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Aston Martin of New England received good news earlier this month; for a limited time Aston Martin would continue their relationship with Premier Financial Services and offer a lease on any 2007-2008 Vantage Roadster or Coupe still in stock.

 

Keep in mind Aston Martin has never offered a lease on their cars before. But I believe they finally understand that Americans like to lease. Not because we can’t afford the car but because most of the time it makes good business sense. (Ask your accountant!)

 

The idea being… your money is better spent invested in something that will make you money rather than buying a new automobile which is a depreciating asset. Exceptions, always exceptions, you are one of the few people who keeps their cars until it dies.

 

I’ve worked for a lot of really great auto manufacturers before, Audi, Porsche, BMW and Lamborghini. All of them including Lamborghini offer leasing as on option because it gives the customer the most options.

 

Want to drive a new Vantage for 3 years, with warranty, roadside assistance, not worry about trade in value (could have a little accident), walk away in the end to get into something new/different/better? You have that option. Maybe you decide in the end you love your Vantage and want to purchase it. Great! You have the option to purchase your car at anytime with leasing. Question: Do you really want to buy your own used car?

Here’s where my shock and amazement comes in; knowing that we have this great lease program that makes sense, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it and lease an Aston Martin? I mean they won’t be doing this for much longer. Then where will you be?

-Jude

If you haven’t read the Aston Martin of New England publications webpage lately http://www.astonmartin-lotus.com/about/publications …it’s been updated.

Now you can read the latest review of the 2009 V8 Vantage and the do’s and don’ts of purchasing your first classic car written by Steve Serio for Sports Car Market Magazines, 2008 Buyer’s Guide.

We’ll be updating the publications page with more articles on Aston Martin, Lotus and other interesting automobiles as they become available so check back often.

August 10, 2008 AMNE will be at Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton, MA for the Polo match at 2pm. We will have an Aston Martin on the sidelines. Please come by to say hello if you’re in the neighborhood.

August 19, 2008 Catch Aston Martin of New England and Ciao Bella at the Barbershop Lounge on Newbury Street for an evening reception for Stop Handgun Violence featuring the unveiling of America’s largest billboard. Details and invitation to follow on our website

August 30, 2008 Aston Martin of New England will join our friend Ray for the BEST OF THE BEST Show featuring our fine Aston Martin’s and Ray’s fine watches at Grenon's of Newport, Newport, RI

September 14, 2008 AMNE will be at Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton, MA for the Polo match at 2pm. We will have an Aston Martin on the sidelines. Please come by to say hello if you’re in the neighborhood.

October 9, 2008 The 2009 V8 Vantage Dynamic Tour - call for details and to find out how you can schedule a test drive the new 2009 Vantage. Call Pat 781-547-5959 Ext. 222

November 7, 2008 The Quantum of Solace Premier. You’ll have to stay tuned for further details for this one but we have some very cool stuff coming to New England.

I’ll be updating the blog to let you know about any details of Aston Martin of New England & Lotus Motorsports events so be sure to check back soon.

One more thing…Check out the leases on the 2008 Vantage on our Finance Specials page- Awesome! Aston Martin comes through with a great lease for the month of August. Call Pat 781-547-5959 Ext. 222

-Jude

Lagonda had been dormant for a decade when Aston Martin revived the marque in 1974 as the model name for a sensational new four-door sedan based on the existing V8 coupe.

An exclusive model even by Aston Martin standards, it was cataloged until June 1976, by which time a mere seven had been made. Of the seven factory cars built in period, only two were completed with the ZF 5-speed manual gearbox; s/n 12007, the car offered here, was one of them. 

Download the full story re-published by Businessweek.com here:
http://tinyurl.com/5ceglm

 

Save the Date! August 30th will be our Best of the Best show. 

Aston Martins, and watches seem to go hand and hand these days, so we decided to repeat a great event we did last year with my good friend, Ray Grenon.  Ray is the proprietor of Grenon's of Newport, a fellow car junkie, and some say he's a righteous dude.  Located right in Newport, stop by to check out the Astons Martins, and ask Ray to show you the latest from: Glashutte Original, Tag Heuer, Cartier, Breitling, Omega, Bell & Ross, Gregg Ruth jewelry, and many others. 

Grenon's of Newport 

210 Bellevue Avenue

Newport, RI  02840

www.grenons.com/

Hope to see you there!

