AMOC Spring Concours
South Wales site of Aston’s new factory hosts club’s annual event
THE ASTON MARTIN COMMUNITY has never seen a gathering quite like it. April’s Spring Concours of the Aston Martin Owners Club was held not on the usual manicured lawns of some stately pile, but inside the ‘super hangars’ at MoD St Athan in South Wales – soon to become Aston’s second car factory.
The day after the Concours, construction teams moved in to begin the conversion. In 18 months’ time, the three giant hangars will house paint shops, trim shops and assembly lines. Aston Martin had formally taken possession of the site earlier in the week, the handover conducted by Secretary of State for Defence Sir Michael Fallon, and AML bosses were keen to throw open the doors to the entire Aston Martin family.
The response was outstanding, as hundreds of classic and modern Astons from all over the UK (and some from further afield) descended on the former RAF facility for a celebration of all things Aston and to mark the start of a new chapter in the history of the marque.
It wasn’t just an AMOC occasion. Aston Martin Lagonda itself had a large presence at the event, displaying a range of current models, along with a line-up of Bond Astons, current race cars and concepts. The latter included the DBX, AML’s first entry into the luxury SUV market, which will become the first model to be built in the new plant, and the extraordinary Valkyrie hypercar, designed by Red Bull F1 genius Adrian Newey.
Numerous aircraft were also on display within the hangars, reflecting St Athan’s past role as a pre-eminent maintenance base for RAF fighters and bombers. Vulcan, Victor, Buccaneer, Phantom, Harrier, Tornado and others were all serviced here, as was the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster.
One highlight of the day was an exclusive reveal of a new limited-edition Vanquish S. The Red Arrows edition, commissioned by Aston Martin Cambridge, will be limited to just ten examples, one of which is to be raffled to raise funds for the RAF Benevolent Fund. Details of how to buy tickets can be found at www.rafbf.org/red10.
Another highlight was a line-up of early Aston DBS models – the six-cylinder William Towns-designed DBS celebrates its 50th birthday later this year – organised by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust. Elsewhere, younger car fans (and their dads) could try their hand at clay-modelling an Aston supercar.
AMOC president Viscountess Diana Downe presented the Concours prizes. Yuki Hayashi won the pre-war class with his outstanding 1933 Le Mans, and Anthony Hoskinson took the Feltham title with his DB2/4 Mark III. A hotly contested Gaydon class, attracting 13 entrants, was won by Michael Reed with his DBS Volante, and the coveted Elite Class trophy went to Chris Sherry’s immaculate DB9.
‘This is one of the most amazing Concours we have ever staged,’ commented organiser Mark Donoghue. ‘So many different elements came together to deliver a wonderful day for our members and the public alike.’