston owner who drives over 55 mph in traffic can benefit from the car control and accident avoidance skills he or she
will learn and practice at this event.
WHERE: Between Chicago and Detroit, on Lake Michigan shores
in a nice resort area.
WHAT: A driver Safety Seminar and School for Aston Martins with
instructors for each driver; a non-timed, non-speed event.
WHY: AMOC Member and HDPE instructor Norb Kaminski is teaming with RSC (Racing Sport Concepts) to offer the kind of “drivers
ed” enjoyed by other marquee clubs.
WHEN: Golf out and dinner Friday September 10. Drivers school
Saturday September 11.
HOW MUCH: $595 Drivers $95 Guests/ Track Touring.
Our third Annual Safety Seminar and Drivers School will be held
once again at Gingerman Raceway on September 11. Each driver
will enjoy five 30 minutes sessions for the day. They have the
opportunity to ride in their personal instructor’s car to learn the
track, and their instructor will then accompany them throughout
the day on the track. Spend the day drastically improving your driving skills while safely exploring your Aston’s potential. During this
non-competitive, non-speed, non-timed event each participant can
proceed at his or her own pace. This is not a race school and timing
devices will not be allowed. A golf outing and owners dinner will be
held Friday September 10 at Hawkshead Inn and Country Club.
When manufacturers develop a car, they are inevitably forced to
release something which appeals to the broadest possible spectrum
of buyers. Many Aston Martin buyers appreciate the brand for its
style, luxury, and ride quality and prefer a more muted vehicle for
everyday use. There are however, a significant proportion of modern Aston Martin owners who come from a performance-oriented
background and who would like to extract additional performance
from their cars. Fortunately there are more and more opportunities
for owners to enjoy their Aston Martin in the safety of a track environment. This year the event will be sponsored by Aston Martin
tuners Racing Sport Concepts (RSC).
As a driving instructor I spend 10-12 weekends per season on
track teaching high performance driving for multiple car clubs in
the Midwest. I probably put as many miles on my 2007 Vantage on
the racetrack as I do on the road. Although modern Astons are built
to a very high standard, I am always looking for ways to improve
the performance it offers. Having been asked by so many owners
at track events about my upgrades, I’ve included a brief synopsis of
my experiences.
POWER: My Vantage is running with the full ‘Power Pack’ upgrade
from RSC. This includes a set of 200 cell sports catalysts and a
Supersport exhaust system (both manufactured by RSC at their
facility in England) as well as RSC’s own ECU performance
upgrade. This combination provides a huge boost in horsepower
and torque, bringing the output on par with the 4.7 Liter cars and
has added up to 9mph top speed on longer straights. I’m always
found to be the best sounding car on the track and an amazing note
above 4000rpm.
TRANSMISSION: My car is a Sportshift and I am running with RSC
Tuning’s TCU re-program. Best value of any of my upgrades.
Lightning quick shifts, much smoother without having lift. While
freeway cruising in sport mode, a passing maneuver at 60-75 mph
elicits a sharp 6-3 down shift to rocket the car down the roads.
This is a much more aggressive shift program, ideal if you use your
paddles most of the time. No effect if you use comfort mode- but
why would you want to do that! I am also looking forward to
installing the light weight flywheel and twin-plate clutch RSC has
developed, should shift even quicker and weighs 22 pounds less than
the OE unit.
BRAKING SYSTEM: I’m running with Motul 600 fluid and Pagid RS
29 yellow enduro pads, and recently added a ram air brake cooling system from RSC Tuning which channels cool air to the front
brakes. Highly effective for repeated threshold braking at speeds in
excess of 140 mph and more cost effective than installing an N24
front end. The last thing you want at a track event is a soft pedal as
that means the end of your day unless you flush your brake fluid, or
worse an expensive foray off-track.
SUSPENSION: Currently stock, the car is very neutral, predictable
and balanced at speed. Well planted in the corners but some rear
end instability with high speed threshold braking. Interested in the
factory upgrade but without the wheels.
WHEELS: OZ racing Ultraleggera 19lbs vs. Sportpack “lightweight”
at 25lbs or stock at an obese 30lbs. A very significant savings for the
unsprung weight.
Gingerman Raceway is a wonderful track five minutes east of
South Haven MI, and 20 minutes south of Saugatuck. This is a popular vacation area on the shores of Lake Michigan, equidistant from
38
Chicago, and Detroit. The towns are dotted with boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and bed and breakfast inns for more romance than
the host hotel. You can also explore several wineries in the area.
PREP: Helmets are required, Snell 2000 or newer. A limited number
of rental helmets will be available. Equal restraints are required: if
the driver is a four point harness, their instructor needs the same.
Entrants should have their Astons pre-teched by their local dealer
or Aston Specialist. We recommend at least 50% of front pad; brake
fluid should be less than 6 months old. Please keep in mind that this
event is held on a race track and safety is priority. While our instructors will not push drivers beyond their comfort zone (and as important, the instructor’s comfort zone), there is some risk involved. Pay
attention to the instructors, learn a lot safely, and have a great time.
There will be an hour long track touring session. Non-driver
guests can spend up to an hour on track in their Astons without
helmets while restricted to freeway speeds. Non-driver guests are
welcomed to attend all weekend events.
Volante and Roadster owners of Bloxham and Gaydon products
(with factory installed rollover protection) are also encouraged to participate in the track sessions. Roll cages will not be required, so if you
have a modern era soft top you are welcome to join in on the fun.
Again, our nonprofit beneficiary for the weekend is the
International Visitors Council of Detroit. The IVC of Detroit is a
member of the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV)
based in Washington D.C.-a national network of program agencies
and 92 community based organizations. These nonprofit groups
design and implement professional programs and provide cultural
activities and home hospitality opportunities for foreign leaders,
specialists and dignitaries.
