Your first Aston Martin

Your first Aston Martin

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Discussion

avc2014

Original Poster:

15 posts

52 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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Having recently bought my second AM car and not being very familiar with the cars from previous generations of AM I thought I would prompt everyone to tell us about their first Aston Martin? What led to buying your first one and why you bough an Aston , what was it that made you loyal to the brand ? etc.
My loyalty has always been to another marque, but I now think I will have to share my time and brand loyalty as I am loving my current V12VS and am getting very comfortable with the car. It does seem just that little bit more special than other cars I have owned.
And pics of your first one would be nice to share with everyone.

Dewi 2

1,304 posts

64 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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I did know a little bit about the 1970s, 80s and 90s Aston Martins, but it was seeing the press photographs in 2003, which really captured my attention. The new Vantage concept was announced, and what a beautiful looking sports car. Those early photos appeared to show a car which looked good from every angle. There wasn't much more news about it for a couple of years. I tend to buy cars which are about two years old, and in the best possible condition. Many have become keepers. 

I did my research and in 2011 began looking for something fairly close to my chosen spec. In September of that year my patience was rewarded, and a 4.7 V8 Vantage manual became mine. Eight years on, it is still remains a thrill to open the swan door, smell the aroma of Scottish leather, sit low in the drivers seat and press the key. Oh the sound. None of my previous cars have made such a wonderful noise. Just a toy really, and every journey is not just transport, but a special occasion. Winter season now, so she is having her regular sleep, until we have spring sunshine. 

As motor cars go, we are fortunate to be able to own an Aston Martin, and they are certainly a very special and fairly rare cars.



Graze01

1,034 posts

91 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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I was a 20 year old spending a working holiday year in Europe between uni degrees and walked through Sloane Square and up Eaton Square Gardens when I saw this stunning V8 Vantage. I just loved the look of it but it never crossed my mind that I'd own an Aston one day.

Move on almost 40 years and it was time to change the last of a long series of Audi S and RS cars and they no longer made a manual so I started looking at alternatives - a second hand 07 V8V became the choice. Fabulous car, great reception from AM dealer, (mostly) positive forum to be part of. I feel very lucky to have had it for nearly 4 years and enjoyed so much driving in it - sold three weeks ago!

I've had V12VS (not a manual unfortunately as they didn't sell them in Aus) since January and it is sublime. I'll take it whenever the opportunity is right - yesterday on the way over the mountain range behind Brisbane.

petop

2,135 posts

165 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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Im on my first one after buying it 5 years ago. Having been in the Army for 24 years i left owning a 911 C4S, bought being sensible and few Afghanistan tours to build up the pot!
2 weeks after leaving i was back out in Afghanistan as a NATO Technical Officer. Not ashamed to say it was popstar wages and 8 months later on the internet out there i paid a deposit on a Fire Red 4.7 V8 from AM Works. Couple of weeks later i return and drive up to Newport Pagnell and using my debit card pay the remainder. At first it didn't go through as that amount raises question on a bog standard account. Some phonecalls later and a couple cups of coffee its all clear. What follows for the next 4 or so years is rotations of 3 months on and 3 weeks off where the car was used every day.
I left Afghanistan last year to finally come back to UK and now work for a company that deals with fuel equipment for the military and commercial customers. I live in a company flat during the week so now i only use the car back and to home in Dorset once a week. But never get bored of it, due a service so i think AM Bristol or Cheltenham will empty my wallet soon. Do i want a new one....not really. Because for the UK its a special colour it does get the right attention and being a manual old skool normally aspirated i see nothing bettering the experience....well obviously a V12V!


dbs2000

2,681 posts

191 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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This was my first girl. I'm on number 4 now.



I remember seeing the DBS and falling in love and then seeing the price thinking that'll never happen. Then the exciting news a baby Aston was coming and seeing the price and thinking the same thing. I moved jobs, home and started my own company and got there just after my 31st birthday. I think number 5 will come, DB11 AMR but possibly it'll be my last AM.

IanV12VSRs

2,749 posts

154 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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I’m on number 5 and 6 and probably my last Astons. Just love normally aspirated engines rather than turbos.

Here’s our first one.


LordBretSinclair

4,285 posts

176 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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Now on my 3rd Aston. Car no: 1 was a DB7 Vantage Volante in Dubonnet Rosso.
Always wanted an Aston based on the looks, reputation and of course the 007 connection. Having a friend loan us a DB6 as a wedding car also helped sway the decision to have one as did the lovely Lady S saying to me "if you really want one then do it".

