RE: Newport Pagnell line shuts down for the last time
Discussion
When I was a small boy I used to walk past the Aston Martin factory everyday. actually i walked past it everyday for 17 years and gawped. I went on many tours of the factory and even got to go in the Red 550 Vatage K377 KPP (the first 550 off the production line in 1993) when i was 7.
Being a Newport Pagnell kid as far as i am concerned the new DB9 and V8s aren't proper Astons. But thats neither here nor there.
To Aston Martin Lagonda in Newport Pagnell
mines a BRG 550 Vantage please
Being a Newport Pagnell kid as far as i am concerned the new DB9 and V8s aren't proper Astons. But thats neither here nor there.
To Aston Martin Lagonda in Newport Pagnell mines a BRG 550 Vantage please
I totally agree with you. That company lost its appeal once the big V8s were put out of production. I love the Vantage you refer to and the ones which preceded it. They were beasts.
I have been in virtually every Aston ever made and now I am Ferrari through and through. The ethos never changed at Maranello, if anything it evolved. Once Astons started using bolted together Duratecs I lost total interest.
I have been in virtually every Aston ever made and now I am Ferrari through and through. The ethos never changed at Maranello, if anything it evolved. Once Astons started using bolted together Duratecs I lost total interest.
What a sad day. Always loved Astons,but the day I knew I really badly must have an Aston was when I saw the old V8 Vantage with its twin superchargers.I still keep the copy of Performance car with the red factoy demo car mentioned,plus the half hour Top Gear special about Aston.Time to view both again I think. Is there any part of the latest range with hand made body panels ? Always had the dream of ordering an Aston and watching one of the craftsman slowly build it.Anyone that's been lucky enough to be able to do that must have a real appreciation of their car.
BMGM3 said:
...Is there any part of the latest range with hand made body panels ? ...
I'm obviously a little biased, but does this really matter?Fact is, they are still producing some of the most beautiful cars on sale today. They make an awesome noise and drive supremely. We should all be celebrating that they have Aston badges on. Not polishing up and increasing the tint on our rose coloured spectacles.
FWIW, I love the original V8. Very muscular car. Love the looks, the noise and the sheer presence. But it's a big old beast. I personally see it as the precursor to the Vanquish rather than the smaller cars.
Loved all the cars from the DB4 up to that V8. Nearly bought a DB4 instead of the Daytona, but couldn't quite avoid the need to scratch that particular itch.
Virage - never liked it. And whilst the 550bhp Vantage undoubtedly added something to the Virage, I didn't really like that car either. Personally I would never have moved from Ferrari to Aston had they continued to build cars like that. And I suspect one of Aston's goals may very well be to convince people to make that sort of move.
Having hand crafted panels does not autpomatically make a car good, in the same way that not having them doesn't necessarily make one bad.
That the Newport Pagnell factory has closed is undoubtedly a shame from a historical perspective, but Aston obviously had its reasons. And if it means the marque goes from strength to strength, this should be one of those "happy sad" moments.
Murph7355 said:
BMGM3 said:
...Is there any part of the latest range with hand made body panels ? ...
I'm obviously a little biased, but does this really matter?Fact is, they are still producing some of the most beautiful cars on sale today. They make an awesome noise and drive supremely. We should all be celebrating that they have Aston badges on. Not polishing up and increasing the tint on our rose coloured spectacles.
FWIW, I love the original V8. Very muscular car. Love the looks, the noise and the sheer presence. But it's a big old beast. I personally see it as the precursor to the Vanquish rather than the smaller cars.
Loved all the cars from the DB4 up to that V8. Nearly bought a DB4 instead of the Daytona, but couldn't quite avoid the need to scratch that particular itch.
Virage - never liked it. And whilst the 550bhp Vantage undoubtedly added something to the Virage, I didn't really like that car either. Personally I would never have moved from Ferrari to Aston had they continued to build cars like that. And I suspect one of Aston's goals may very well be to convince people to make that sort of move.
Having hand crafted panels does not autpomatically make a car good, in the same way that not having them doesn't necessarily make one bad.
That the Newport Pagnell factory has closed is undoubtedly a shame from a historical perspective, but Aston obviously had its reasons. And if it means the marque goes from strength to strength, this should be one of those "happy sad" moments.
it truly is the end of an era with the Newport Pagnell plant closing, and it appears another nail has been hammered into the coffin of proper handbuilt british sports cars as well.
i think the cars that left there were some of the best Astons ever made IMO, especially the old 90's Vantage's. they were proper brutes IMO! i know of a chap who owned a V600 Vantage and it was a really stunning machine, beautiful to look at, beautifully built (you could tell real care and craftsmanship had gone into it) and it shook the ground when it fired up too!
is there any plans to turn the factory into a museum of some sort? i think that would be a nice touch
i think the cars that left there were some of the best Astons ever made IMO, especially the old 90's Vantage's. they were proper brutes IMO! i know of a chap who owned a V600 Vantage and it was a really stunning machine, beautiful to look at, beautifully built (you could tell real care and craftsmanship had gone into it) and it shook the ground when it fired up too!
is there any plans to turn the factory into a museum of some sort? i think that would be a nice touch
BMGM3 said:
...I'm not having a pop at you ...To have a hand built Aston of which they may have made less than 500 cars is no bad thing.No moaning here, just the desiree to have car makers offering something unique for a hand full of people.