Thanks to our main sponsor RSC Tuning and our secondary
sponsors AMOC and UBS, the cost for this weekend will be $595.
This includes:
• Reception and dinner Friday
• Breakfast, lunch, and post event bench racing Saturday
• Commemorative polo shirts and track gear
• Extensive track time with your personal in car instructor
Questions on this event can be directed to event chair/chief
driving instructor Norb Kaminski: (586) 757-6453/work, (313)
719-2484 cell or email [email protected]
More than just a typical track day, this safety seminar should
prove educational, challenging and exhilarating! Our Mantra for the
weekend is be safe, have fun, be safe!
I’m looking forward to another successful event at Gingerman
this September and meeting more AMOC members. Even if you
don’t plan on taking your Aston on track, feel free to turn up for
golf day on Friday and the trackside experience. We will be providing instruction and demonstration rides all day for those who are
interested, comparing the effectiveness of the RSC upgrades vs. the
stock V8 Vantage.
HQ HOTEL: Ramada Lighthouse (www.lighthouseinnsouthhaven.com) $159 Executive Level rooms 269.639.9900 by June
23, 2010.
Other Events: October 16, 2010 Our Annual Fall Color Tour to
the private Lingenfelter Collection—A rare opportunity to combine
colors and cars.
Norb Kaminski thanks Performance Concepts for their sponsorhip.
39
photo essay
Amaury Laparra,
Photographer in the
City of Light
By James W. Hazen
Ah, Paris in the Spring! Is there any better way to see it than in an Aston Martin?
Certainly not for Mr. Amaury Laparra.
Mr. Laparra is a Paris based photographer with a keen eye and an interesting
ability to capture both luxury and power in
his images of fine automobiles. I was especially drawn to his photos of Astons that are
taken on the streets of Paris.
Mr. Laparra began studying photography as a student at the prestigious Louvre
Art School in Paris. For the past eight
years he has been capturing images of
exceptional cars. Shooting initially for his
own pleasure, he now works for clients in
Europe and North America, not only with
cars but also in fashion and jewelry.
He’s currently studying interior architecture and design at the Camondo
School in Paris.
More examples of his work can be seen
at his website www.amaurylaparra.com
40
41
rex woodgate
from race mechanic to president and
general manager of aml north america
By David A. Linfoot
I’d like to congratulate the AMOC-NA on its 40th anniversary
celebration, and gratefully thank Nick and the Club for inviting
me and my daughter, Kristin to attend this auspicious event. I am
truly honored.
In 1966, fresh out of Fort Knox, I answered an entry level job
opening at a car company in King of Prussia, PA. Rex hired me
to pick, pack and ship parts. Over the course of the next 13 years,
42
I would manage parts department, and take on service scheduling,
writing, estimating—whatever was needed. I found myself in the
right place at the right time, and it proved to be the beginning of
my automotive career.
Within about six months, Rex asked me to drive an Aston to
New York City. This would be the first Aston I had ever driven
on the highway. It was getting dark as I approached the city, and
headlights had come on. A car swerved-in behind me, switching
on his high beams to take a better look. Then, as now, an Aston
Martin rolling down the highway was a special event. But his high
beams were quite annoying. I felt I had to take action, so, in my
best James Bond impression, I flipped open the center armrest and
actuated the bullet-proof shield.
When the first Aston Martin you drive becomes the most
famous car in the world, where does one go from there?
Early-on, Rex had to choose between becoming a racecar
driver or a race mechanic. About to start a family, he chose Aston
race mechanic. Rex built the factory’s DBR2s that featured the
racing version of the DB4 engine. These often raced alongside
sures to correct product deficiencies and tune our cars for the U.S.
market. He developed heat-proofing modifications for DB6s, and
worked with Coolaire to develop an adequate air conditioner
for the long chassis Volante convertibles, onwards, and, as more
became known about how to meet exhaust emission regulations,
Rex re-considered Weber carburetion to replace the DBSV8’s fuel
injection. In my opinion, this essentially renewed the “Vantage”
engine specification for the U.S. market. Rex has never been shy,
or indirect, so I can imagine the many friends he acquired during
his factory visits, no doubt convincing them to strive for perfection
building a proper motor-car each and every time.
Rex provided close support to the Aston Martin Owners Club
the DBR1s and raced successfully here in America and in Nassau
under Rex’s care, with George Constantine and Bob Oker driving. Wins were at Lime Rock, Marlborough, and the Nassau
Governor’s Trophy. Later, here in the States, Rex vintage-raced
his own DB4GT under # 49, which no doubt derives from the
#49 DBR2 driven by George Constantine. I recall reading a 1980s
Car & Driver article rating Rex one of the top five race mechanics
of all time.
As Aston’s service rep working out of J.S. Inskip, in New
York, Rex had already become the face of Aston Martin in North
America. In the mid-sixties, he opened Aston Martin Lagonda,
Inc., in King of Prussia, PA., the importer-distributor for North
America; boasting factory sales, service, and parts availability in the
low 90 percentile. As president, Rex was more formally known as
the King of Prussia, a title he has never once publicly denied!
No pun intended, Rex was driven by quality control and
customer service. He was always quick to recognize potential
customer complaints, and he aggressively undertook countermea-
as well. In those days, many clubs distanced themselves from
the influence of their respective manufacturers. However, Rex’s
sole objective was to support and complement the club and its
events. And, at Lime Rock, we’d bring a selection of spare parts,
and some of us would participate in concours judging, (which I
always enjoyed), and help run track events and tech inspections.