Minglar

1,224 posts

122 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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4.3 V8 Vantage bought new in March 2007. I did add the Sports Pack, 5 spoke Sports Pack wheels, and clear rear lenses before I moved on to my current V12V in January 2014. Almost seven years (a record for me) and only 28,000 miles. Someone got a good car I hope! Before the V8, I had two BMW M cars, and then three 911s. A friend of mine got a Vantage in mid 2006, and when I first saw it, I knew it was for me. Those early cars still look really good today, and I sometimes wish I’d kept it. But the move to the V12 was a step above, and I still have it almost six years later.

Best Regards

Minglar



Edited by Minglar on Wednesday 27th November 22:34


Edited by Minglar on Thursday 28th November 07:50

Manx V8V

482 posts

81 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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I was itching for something a little different after many mostly Japanese sports/GT cars, as a child of the 60's I'd seen the odd DB5 running around but was more drawn towards things like E Type Jags in those days and through my subsequent car owning years I didn't really take much notice of Aston's.

Anyway one day about 3 years ago I was taking a ferry trip so I downloaded some stuff on my iPad to break the boredom during the 3.5 hour crossing, and happened to download an Aston Martin documentary, it went right through the history of the company and its cars from the very beginning to modern times and I was fascinated.

By the time we docked I had decided to look for a V8V, and within a couple of months I'd found exactly what I was looking for, two and a half years on I still look forward to rolling it out at the weekends for a run.




Edited by Manx V8V on Wednesday 27th November 22:49


Edited by Manx V8V on Wednesday 27th November 22:58

RSbandit

2,590 posts

131 months

Wednesday 27th November 2019
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I'm on my first Aston a V12VS which I bought early last year, having had numerous S/RS Audis and also a V10 plus R8 I decided I had to branch out and a V12 Aston was something I knew I had to own at some point. I thought a DBS (such a beautiful car) would be the ticket but I was a underwhelmed by the test drive and the slushy gearbox...a V12VS was defo more my tempo felt alot more aggressive and raw. Such a charismatic machine with an engine sound from the gods and so well liked by the general public. However I doubt my next car will be an Aston, I do like the new Vantage design but it's engine doesn't have the chutzpah of the V12 and a used one is similar cash to a Mclaren 570s which is an itch that will need scratching for me!
Pic of my current one :

Speedraser

1,656 posts

182 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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I wanted an Aston since I was about 5 years old. I saw them in the car magazines that came to my house, and at some local car shows. I absolutely loved the DB4 and DB5 (007 was not the reason, but I loved that his car was an Aston), and was a big fan of the NP V8s. My first is the MY09 V8 Vantage that I bought new, still have and still love. My second is the MY05 Vanquish S, which I bought in '15 -- epic car. The new cars don't do a lot for me, sadly. I still lust after a DB4...

V8V Pete

2,496 posts

125 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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My first experience of an Aston was as a kid being taken for a run in a development prototype of the 1970s Lagonda by our neighbours' son who worked at Newport Pagnall. It was the first time I had been in anything other than completely ordinary slow cars. I was blown away and it started my Petrolhead journey. The sound and feel of a crossplane V8 has enchanted me since that day.

Roll forward many years of interesting but relatively modest car ownership then, like Dewi (and many others I'm sure), when I first saw pictures of the Gaydon Vantage I knew I had to have one, one day. That day came in 2013 when I bought my California Sage 2009MY 4.7 V8V. I was on the verge of starting a programme of modification to make it more the sports car that I wanted when my current manual V8VS with Lightweight seats came on the market and the rest is history. I also suspect this may be my last Aston as I love a manual, normally aspirated, beautiful car and I suspect Aston won't make any more of those.


morty1961

379 posts

181 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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My 1st was a 2006 Meterorite V8 Vantage bought in December 2014 just 27k on the clock.


Traded to a 2009 Magma Red V12V Manual in June 2018

davek_964

8,796 posts

174 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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Only had one - a 2006 V8 Vantage that I owned for about 4 years, until August this year.

However, I am considering getting another one. I'm increasingly thinking of selling my Ferrari 360 and if I do, there's a good chance I'd replace it with another Vantage - probably a 4.7 V8.