 Cheers, Pat

Aston Martin of New England has detailing services. Did you know that? I’m thinking about this now because it’s raining and my new car is dirty inside and out and my wheels have brake dust all over them (I hate that!)

 On the next sunny day I will ask Hugo to make my new car new again. I want to smell leather again, see my car perfect again and feel like I did the day I picked it up from the dealership.

  If we ever get another sunny day…

I know it’s been a while since my last blog.  Springtime is sportscar time.  It’s been really busy here now that the 2008 driving season is in full swing.  Since it has been raining here for the last couple of days, I actually have a chance to do two things, write a blog and get Jude off my back.  She’s worse than my strict high school English teacher.   As reported earlier, we had our DBS training in Spain, so I decided to tandem this with a vacation.  To beat the killer jet lag, I had on my first trip to Spain, I planned a few days in the UK, before heading down to Spain, then another few days in the UK, to finish off the weekend.  Here is a quick list of highs and lows of my trip. 

Highs:

London.  It’s just simply the best city in the world.

 

The weather in the UK. Strangely 80 degrees, and no rain, (WHAT!?)

 

The weather in Spain, as expected 80 degrees, and no rain.  I think Jude had rain. (hee he)

The food in Spain.

 

The coffee in Spain is the best in the world.  I’m not sure where it comes from, but it makes Starbucks taste like Folgers.

 

That mild climate in London: Seeing Aston Martin DB9s, Vanquishes, Vantages, DB6s, DB7s, Ferraris, Lambos, Zondas, TVRs, the new Fiat 500s, the old Fiat 500s, Alfa Romeos, old Porsches, new Porsches, Mercedes SLRs, and any other car you dream about all over London.  Nothing like the sound of a DB9, tearing through first, second, and third gears, in London, with the noise ricocheting off the buildings.

 

Driving the DBS, on the track.  It’s the first Aston Martin that doesn’t feel heavy. It makes a tremendous noise, the ceramic brakes are just phenomenal, and it’s just as happy on the track as tearing through the Spanish countryside, and is so docile in traffic.  Did I tell you that its drop dead beautiful in real life?  Don’t believe me, come on by, we have one here.

 

2009 DB9, and Vantage.  Small tweaks, here and there really dial in the '09 Aston Martin product.  More horsepower, more torque, and sportier suspension set-up for the Vantage:  more horsepower, tauter suspension, and tweaks to the Touchtronic gearbox for the DB9.  Great stuff.  Call us for details.

Driving the Ferrari 599 on the track.  Not as handsome as the Aston, and the interior looks like it was put together by guys who used to build the old GM, Camaros and Trans Ams: (a piece of the center consol actually came apart) but man does it move.

It really does go like stink.

 

Roadside fun: Seeing some of my colleagues (six of them) pulled over by the Spanish Police.  Hopefully they all got cavity searches.

Lows:

No hot water in my hotel room in Spain for two days. 

 

Audi R8, I was really pumped to see it there, but was a bit of a disappointment.  So was the SL55.   All great road cars, I’m sure, but not so great on the track.

 

Listening to all of my embarrassing stories (again) that my wonderful, most awesome boss and resident big mouth, Steve Serio has told all my colleagues from around the globe.

 

Driving a right hand drive Porsche 911 on the track.  I was absolutely useless, shifting with my left hand, and car placement was a bit tricky sitting on the right side.

 

Almost getting a cavity search myself at the Malaga airport security.  Okay, how is it possible, I can sneak a lighter, which has quite a bit of metal through our security, but in this tiny, run down, almost third world airport, a balled up Wrigley Spearmint gum wrapper, in the corner of my pocket, sets off the alarm.  Getting felt up by a Spanish TSA worker (a woman) with your girlfriend laughing it up wasn’t cool.  Or was it?  Still sorting that out mentally.

 

The fact that the US dollar is worthless.  Especially in the UK.  Take NYC prices, and then double them!  After spending way too much money there the sad thing is, going to Spain and spending Euros seemed like a bargain.

 

The food in Spain.  You see there’s only so much pork you can eat, after a while you just want a cheeseburger.

Before I sign off, be sure to check out the 24 hours of LeMans, www.lemans.org taking place June 14^th, and 15^th.  Aston Martin has a race car in every category this year, LM1, GT1, and GT2.  Let’s see if Aston Martin can sweep! 

Also on June 24^th we will be having our DBS launch.  We hope to see everyone here that day, because for some of you, it’s been a while. 