In the early days of the AMOC’s Lime Rock event, the spirit was
“Race what ya’ brung”. Rex would delight the crowd piloting the
pristine DB4GT he owned and vintage raced, as well as Roberts
Harrison’s howling beast of a racecar—a beautiful D-Jaguar—
growing ever larger as it accelerated down the Lime Rock straight.
The Jag’s straight pipes prompted a flood of complaints from the
neighbors, while those of us in the timing booth prayed for yet
another lap! Rex treated me to a couple of hot laps around the
track in the Jag, introducing me to the laws of adhesion and effective bladder control. After that, I sometimes referred to him as
“Maestro”—a title historically reserved for Sir Stirling.
With as many as 13 employees, those were extremely chal-
Photos, bottom left: Rex standing next to Bob Grossman’s Berlinetta at Bridgehampton 1961; Right: Dave Ash 2nd, ? dark shirt, Sherm Decker partially hidden w/straw hat; Bob
Bucher w/straw hat, guy in white shorts and obviously Rex kneeling. I think the guy in the dark shirt worked for Foreign Cars of Greenwich and Werner, but cannot be sure
43
lenging years, keeping our head above water, the factory not
always able to meet demanding emissions requirements, and with
sales almost non-existent in some years. The constant rumors could
be devastating; were we going to merge with Jensen?, will we
fit Chrysler engines to cut costs? When British Leyland, itself in
shambles, was considering purchasing AML, Inc., we even met with
the local BMC Distributor to discuss how we might fit into their
organization. For a time, that was a most humbling and frightening
prospect! Each week seemed to bring a new rumor. At all times,
Rex was careful to keep us in the know, but more importantly, he
kept us focused on the business at hand, and insulated us from the
demoralizing pressures of daily trials and tribulations at the factory.
Eventually, Rex facilitated the Peter Sprague/George Minden consortium that saved and breathed new life into the factory.
Rex remains the one, true King of Prussia, and he was the
inspiration for my 42-year career in the automobile business. He
alone fashioned my passion for automobiles—13 years at AML,
Inc., and 28 years at Subaru of America. That’s a huge debt I can
never repay. So, I’ll get off lightly, and quite cheaply, with just a
tip of the hat.
Thanks from all of us, Rex, for helping preserve the marque for
transition to today’s highly successful generation of vehicles! Aston
Martin prospers today, thanks in large part to your contribution.
And let us not forget the lovely Joyce Woodgate, who so ably
supported Rex’s endeavors behind the scenes, and for her contributions at club events.
[Dave Linfoot served as AMOC East Treasurer for a period, and
was presented the club’s highest service award, The Elisha Walker
Trophy—Ed.]
44
David Linfoot –What was
your job at AML Inc. Under
Rex Woodgate?
Here’s a little more insight into the running of AML, Inc. across
my 13 years. As I think about it, Parts Manager doesn’t quite
describe me. Over time, I took on a number of responsibilities.
Rex’s theory was that my business card should not have a title; that
way, I could represent the company in any capacity.
When I arrived in 1966, AML, Inc had a parts manager from
the factory. When he was recalled to England, I took over the job.
I revamped inventory levels and order frequencies, which brought
us to low 90th percentile parts availability. I hired an inventory
clerk and a parts cage guy to dole out shop needs and other tasks.
To protect my cherished parts availability, I never delegated parts
ordering responsibilities.
Early on, we had a couple of mighty surprised customers when
presented bills for extensive repair work. So, Rex expanded my
organizational skills into the service area. I claimed all warranty
work with the factory. To correct our staff short-comings in service
writing and estimating, it wasn’t long before I became the service
writer, scheduler, repair/rebuild estimator, and handled most customers in and out. To ensure against finger-pointing between parts
and service departments, Rex put me in overall charge of both
departments; however, I was careful to reach consensus in decisions
with the shop foreman. Again, no title.
After the foreman road tested each customer vehicle and new/
prepped vehicle, Rex had me perform a test drive, for attention to
detail I suppose, and to help ensure against comebacks. This might
result in centering the steering wheel a spline to the right, or possibly a clutch adjustment, or clean up the boot. The shop foreman
was in charge of selecting and overseeing the work of the mechanics, and road testing the repair. We consulted on matters impacting
schedule, like customers without appointments. Eventually, we
hired Robert Clerk, who very ably took on service operations.
When Hugh Steward managed our New York showroom, he’d
go back to England for the holidays, and I’d man the showroom
for a week or ten days.
Was there a title for any of this? No. Rex called me his
“right-hand man” when interviewed for the 2001 Aston
Heritage article by Jonathan Stein, entitled “Aston Martin And
The Un-Crowned King of Prussia”. Not terribly specific; here’s
whats-his-name. I suppose that about covers it. Did I love every
minute of it? You bet!
45
tribute
Message to Mr. Woodgate, February 2010
Dear Mr. Woodgate,
It is so very nice to hear from you. You have been such an
influence in my professional life. I have truly been blessed by being
in the right place at the right time, to see first-hand those I respect
for being true “automobile enthusiasts” both within and outside
of the automotive business. I was honored on the day at Newport
Pagnell that you remembered me!
I truly don’t know—where to start? I have so many memories that have helped me to do what I love. Being taken out of
school to make trips to King of Prussia. Getting a stick AM lapel
pin at every auto show from you or from Hugh Steward; this is
something I continue. I keep a box of lapel pins in my office for
kids that visit with parents; maybe, in my mind, giving them the
chance to be the next generation Aston nut with the passion that
these days just does not seem to exist within the business. I have
become that old timer!
Aston Martin staples of my life include…that mustache, that
voice, and an ivory DB4GT with “49” in just the right font on
the side. That GT was something that I lusted after.