Aldhun

156 posts

82 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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Speedraser said:
I wanted an Aston since I was about 5 years old. I saw them in the car magazines that came to my house, and at some local car shows. I absolutely loved the DB4 and DB5 (007 was not the reason, but I loved that his car was an Aston), and was a big fan of the NP V8s. My first is the MY09 V8 Vantage that I bought new, still have and still love. My second is the MY05 Vanquish S, which I bought in '15 -- epic car. The new cars don't do a lot for me, sadly. I still lust after a DB4...
Me too. Bought my first Aston in 1970 , a 2010 DB9 Vantage. upgraded to a 2016 DB9 GT Vantage in August

woodsypedia

870 posts

152 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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When I was a kid, my girlfriends uncle had a green DB7 GT. I must have been about 17. He let me sit in it - I nearly creamed myself. I was hooked. It wasn't long after that the Gen 1 Vanquish was released and Die Another Day was in the big screen. This didn't help my addiction.

One day - I went in to get my X-Type serviced and ended up walking out with a 4.3 V8. 27 years old. Years of busting my balls paid off.

Here's the first but certainly not the last.



Edited by woodsypedia on Thursday 28th November 08:28

AMVSVNick

6,990 posts

161 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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Fancied a change from a hideous SLK55 AMG. Simple as that.

The rest is history. On number 5 although I suspect I may grow old with the current one scratchchin


EVR

1,824 posts

59 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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Great thread.

I am relatively new to the Aston world, having bought my first one, a very clean 2011 N420 with 27.000 km in April this year.



But I was musing with the idea of an Aston since 2015, to spice things up from my Range Rover Sport. I shortlisted my choice between the Maserati GranTurismo and the Vantage. Eventually picking up the Maserati, as I was living in Paris and often driving back to friends & family in Italy and Switzerland, so I thought having two more places and a bigger GT was more suited. Then I am Italian, so I had to own a cool Italian car sooner or later. biggrin

After 4 great years of driving around with an incredible soundtrack (I had Larini x-pipe and mufflers on the GranTurismo) I sold it to a friend of mine. I was now living in Milan, so I thought it was the perfect time for a 2 seats, and the Vantage basically naturally came back. I mused around with the idea of a BMW i8 and maybe a 430 or California, but the Bond connection, English style, soundtrack and styling of the N420 (in my humble opinion the best styling, with all the carbon parts, the skirts, the wheels) eventually got me.

As for the future I would love to make the V12 jump, right now I still think Aston. Maybe DBS first gen, Vanquish, maybe DB11, I am not really thinking about it right now. I am 37, there is time. smile

Edited by EVR on Thursday 28th November 09:55

RobDown

3,803 posts

127 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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I grew up in the US, so had a passion for muscle cars (my parents had a purple Barracuda). Roll forward a few years and we moved back to the UK. Can remember seeing my first (80s) V8 - reminded me a lot of the Mustang, my first Virage (wow!) and my first DB7. So I was keen on the marque

Roll forward further and we’ve got 2 small kids, a baby and.a Renault Espace. But every other weekend my wife was working in A&E. And there’s me thinking - why am I driving around in an Espace with just me and these small kids?

So I bought a DB9, would probably have gone for a Vantage but the ability to put 2 small children in the back and a baby seat in the passenger seat made all the difference.

Now on to my 6th Aston Martin.....


shinjuku

476 posts

80 months

Thursday 28th November 2019
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My first was a 2006 Tungsten 4.3 Vantage that I picked up from a dealer in Peterborough. At the time I was 6 months into BMW M3 ownership (E92) which was a good car, and probably faster, but when I saw the Aston I couldn't believe it. It had a Nouvlari (?) backbox with no valves, and sounded mental. Then I picked up a backbox from an owner on the forum, found it too quiet, and got the BR exhaust.



The above picture has the car just how I wanted it. I miss it, I think it looks amazing there!

I didn't plan on selling it, but left the UK at the beginning of 2018 and decided not to take the car with me. It was a hard choice. Apparently, the car is still doing well.



I bought a V6S F-type coupe in Switzerland and it was a brilliant car, but just didn't have that 'extra' thing, that feeling, the Aston gave me. So, I sold it when my contract was up and moved to Germany. Imported my motorbike instead.



It took about 6 months for me to find a replacement car, and I considered the Ftype V8S roadster. Again, great car, I like the looks, but I was worried I was going down the same path and would regret it. I decided that I would be in the Ftype and see and Aston and want it, but the reverse wouldn't happen. Then, it was an obvious choice.

I found another Tungsten 4.3, this time a later car with the newer seats, and newer centre arm rest, but otherwise a very close spec.





It's currently with me in the UK, having a whole load of mods done!