Testing & Touring with My First Aston Martin

[Rick F.]

David W. said:

These cars look so good with no front reg plate.
Great write-up.

DW

David,

Thanks! Regarding front license plates, my state requires them but I haven't received my "plinth" and hardware from Scuderia yet. It's due any day--but I'm hoping it will take a lot longer to arrive, so I'll have an excuse to keep driving without the plate!

The Lotus Club in Maryland has twice tried to get legislation to either rescind the requirement for a front plate or to provide an exception for cars that come from the manufacturer with no provision to mount a front plate. Unfortunately, neither effort succeeded.

Rick

[Rick F.]

RobDown said:

Beautiful photographs and a stunning car

We did an East Coast road-trip earlier in the year but mixed the history up a bit; Gettysburg, Williamsburg, Yorktown and then down through the Carolina's to Savannah

Would have been much more fun in an Aston Martin

Rob,

The Vantage is indeed a strikingly beautiful car. I never tire of looking at it.

It sounds like your visit to the U.S. was a lot of fun. My wife and I have been to England twice, in 1984 and 2006, and fell in love with the country. (Okay, in fairness the same thing happened in France and Italy… Anyway, I think we're overdue for a return trip to Old Blighty.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Rappa said:

Rick,

Wow, comprehensive and informative.

Lovely photographs that really show off the gorgeous colour of the car.

Thanks,

Sean

Sean,

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the tour report. It was actually one of the shorter ones I've done, since it was just a single day. I suspect that many readers use my longer reports as a cure for insomnia!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Graze01 said:

Rick

Brilliant

Thank you

Nice car too and welcome to the fold

Graze

Graze,

Excellent, I'm glad you liked it, and I appreciate the welcome. I'm still getting accustomed to the Aston (for example, what the multitude of tiny buttons do on the center console), but it's definitely a keeper.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Jon39 said:

Well done Rick.

Brilliant write up.
Hope there won't be any tests. -

Your wait since age 12 was worth it, because in your Vantage now, you can almost do 0 to 100 mph and back to 0, TWICE in less than 30 seconds.

Jon,

No tests, I can assure you! I have enough trouble myself retaining all the facts and stories from the places I visit, so I wouldn't impose on innocent readers.

Your comment about the 0-100-0 twice is a vivid reminder of how much automotive progress has been made over the years. It's pretty astonishing when you think about it. Back in the 1970s, I considered buying a 1960 DB4. It ran well, but it needed paint, new brakes, and a new front bumper (a victim of the brake problem). I decided that I could afford to buy it, but I couldn't afford the paint and repairs needed, so I passed on it. Did I mention that the asking price was $3,000? I've been kicking myself ever since!

Rick

[Rick F.]

avinalarf said:

Great write up,very interesting nice pics.
Congrats on your Aston.

avinalarf,

Thanks!

Great user name, by the way…

Rick

[Rick F.]

raceboy said:

Great trip.
Is that Toro Red?

raceboy,

Thanks! Yep, that's Toro Red. I haven't quite figured out AML's paint-naming scheme. "Toro" is Italian for "bull," and "Toro Rosso" is Italian for "Red Bull," as in the Formula 1 racing team. I guess Toro Red sounded better than Bull Rosso? Regardless of what it's called, it's a beautiful color.

Rick

[Rick F.]

cheltenham2004 said:

What a Road Trip and in an Aston too, Perfection

cheltenham,

Thanks--it really was a lot of fun, and the Aston performed perfectly, whether it was trundling around town or out on the open road. Of course, it really livened up anytime the engine was over 4000 rpm…

Rick

[justin220]

Superb!

[raceboy]

Rick F. said:

Yep, that's Toro Red.

Just put a deposit down on a V8V in Toro.

[Rappa]

raceboy said:

Rick F. said:

Yep, that's Toro Red.

Just put a deposit down on a V8V in Toro.

The best colour.

Most people compliment the colour before they know what car it is, which then amplifies their love for it.

Sean

[Rick F.]

roughrider said:

Wow, fascinating post, and very informative, thank you Sir. Hope you get to the Tail of the Dragon [US129 near Knoxville] soon...

roughrider,

Hey, I'm pleased that you enjoyed the report!

As for the famous / infamous Tail of the Dragon, be sure to check out The Snake, the Dragon, and Phil: A BMW Driving Tour of Tennessee and North Carolina, which describes my trip down there a couple of years ago. It's quite a place! I didn't have the Aston back then, but a BMW 335i isn't a bad choice.

Rick

[Rick F.]

M5MarkM said:

Excellent write up - and history lesson! Love the old photos followed by modern photos with the Aston

M5MarkM,

Thanks! I'm always fascinated by "then and now" comparisons of a given place. Sometimes there's little change, other times the place is scarcely recognizable relative to its original version. For example, compare this swimming pool in the Catskills Mountains in New York ( The Catskills Mountains "Borscht Belt," Here and Gone: Part II)…




…or this view of the Marlboro, Maryland racetrack outside of Washington, DC ( Southern Maryland's Old Homes, Churches, and … Racetracks?). Of course, getting to some of the "now" versions of these places isn't always easy, but that's part of the adventure!



Rick

[Rick F.]

hashluck said:

I made a cup of tea for this one.

Great write up and lovely pics. Beautiful car as well of course.

Thank you.

hashluck,

You're quite welcome! And, come to think of it, a nice cup of tea would be very appropriate when reading one of my tour reports--I mean, it helps to be well caffeinated!

As for the car, I can't wait for my next outing so I can try photographs from some additional angles and, uh, "Vantage points."

Rick

[Rick F.]

dalecan said:

Great post, but awesome photographs.

dale can,

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed both aspects!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Simon T said:

Great post, I love this forum!

Simon,

Super--I'm glad you liked it! And I have to agree, there's a ton of interesting, useful, and entertaining information here.

Rick

[Rick F.]

justin220 said:

Superb!

Justin,

Thanks, glad you liked it!

Rick

[Rick F.]

raceboy said:

Just put a deposit down on a V8V in Toro.

raceboy,

Excellent! Hope you enjoy yours as much as I'm enjoying mine so far.

Rick

[james-witton]

Well that is one hell of a first post Sir.

Great reading and how lovely to see you taking the time time and care to reply to people.

You've set yourself a high standard for your next contribution though.

Welcome to the fold and I'm pleased to see that you have instantly grasped the main point of having an Aston Martin... having fun whilst driving.

James

[Mac355]

Beautiful car, and a fantastic post.
You never know what you will find to educate you in the Aston section!
Alan