OK, ok, enough of this, I will thank you personally in June.
About Victor Trochymenko, master engine builder:
Victor also was a huge part in my life: trips with Victor and my
dad, truly learning from Victor, being told to mop the floor when
Victor thought I was not paying the right amount of attention,
being allowed to work beside him once again when he thought
I would perform to his standards. The pride I had when Victor
first came to Autosport Designs and saw all the Astons here, and
he stated “you are what we once were.” His laughing when
I labeled Autosport Designs as a suitable orphanage for Aston
Martin motorcars.
As you probably know, Victor and my Dad were quite close;
Victor spent many weekends at my Dad’s home. Watching the
two of them act like children (good, fun children) even before the
cognac was poured has been priceless. The stories Victor constantly tells; Victor walking to the drive seeing an Aston I drove up in
and stating “I remember when so and so owned it, it never ran on
eight cylinders and he never knew the difference, what a shame.”
Victor is truly the engine builder-technician with common sense
and skill that is so rare these days. Oh, and that temper!
I have always stayed in touch with Victor. Victor will always
be just Victor and he is perfect this way, you just have to understand him and realize he has no patience for nonsense during work
time. I remember his chasing McRoberts out of his cage in New
Rochelle—and this on several occasions. He lives in what he calls
the woods; he has not changed, and recommends calling prior to
arrival because he will shoot first.
I truly wish someone honored Victor for being the staple he
has been for so many in the Aston world here in the United States.
46
He has never looked for praise, but I truly wish that someone
acknowledges him and what he has done at some point, he has
been at the beck and call of so many throughout the years.
About Hugh Steward, former sales manager for AML North
America:
I have also kept in touch with Hugh. Hugh has continued to
endure with a great amount of enthusiasm. He also tells some great
stories (true stories) as I have learned with age, some of which
included my father. Dad, he is the only one I had, you gotta love
him no matter what!
I can’t tell you the feeling of pride when actually dealing
with Hugh on a professional level and having his acceptance and
respect.
Hugh was my idol. As a child, going to the auto shows at
the coliseum, seeing a rather rotund Englishman (what Aston no
longer has!) chat up model after model from other manufacturers
show stands…What the @#$%^&*(), unbelievable! It was like a
pilot with stewardesses but better, it involved being part of Aston
Martin and getting the girl, woooo hooooo. James Bond had
nothing on him!
My first ride in a DB, at King of Prussia, a Blue RHD DB6,
I sat in the middle of the rear seat and watched, listened, enjoyed
and remember asking Hugh why he used his left foot to brake.
Unbelievable, just dexterity and did I mentioned the women from
the show stands?!? My first ride in a true V8 Vantage, again Hugh
at Lime Rock, dinner with Dad, woow!
Just recently Hugh scanned a few photos he found and e-mailed
them to me, saying that he has not been in touch with anyone
of late who would appreciate them. If you click on the following
photo album you will see photos of Charlie Turner; a DB2 with
strange bonnet owned by Charlie; photos of Charlie Turner and
Dick Gross with the Ulsters; photos from the Pennsylvania Fall
Concours at Bobs and Gretchen Harrison’s place; Bobs’ DB5 with
Black or Dark Green wire wheels, I am not sure, and finally- photos from King of Prussia, V8s being delivered—and Hugh driving
a DBSV8 cross country.
What a terrible phone call when Hugh called to advise me that
they were giving the Aston franchise up, simply giving it back,.
You could hear the disappointment in his voice.
I thought you might like to see V8/11600/LCA, Dad’s V8. I
found it after he had sold it and rather than purchase a late style
V8 Vantage (way too easy) I decided to modified the early car to
1985 specifications, body, interior, engine, the whole nine yards.
I can still have the family V8 but to new Papadopoulos bespoke
standards, truly what Aston was always about.
So, sorry for the run-on sentences, the grammatical errors, I
have just written as the thoughts come to mind.
Thanks for listening, what great times.
I have advised the club that I would like Victor to be my personal guest for the 40th meeting, usually he will make a fly-by
during the track day, a long journey to and from his home in the
Adirondacks near Woodstock NY. This year I would very much
like him to be a part of the weekend, every step of the way.
I am also going to see if I can get Hugh to come to the event.
I so much look forward to seeing you and the Mrs. to once
again enjoy your company.
Yours with true love and affection,
Tom Papadopoulos
Autosport Designs, Inc.
Hello Tom,
It seems a long time ago that we met again at
Newport Pagnell.
Nick tells me that it was you who “found” Victor
and it will be so good to see him again. We go back an
awful long way. I first met him when he looked after the
Cunningham/Momo cars and I was looking after the
Elisha Walker Jr. sponsored AM works Aston Martin
DBR2, at the Walker home on Muttontown Road in
Syosset, LI NY. [circa 1959]
Elisha’s daughter, Elaine will also be at Lime Rock;
no wonder we are looking forward to it all.
Yes, I enjoyed the AMOC days at Lime Rock and
meeting so many good people including the good Dr.
Constantin Papadopoulos who brought his young son
with him; those really were the DAYS!!!
Till then, and thanks for finding Victor,
Rex
47
restoration
Her Majesty’s DBS Part 3
By Thomas Mulhall
The restoration of Her Majesty’s DBS continues with attention to painstaking detail,
engine disassembly, suspension assembly,
and a host of operations from wiring to
hydraulics to Q Branch accessories…
(photo 1) Following a waiting period of
two months for the paint to harden, (yes,
we did watch the paint dry…) the task of
colour sanding and polishing was accomplished over a four day period. The car
was completely masked as if for painting, as
many components had been attached during the hardening period. TV restoration
shows often leave out this little detail, as
the paint must be allowed to shrink before
it is sanded and polished, as it now reflects
its true dimensions.