Don't worry, I know you're not 
I guess the thing is that the 500 odd run of hand built specials would cost so much, I'm not sure they'd sell when it's unlikely they'd perform any differently, or look radically different etc to cars at markedly cheaper prices. And I'm also not convinced the quality would be commensurate with the price (have seen a few Virages up close and wasn't in awe of the quality to be frank).
I actually think the latest range are very different to the latest Porsches, Ferraris, Lambos etc. In the way they look, smell, drive and feel. Certainly as much as they ever have been.
Times change. Not necessarily always for the better, but I reckon as a company they're doing OK. I wonder what owners of the very early cars thought of the DB4/5/6. Or owners of the DB4/5/6 felt about the V8 and then the Virage...especially considering that Aston's survival during those times seemed a lot less assured than it would appear to be today.
As for Bristol, I wonder how many new customers they get each year and how many cars they sell overall. Drove past their showroom the other day and noticed the Fighter in the window...mostly stood out because of its colour.
I too like the idea of low volume/bespoke etc, but cost wise I'm not convinced these things are wholly viable in this day and age.
I'm obviously a little biased, but does this really matter?
yes IMHO it does. Would you see Ferrari moving out of Maranello? That's true heritage.
Aston is in cashing-in mode... when you sell your roots to build a housing estate.
Was it too much to build a museum for Astons?
clearly
I hold on tight my little bit of Newport Pagnell in the meantime
yes IMHO it does. Would you see Ferrari moving out of Maranello? That's true heritage.
Aston is in cashing-in mode... when you sell your roots to build a housing estate.
Was it too much to build a museum for Astons?
clearly
I hold on tight my little bit of Newport Pagnell in the meantime
Double R said:
....Would you see Ferrari moving out of Maranello? That's true heritage....
No I can't see that happening.But would it bother me if I thought it were a choice between that and the company never making cars again? No it wouldn't.
The key thing, to me, is that they keep making the very best cars they can.
In Ferrari circles there's still a lot of "kudos" to the cars built before Enzo's death because the later cars lost "something". I suspect the same thing will endure of the Newport Pagnell Astons.
I can see the nostalgia, but I don't think it ultimately matters that much as long as the lineage of the cars is continued in making damn fine products. Ultimately, that is what these companies were founded to do.
And of both marques, I believe this to be the case.
It is a mistake comparing Maranelo to Newport Pagnell; the possibilities for the place were limited by what is around both plants. In Maranello's case, local authorities replanned a complete area to allow for Ferrari to build what they have. In NP's case, this would have been simply impossible with the conservation area, etc next to it. It proves the point that one has to forward plan these things a long time before the need arises. The whole Maranelo thing was planned ages ago and it was a city decision as much as a Ferrari SpA decision.
It is also unfair pre-judging Gaydon's traditions. I am a (multiple) Vanquish owner and I adore the tradition and spirit of NP. Life however goes on, like technology and our own expectations. I would prefer legislation and global processes to receed a bit and allow us to have again truly hand-formed Astons again. Gaydon is very well equipped with talent to produce very bespoke machines. I really hope that the decision is taken to go in that direction by allowing dream to mix with engineering ability. At that point, Astons usually defy arithmetic claims of performance and become myth. I am sure that the NP spirit will corrupt Gaydon to that effect.
It is also unfair pre-judging Gaydon's traditions. I am a (multiple) Vanquish owner and I adore the tradition and spirit of NP. Life however goes on, like technology and our own expectations. I would prefer legislation and global processes to receed a bit and allow us to have again truly hand-formed Astons again. Gaydon is very well equipped with talent to produce very bespoke machines. I really hope that the decision is taken to go in that direction by allowing dream to mix with engineering ability. At that point, Astons usually defy arithmetic claims of performance and become myth. I am sure that the NP spirit will corrupt Gaydon to that effect.
I think it is a great shame Newport Pagnell has closed, especially to think my car was built there in '65. I think the problem we are faced with is that Aston Martin is run by accountants today. It's more about money than producing a beautiful car. I have had the pleasure to be taken out in a Virage Vantage, DB9 and V8 Vantage. Personally I think the build quality of the Virage is of a higher standard. Ok, it might have cost £80k more than a V8 Vantage but that's what you buy an Aston for, quality. I will never forget being taken on a factory tour and being told only one Virage Vantage would leave the production line a week. I think that is something special. But to look at it from another point of view, would Aston's be here today if it wasn't for DB7 and had only produced one car a week?
bmt216a said:
I think it is a great shame Newport Pagnell has closed, especially to think my car was built there in '65. I think the problem we are faced with is that Aston Martin is run by accountants today. It's more about money than producing a beautiful car. I have had the pleasure to be taken out in a Virage Vantage, DB9 and V8 Vantage. Personally I think the build quality of the Virage is of a higher standard. Ok, it might have cost £80k more than a V8 Vantage but that's what you buy an Aston for, quality. I will never forget being taken on a factory tour and being told only one Virage Vantage would leave the production line a week. I think that is something special. But to look at it from another point of view, would Aston's be here today if it wasn't for DB7 and had only produced one car a week?
