Factory Demonstrator

[cardigankid]

This information may be of interest to someone. I was coming up the M40 on Saturday and saw signs for National Motor Heritage Museum/Gaydon. Thought, lets take a look. NMHM closed for refurbishment until 26th May. Then I thought, seeing signs saying Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover, lets poke my nose in up here and see if there is any kind of visitors centre. At Aston Martin politely invited to fork off, which is entirely understandable. I did notice a white AMV8 coupe with plate AMV8 apparently about to go out on press loan. Now, aren't they focussing on roadster production just now and does this signal the first of the post-roadster coupes which are reputed to be stiffer?

Jaguar, big green gate looks like a concentration camp and certainly not inviting visitors. This seems to be their test centre. Then went to Coventry in hope of seeing Jaguar Daimler Heritage Centre. Showed up at Whitley. Again courteous but no go. This is their design centre apparently but it looks like a bloody big factory to me. JDHC is apparently at Browns Lane but not open at present. Manufacturing is of course at Bastle Bromwich.

The whole set up at Gaydon strikes me as so integrated that you have to wonder how sensible is it to sell off AM on its own.

[williamp]

cardigankid said:

This information may be of interest to someone. I was coming up the M40 on Saturday and saw signs for National Motor Heritage Museum/Gaydon. Thought, lets take a look. NMHM closed for refurbishment until 26th May. Then I thought, seeing signs saying Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover, lets poke my nose in up here and see if there is any kind of visitors centre. At Aston Martin politely invited to fork off, which is entirely understandable. I did notice a white AMV8 coupe with plate AMV8 apparently about to go out on press loan. Now, aren't they focussing on roadster production just now and does this signal the first of the post-roadster coupes which are reputed to be stiffer?

Jaguar, big green gate looks like a concentration camp and certainly not inviting visitors. This seems to be their test centre. Then went to Coventry in hope of seeing Jaguar Daimler Heritage Centre. Showed up at Whitley. Again courteous but no go. This is their design centre apparently but it looks like a bloody big factory to me. JDHC is apparently at Browns Lane but not open at present. Manufacturing is of course at Bastle Bromwich.

The whole set up at Gaydon strikes me as so integrated that you have to wonder how sensible is it to sell off AM on its own.

well, what did you expect? They want new car developement to be secretive because of people like you: turn up, probably take a photo or two, and report it as "fact" leading to all sorts of headaches for them, as the internet is very big and word (however inaccurate) very quickly gets around. They dont want people snoping around, so they keep it secret. Makes sense to me.

If you want to see the new cars, go to a delaership. They'll be happy to let you have a close look. If you're lucky, you might get to blag a test drive. If you're really into them, then join the owners club and go on the factory tours- then you can see for yourself.

As for Aston, the development may be trained on the V8 Roadster, but they have the capacity to produce all four models- and the next two to be introduced are likely to be the DBS and the Rapide.