(photos 2,3) After painting, the first
items attached are the suspension pieces to
make the car into a rolling chassis. Here,
1
4
you can see the lovely, brand new handling
kit and vented front brake conversion,
courtesy of Steelwings. I had elected to
repaint the calipers to match the original
factory look. With original Avon tyres
now fitted to the wheels and the centre
knock-on, the effect of the stainless steel
against the Olive colour is stunning.
(photos 4,5,7) Rear suspension includes
the complete rebuild of every component.
Here, the completed differential assembly with its uprated pinion seal (Aston
Workshop) and refurbished calipers awaits
the powder coated De Dion unit. The
Waterfront Automobili CV joint axle conversion kit is now ready, and should save
quite a bit of weight, whilst providing
smoother power transfer. The later V8 cars
featured this conversion.
(photo 6) Hydraulics are now installed,
2
3
“yes, we did watch the paint dry…”
5
48
with newly plated brake lines, and refurbished master cylinders. A protective cover
will be fabricated.
(photo 8,9) A complete wiring harness
was fabricated, including a hidden, modern
fuse box, whilst keeping the original Lucas
system intact as a nod to originality. Even
the paper filled fuses proclaim their Lucas
heritage! Every original wire was retained,
whilst the relays were restored.
(photo 10) The completed engine compartment awaits the 4.7 litre engine.
Detailing of the engine compartment
alone took two months, with wiring,
hydraulics, and components each being
carefully restored.
(photo 11,12) Excitement builds with
the 4.7 litre engine components. Here,
these gorgeous valves and 12 counterweight crankshaft will soon be installed to
7
make a very smooth, lovely engine. JMB
Services provided the engine components.
(photo 13) Scottish propmaker Michael
McCluskey, the Quartermaster, works his
magic, building the correct wooden AR7
rifle stock that will enlist our DBS into Her
Majesty’s Secret Service.
Next: The conclusion of the project and
AMOC debut.
Special thanks to JMB Services,
Steelwings, Aston Workshop, Jon Wardle,
Waterfront Automobili.
Follow all the progress of this project on
www.OHMSSDBS.com
Nick Candee appears courtesy of
Crooner Records.
James Bond Theme written by Monty
Norman.
6
8
9
11
“the effect of the
stainless steel
against the Olive
colour is stunning”
10
12
13
49
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Thomas Ackerson
San Marino, CA
2007 DB9 Coupe
Robert C. Albert
Northfield, IL
2005 Vanquish S
Richard I. Anslow
Manalapan, NJ
2010 V8 Vantage Roadster
Paul Asdourian, MD
Fallston, MD
2009 DB9
Franc Barrabes
New York, NY
2004 DB AR1
Jonathan Beach
Oakville, Ontario Canada
2007 V8 Vantage Roadster
Thomas G. Birnbach
Potomac, MD
2008 V8 Vantage
Jonathan Blanc
Philadelphia, PA
Lionel J. Bourgeois III
Charlottesville, VA
2007 DB9
George Bouri
Short Hills, NJ
2007 DB9 Volante
Brandon Bowman
Fayetteville, NC
2006 V8 Vantage
David Brodsky
Palm Beach, FL
1999 DB7 Neiman Marcus #4
Holly G. Brown-Tabbenor
Oviedo, FL
2006 V8 Vantage
J. Paul Caruso
Orlando, FL
2006 Vanquish S
50
Anthony L. T. & Claudia
Cragg
Evergreen, CO
2006 DB9 Volante
Robert S. Critchell
Vero Beach, FL
2009 V8 Vantage Coupe
Brian & Susan Currie
La Quinta, CA
2008 V8 Vantage Roadster
Dennis T. D’Antonio
Greenwich, CT
1987 V8
Stephen Dudley
Oshkosh, WI
2857 Mark IIIA
Bogdan Dziurzynski
Cardinal, VA
2008 V8 Vantage
Andy & Karla Evanger
Fairbanks, AK
2009 DB9 Coupe
Keith Evans
Santa Rosa, CA
2006 V8 Vantage
Stephen Genovese
Howard Beach, NY
2008 V8 Vantage
Mark J. Gerencser
McLean, VA
2007 V8 Vantage
Jim Gordon
Frederick, Maryland
1969 DBS
Michael (Mickey) Graham
Stamford, CT
1965 DB5 C
Nick Grewel
Sanbornton, NH
1967 DB6 & 2010 DB9
Jeffrey D. Haas
Alexandria, VA
2008 DB9
Brian Manley
Newtown, PA
2009 V8 Vantage
Stefan Haselwandter
Boston, MA
2006 DB9
Steven McColgan, MD
Brookline, MA
Vanquish S, DB AR1
Bruce A. Hiler
Arlington, VA
2009 DBS Coupe
Blair McMurchy
Toronto, Ontario Canada
1987 V8 Vantage Volante
Stephen Hill
Los Gatos, CA
Roumen Milev
Kingston, Ontario Canada
2010 V8 Vantage
Spencer Hinton
Belmont, MI
2008 V8 Vantage
Gary Hoover
Raleigh, North Carolina
W. Christian Hoyer
Lutz, FL
2009 V8 Vantage
Gary & Bonnie Johnson
Austin, TX
2009 V8 Vantage
Daniel Moore
Framingham, MA
Jackson L. Munsey
Columbia, SC
2005 Vanquish S
Peter & Elizabeth Myles
Highland Village, TX
2009 DBS
Neil Nakagawa
Sacramento, CA
2007 V8 Vantage
Brian Jones
Norristown, PA
2001 DB7 Vantage Volante
Mike Odierna
Greenwich, CT
Leslie Kaminoff
Bpca Raton, FL
2009 V8 Vantage
Paul Perkinson
Alexandria, VA