I half agree with you. I dont have a problem with NP closing (its only been their factory since 59-ish, remember) but I do have a problem with the way the company is run. If you read through their literature, it is not a car company, it is a "brand". They have brand awareness, chase silly, nonsensical awards like "cool brand 2005" and saying that brand is all. Even Dr. Bez has been quoted as saying that it doesnt matter where they are made, its the BRAND thats important...And this is what worries me. They are not Ferrari/Burberry, yet will their branded goods reflect this in a few years time???
I'd like to chip in with a little story about brands. A friend of the family was a very very rich man worth hundreds of millions of pounds. As a small child he loved Aston Martins. As a very wealthy man he had could not remember how many he had owned - when he showed me around his garage he had about 80 cars of which 6 were Aston Martins. The one I remember most was an old school V8 with a massive bonnet bulge. He told me how Aston Martin Ltd had approached him and said "you buy a lot of our cars - can we do anything for you?" and he basically specced out a car to his exact demands and they build it for him. Now that to me is how to build a brand, make awesome cars but allow these little stories to be built up and passed down the years.
Oh, and the plate on the engine block saying "hand assembled in newport pagnell by XXXX" (or something similar - it's 20 years ago so memory fades).
Not have some stupid story in "cool brands" about the way the start button changes colour. But that's life. As a child I saw the 80 cars in his garage and I wanted an Aston Martin, growing up watching James Bond I wanted an Aston Martin. Now, as a man who can afford one, it's no longer an emotional appeal - I am looking at DB9s and checking out the depreciation. It's the lack of emotional connection, the engines made all over the place and the rebodied jaguar look that really kill it for me.
Don't get me wrong, I want to love Aston Martin. I want to want to own one. But the magic is gone. And that's the same for pretty much all car companies now. In the 1980s I remember the Lamborghini Countach as being alien, otherwordly and awesome looking and sounding. Now it's a mix of looks with Audi parts. Porsche - still the looks but spreading out into four door saloons and chelsea tractors sucks.
Rant over...
Oh, and the plate on the engine block saying "hand assembled in newport pagnell by XXXX" (or something similar - it's 20 years ago so memory fades).
Not have some stupid story in "cool brands" about the way the start button changes colour. But that's life. As a child I saw the 80 cars in his garage and I wanted an Aston Martin, growing up watching James Bond I wanted an Aston Martin. Now, as a man who can afford one, it's no longer an emotional appeal - I am looking at DB9s and checking out the depreciation. It's the lack of emotional connection, the engines made all over the place and the rebodied jaguar look that really kill it for me.
Don't get me wrong, I want to love Aston Martin. I want to want to own one. But the magic is gone. And that's the same for pretty much all car companies now. In the 1980s I remember the Lamborghini Countach as being alien, otherwordly and awesome looking and sounding. Now it's a mix of looks with Audi parts. Porsche - still the looks but spreading out into four door saloons and chelsea tractors sucks.
Rant over...
JohnG1 said:
....can we do anything for you?...."hand assembled in newport pagnell by XXXX" ....I am looking at DB9s and checking out the depreciation. ...
Picking out some points here...- Aston still have "works service" who, for a price, will still do anything you want as I understand it.
I'm not a long standing owner, nor wealthy enough to know if they still approach individual owners in the way you describe, but I would imagine that if a customer were contributing the same sort of percentage to the bottom line as your family friend may well have been, I'm sure these things still happen.
- there is still a name plate in the engine bay.
- I wonder if, having worked your nads off to get to the point of being able to afford an old school Aston Martin when they were current, that you wouldn't have had similar concerns about depreciation then. Having a fantasy about owning a car is very different to dropping a large chunk of cash that you've worked hard for on one.
We can be as misty eyed as we like about the manner in which the old cars were built, but for many years AM was facing extinction because those same methods were not practical enough, bearing in mind the quantity of people actually prepared to lay down cash for a car, to make the business viable.
If managed properly, I'm not convinced there's a huge difference between "brand" and the more old school term "marque". Devaluing either is, and always has been, a tragedy for any top end car firm.
Ferrari, IMO, are stepping over the line at the moment, sticking Scuderia shields on everything from tacky weather stations to tackier laptops, teddy bears, watches and scooters.
From what I've seen to date, the closest Aston have come to this is that mobile phone they badged up from Nokia. As long as they don't go there again, and they keep making very, very good motor vehicles, I don't see that the situation is all that bad.
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