NEW MODELS
The Bondmobile finds its mojo again — at 103 years
Mark Smyth was fortunate to get a brief drive in a car that marks a new era for Aston Martin
Aston Martin is 103 years old. It has been through good times and bad times — in fact, in those 103 years it has only actually made a profit in two or three years. That is according to Paul Collett, regional manager for UK and SA at the company. Collett was in SA to reveal a car that by all accounts spearheads a new era for the illustrious British marque. That car is the new DB11. Two years ago, Andy Palmer joined the company, taking over as its CEO from Ulrich Bez. Immediately, Palmer began securing new finance, most of it through a new partnership with Mercedes-Benz, which now has a stake in Aston. Once the money was in the bank, Palmer embarked on what he refers to as the "Second Century Plan". A big part of that plan has been low-volume options. Models like the Vulcan, GT12 and Zagato have all been oversubscribed with limited production numbers. The AM-RB 001, being jointly developed with Red Bull Racing and its design boss, Adrian Newey, is sold out before it even has an engine...
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