2007 V8 Vantage
Charlie Kaminski
Oakland Township, MI
2007 V8 Vantage Roadster
Michael A. Potito
East Longmeadow, MA
2006 DB9 Volante
Joachim Kern
Beverly Hills, CA
2006 DB9 Volante
Ronald Preiss
New Vernon, NJ
2009 DB9
George Krass
Plainfield, IL
2002 Vanquish
Bob Reid
Newmarket, Ontario Canada
2007 V8 Vantage
Charles Laurence
New York, NY
2006 Vanquish S
Mark H. Rhee
Newport Coast, CA
2009 DBS
Stavros Roberts
Waterford, VA
2007 V8 Vantage
Todd K. Warren
Bellmore, NY
2009 V8 Vantage
R.M. (Mark) Rodger
Wilmington, NC
2007 V8 Vantage
Ronald L. West
McLean, VA
2010 V8 Vantage
Charles Rose
Warrenton, VA
1993 Virage
Roland Westerdal
Brookfield, CT
2006 DB9
John Sanders
Modesto, CA
1960 DB4
Dr. Robert G. Winnard
Millersville, MD
2006 Vanquish S
Giuseppe Savona
Adamstown, MD
2008 V8 Vantage
Russell C. Wixon
Walnut Creek, CA
2008 V8 Vantage Roadster
George & Yun Scott
Carbondale, CO
2005 Vanquish S
A. Samy Youssef
Tampa, FL
2009 V8 Vantage Roadster
John Seibert
Richmond, VA
2009 V8 Vantage Roadster
H.A. Zaren, MD
Savannah, GA
2009 V8 Vantage Roadster
Greg Seryranian
Redondo Beach, CA
2006 DB7 Vantage Volante
Zahir Shad
Rockville, Maryland
William H. Shawn
Washington, DC
2009 V8 Vantage Coupe
Steven Szayericz
Des Plaines, IL
2002 DB7 V12 Vantage
Clive Thomas
Oak Park, CA
2001 DB7 Vantage
Lance P. Toland
Griffin, GA
2003 Vanquish
L. Gordon Van Vechten
St. James, NY
2003 Vanquish
51
Review
little book of aston martin
By Philip Raby. Publisher: Green Umbrella Publishing, 2007.
Hardbound, 6” x 6”; 128 pages. ISBN-13/ISBN-10: 9781905828876/190582887X
Little proofreading (Uric, not Ulrich?). Little facts. BUT nice
photos. Summary: Little money, so buy it for the AM library that
has Palawan opus magnus at the top end of the scale, and then this
sweet Little Book. See Amazon or eBay for little price.
—Reviewed by Nick Candee
classifieds
For sale Five 16” wire wheels.
A set of four 60-spoke, made in
England, gray-painted, stamped
“DRC 4 1/2 J 16” wheels in
decent shape, some surface rust,
spokes tight, splines very good.
And a single 72-spoke, graypainted, 4 3/4 x 16 wheel, apparently never mounted, stamped
“RS 68 5K 16 ENGLAND”. I
picked these up many years ago as
possible spares for my ‘59 DB2/4
Mk III drophead. The car has
been sold, and I want to reduce
my “stuff”. Contact: Neil Quinn,
Guilford, VT (long-time AMOC East member, now lapsed).
[email protected] or (802) 257-0734
Bugatti ½ scale models, hand-made by Pur Sang of
Argentina: Type 52 replica with electric motor. Brescia pedal car.
[email protected] or mobile (617) 962-2498
For sale
For sale ZF transmission. Salvaged 4 decades ago from a wrecked
DBS? for possible fitment in another British car. Thought to be
ZF Type S5-205 with casting # NR105000 Labeled 701883 688.
Contact: Harley L. Neff, Kailua, HI (808) 261-5519
52
For
sale
DB5
print. Contact: Tom
O’Keefe,
[email protected]
sale
Racing
with the David Brown
Aston Martins: v. 1
(Hardcover), by Chris
Nixon & John Wyer.
Like new. $895.00. Contact: Tom O’Keefe, tomokeefe10@
gmail.com
For
Payments via PayPal
for events, etc: [email protected]
AMOC East Club Store
on eBay: amoceastclubstore
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING IS NOW FREE FOR AMOC MEMBERS! Ads
for non-members are $100.00 at the discretion of the Advertising
Manager or Editor. Please forward all ads to Editor, The Vantage
Point via email: [email protected]. For more classified ads, check out
the Market Place section of the Club website: www.amoc.org
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% 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% 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 which 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.
Please contact our Ad Director, John David—an AMOC member and DB9 owner.
Tel: (314) 361-9372, Email: [email protected]
upcoming events
2010 AMOC North America Event Schedule
Please contact your Area Rep for additional details and information.
JUNE
PA
Brits Are Back English car show
5
Canada 8
Pub night—Snug Harbour. Contact: Tom
Appleton (905) 847-9197 or [email protected]
Canada 12-13
75th Anniversary Niagara Wine Event &
Tour. Contact: Tom Appleton (905) 8479197 or [email protected]
IL
24
Pub Night, Chicago. Contact: Henry
Matson (773) 871-8370
CT
24-26
40th Annual Lime Rock Classic. Road
Tour, Concours, Track Day, AGM &
Dinners. Troutbeck, Amenia. Contact:
Jim Hazen (781) 383-6007 or jwhazen@
comcast.net
IL
24
Midwest Open House: John Koziel’s
home, Lake Forest. Contact: Henry Matson
(773) 871-8370
AUGUST
NJ
1
Princeton Driving tour: Gardens of
Sculpture, Rat’s Restaurant, Hamilton.
Contact: Paul Saatsoglou (609) 216-3926
JULY
SWEDEN
12-17
Rally to the Midnight Sun. Hosted by
The Royal Automobile Club of Sweden.
The rally is open to cars up to 1964 and
will be run as a regularity rally on tarmac
roads , with time checks and manoeuvre
tests. Road books, rally plates, etc. will be
provided. roads, 6 days Apx.150 cars 1800
km of beautiful summer roads The cost is
estimated to be €5000 for one car and two
people sharing a double room. The rally is
all-inclusive with the exeption of fuel and
normal maintenance costs.
WI
20
British Car Field Day, Sussex Village Park.
Contact: Henry Matson (773) 871-8370
Canada
11
75th Anniversary Charity Garden Party,
Contact: Tom Appleton (905) 847-9197 or
[email protected]
WI
16-18
Kohler International Challenge weekend,
Road America, Elkhart Lake Wisconsin,
(www.roadamerica.com), Midwest Area’s
premier event: Soiree on the Lawn sponsored by AMOC and Lake Forest Sports
Cars; Road & Track Concours, optional
track touring. Contact: Henry Matson
(773) 871-8370
CA
12-15
Monterey! Thursday August 12: Drinks
Reception at Spanish Bay (6pm-8 pm)
Friday August 13: Aston Martin Corral at
Concorso Italiano, BBQ at Casa Munras
Hotel (6pm-9pm)
Saturday August 14: Corral and Lunch
at Laguna Seca (9am-4pm), Champagne
at Casa Munras Hotel (6pm-7:30pm),
Banquet Dinner at Fandango Restaurant
(8pm - 10pm). Contact: Guy Simpson guy.
[email protected]
IL
22
Geneva Concours d’ Elegance, Geneva.
Formal Concours on the streets of Geneva.
Contact: Henry Matson (773) 871-8370
HOTWIRE!
Fascinating French site on Feltham Astons especially: (site name
came from Chris Salyer’s DB2 DHC vanity PL8!)
And we thought Mayfair was a nice ‘hood:
www.astonuts.free.fr
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1281324/WhatWOULD-Bond-say--175-000-Aston-Martins-tyres-stolenjacked-bricks-Mayfair.html
Race team that includes Murray “The Legend” Smiths former
DB4GT:
http://www.cedarsracingteam.com/
Hilarious WSJ Rapide Review!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405
2748703559004575256321158223184.
html?KEYWORDS=rapide
54
upcoming events
2010 AMOC North America Event Schedule
Please contact your Area Rep for additional details and information.
IL
26
Pub Night, Chicago. Contact: Henry
Matson (773) 871-8370
SEPTEMBER
CT
3-6
AMOC at Lime Rock Vintage Fall Festival
Lakeville. Contact: Jim Hazen (781) 3836007 or [email protected]
MI
10-11
3rd AMOC/Aston Martin of Troy
Drivers School, Gingerman, South Haven.
Contact: Norb Kaminski (313) 882-2366
CT
11-12
Fairfield Concours, Westport. AMOC corral and hospitality area, AMOC Dinner.
Contact: Andy Williams (203) 321-7088
CA
11-12
AMOC Half Moon Bay Driving Tour
(includes overnight at Ritz-Carlton. In
conjunction with Los Gatos Luxury Cars.
Contact: Augie Kuo [email protected]
PA
12
Radnor Hunt Club Concours, Edgemont.
Contact: Len Levine (610) 272-3812
IL
12
Chicago British Car Festival, Des Plaines.
Contact: Henry Matson (773) 871-8370
CA
18-19
NorCal AMOC Concours Cool Cars for
a Cause, Danville d’Elegance Foundation
(www.danville-delegance.org). Contact:
George Wood [email protected]
PA
19
Buckingham Concours, Holicong. Contact:
Len Levine (610) 272-3812
PA
16-17
Eastern PA AMOC Fall Event. Location
TBD. Contact: Len Levine (610) 272-3812
IL
28
Pub Night, Chicago. Contact: Henry
Matson (773) 871-8370
NOVEMBER
Canada 19
British Car Day, Bronte Conservation Area.
Contact: Tom Appleton (905) 847-9197 or
[email protected]
VA
5-7
AMOC Fall Tour, Hosted by Mid-Atlantic
Area, Keswick Hall, Charlottesville.
Contact: Jonathan Metcalf (703) 464-8807
IL
30
Pub Night, Chicago. Contact: Henry
Matson (773) 871-8370
Canada 9
Pub night—Jolly Miller. Contact: Tom
Appleton (905) 847-9197 or [email protected]
MI
TBD
Fall Road Tour. Location TBD. Contact:
Norb Kaminski (313) 882-2366
NJ
13
Princeton-Harvard Game. Dinner at La
Hiere-Princeton. Contact: Paul Saatsoglou
(609) 216-3926
OCTOBER
DECEMBER
Canada
2
75th Anniversary Fall Drive. Contact: Tom
Appleton (905) 847-9197 or tea@cogeco.
ca
IL
Lake Forest Sports Cars Concours
d’Elegance. Open to all Aston Martin,
Ferrari and Maserati owners. Contact:
Henry Matson (773) 871-8370
3
Canada
12-13
75th Anniversary Niagara Wine Event &
Tour. Contact: Tom Appleton (905) 8479197 or [email protected]
Canada 12
Pub night—Snug Harbour. Contact: Tom
Appleton (905) 847-9197 or [email protected]
Canada 14
Pub night—Jolly Miller. Contact: Tom
Appleton (905) 847-9197 or [email protected]
MI
16
Michigan Fall Tour to Lingenfelter
collection
NY
3
AMOC luncheon at Le Perigord
Restaurant (www.leperigord.com).
Contact: Susan Laskey [email protected]
CA
NorCal and SoCal Holiday Parties
5
Canada 14
Pub night—Snug Harbor. Contact: Tom
Appleton (905) 847-9197 or [email protected]
55
directory
AMOC EAST OFFICERS
CHAIR
Jim Hazen
268 Beechwood Street
Cohasset, MA 02025
(781) 383-6007
[email protected]
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
john david
35 Maryland Plaza #2
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 361-9372
[email protected]
REGISTRAR
VACANT
COMPETITION DIRECTOR
Jim Freeman
(see Directors At Large)
VICE CHAIR
Don Rose
37 Warren Street
Salem, MA 01970
(617) 513-0388
Fax: (978) 744-7678
[email protected]
CONCOURS DIRECTOR
Scott Rumbold
Autosoport Designs, Inc.
203 West Hills Road
Huntington Station, NY 11746
(631) 425-1555
[email protected]
SECRETARY
tom gibb
120 E. 75th Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 628-7448
[email protected]
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/
THE VANTAGE POINT
Richard “Nick”
Candee
21 Anis Road
Belmont, MA 02478
(617) 484-2561
(617) 962-2498
[email protected]
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
[email protected]
[email protected]
TREASURER
Brewster Miner
73 Beekman Road
Summit, NJ 07901
(908) 522-1054
[email protected]
Communications
Director
SCOTT FAIRLEY
42 Strathgowan Crescent
Toronto, Ontario M4N 3A2
Canada
(416) 483-2855 (evening)
[email protected]
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
tom smith
881 Tyne Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37220
(615) 297-0350
[email protected]
Design consultant/
THE VANTAGE POINT
Bruce Crocker
c/o Crocker Inc.
P.O. Box 470858
17 Station Street, 3rd Floor
Brookline Village, MA 02447
(781) 237-5632
[email protected]
AMOC EAST AREA
REPRESENTATIVES
EASTERN CANADA
Tom Appleton
3300 Lakeshore Road West
Oakville, Ontario L6L 6S6
Canada
(905) 847-9197
Mobile: (561) 827-2830
[email protected]
FLORIDA
Russell Glace
1006 N. Federal Hyw.
Lake Worth, Fl 33460
(561) 762-2908
[email protected]
MASSACHUSETTS/
NEW ENGLAND
Dr. bob welch
105 Upland Road
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 864-6936
[email protected]
MICHIGAN
Norb KaminskI
1023 Bedford Road
Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230
(313) 882-2366
[email protected]
MID-ATLANTIC
Jonathan Metcalfe
One Freedom Square
11951 Freedom Drive
Reston, Virginia 20190
(703) 464-8807
[email protected]
MIDWEST
HENRY MATSON
1946 N. Freemont Street
Chicago, Illinois 60614
(773) 871-8370
[email protected]
NEW JERSEY
paul saatsoglou
120 Montadale Drive
Princeton NJ 08540
(609) 216-3926
[email protected]
NEW YORK/CONNECTICUT
ANDY WILLIAMS
165 Gun Club Road
Stamford, CT 06903
(203) 321-7088
[email protected]
PENNSYLVANIA—EAST
leonard levin
239 Winged Foot Drive
Blue Bell, PA 19422
(610) 272-3812
[email protected]
john stinsmen
3436 Lincoln Avenue
Allentown, PA 18103
(610) 432-7254
[email protected]
AMOC WEST
OFFICERS
CHAIR
george wood
2771 Camino Venadillo
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 969-7698
[email protected]
VICE CHAIR
larry fromm
233 Avenida Princesa
San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 492-5933
[email protected]
SECRETARY
Jane Ransome
101 North Delphia
Brea, CA. 92821
(714) 529-4439
[email protected]
REGISTRAR
Chet Floyd
664 18th Street
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-5409
[email protected]
TREASURER
gary d. moore
G.D. Moore & Co., Inc.
2222 Foothill Blvd., Suite E-605
La Canada, CA 91011
[email protected]
Communications
Director
Guy Simpson
22402 Citation Court
Los Gatos, CA 95033
(408) 353-8682
Mobile: (408) 813-3303
[email protected]
AMOC WEST AREA
REPRESENTATIVES
CALIFORNIA—SOUTHERN
& LOS ANGELES
VACANT
CALIFORNIA—NORTHERN
VACANT
MOUNTAIN
VACANT
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA
john lavendoski
8127 Mesa Drive B206-116
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 748-1434
[email protected]
NORTHWEST/
WASHINGTON
ROBIN BOLZ
24917 NE 20th Place
Sammamish, WA 98074
Home: (425) 836-9194
Mobile: (425) 503-7242
[email protected]
SAN DIEGO
Larry Davis
6578 Crystalaire Drive
San Diego, CA 92120
(619) 303-3350
Mobile: (619) 405-1419
[email protected]
WESTERN CANADA
John fairclough
28875 Marsh McCormick Rd
Abbotsford, BC Canada, V4X 2B4
Home: (604)856-6264
[email protected]
JOIN THE AMOC!
US and Canada. For information
on 2010 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
[email protected]
Jane Ransome
Secretary
(714) 529-4439
[email protected]
www.amoc.org
56
Password access to Members Area available by contacting Webmaster
with your membership number: [email protected]
Not available in all stores: Zagato Vanquish Roadster. Drive it home now.
Aston Martin of New England / Lotus Motorsports, Inc. 85 Linden Street, Waltham, MA 02452 1-781-547-5959 astonmartin-lotus.com
.