Cheers, Pat

Now that we are back from the DBS training in Spain it’s time to get our launch together so you can see for yourself how impressive the DBS is.

The DBS launch date is set for June 24, 2008 at the Aston Martin of New Enland showroom in Waltham, MA. Look for your invitation in the mail.  Also, stay tuned for Pat & Steve’s blog about their excellent adventure with the DBS.

 Other Upcoming Events:  

June 9^th the Steppingstone Foundation Golf Tournament at Concord Country Club - AMNE Hole-in-One.

June 16^th the MSPCC Golf Tournament at Concord Country Club - AMNE Hole-in-One.

Let's get past the fact that today is April 15th, the most hated day of the year for all of the obvious reasons. Well, warm weather is finally threatening to break through and make it that much more tempting to drive something fun to work or get ready for a proper weekend blast. Spring in New England? Maybe, just maybe.....Let's focus on that, the start of baseball and perhaps the occasional round of golf, instead of what the IRS just fleeced you out of! Time to move on.

And while fresh on the mind, I'd like to thank all of our friends and clients who joined us last night for an evening of opera with "the maestro" Placido Domingo. Aston Martin is sponsoring his worldwide tour and last night was the only scheduled performance in the USA at the Wang Center in Boston. I apologize for not providing hand towels for those of you seated in the two front rows, you all know what I'm talking about. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic evening for all, thank you again for joining us and making it a great night.

Please pick up a copy of this month's Sports Car Market Letter and read my two cents about the Aston Martin DB4 Coupe that was auctioned of in February at the Artcurial Auction House in Paris. This car is the epitome of how educated mature collectors are now valuing original cars above restored examples. Of course, finding a truly original example of anything is next to impossible but there you go. Keith Martin has done a nice job of growing that magazine into quite a staple for those who enjoy a great classic car mag.

And along the lines of further obvious self promotion, our friends at ClassicDriver.com (Thank you Steve & Charis) have featured us in this week's dealer profile. Follow the link, http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3200.asp?id=13740, and check out Steve Wakefield's site. If you like up to the minute enthusiast news and thousands of classifieds every month, this is the place, book-mark it as a favorite. It's also the spot to check out the far flung pricing for cars in Europe. Every wonder why a great many cars are leaving the country for ports abroad? Just do the math....(And Kurt, that's a Fiat Jolly that I'm sitting on, or don't you have "them types of fur-un u-rup-peen cars in Texas?")

As I mention on our site, occasionally the "for sale" inventory never makes it that far to that section, last week was no exception.  A partially restored RHD Aston Martin DB5 Coupe was sold before it even got to our premises, let alone the website. It is now in the hands of an international collector who will finish what someone else started 30 years ago. If something like this is of interest, please let me know ahead of time. In the "potentially" for sale section, I'm currently chasing a very low mileage original Ferrari Daytona Coupe, another 1950s Aston project and a very rare Porsche 356 Coupe. Pass the word along of cars on your wish list, if you can, and you won't be disappointed to hear that something was just sold that would have been just right for you. How about a rare Fiat Abarth 600 Coupe? See, it's never the same from month to month......

Lastly, our first Aston Martin DBS Coupe is "on the water." If you didn't have a chance to attend the NY Autoshow last month please contact Patrick Roussel to sechedule a visit and see what all the fuss is all about, again, you simply won't be the least bit disappointed.

Be back at you before long...

Steve Serio

 

 

Tuesday, March 18^th, was a pretty exciting day for me.  You see, typically I’m stuck in the office enduring a pretty tough day, selling Aston Martins, test driving Aston Martins, and checking out the classics that Steve Serio seems to dig up.  Pretty dull stuff.  Right?  Well last Tuesday was exciting because I got to leave the office, and go to the Big Apple to see the DBS reveal.  All of this before the New York Autoshow chaos.

 

I grabbed Doug Ewing, from Premier Financial Services, in CT, which gave us a great opportunity to talk about the new Aston Martin lease program. In case you haven’t heard, Aston Martin now has a lease program! This is a first for Aston Martin, which I think is pretty cool.  Yipppeeee!  If you need any information, please give us a call, we would be happy to discuss the terms.

 

Ok, getting back to NY, and the DBS.  Let me tell you, and I’ll be honest, I was a bit concerned with the DBS,on how this beast would look. Well, when they pulled the cover off, I was just blown away.  My first thought was, who I have to kill, rob, or sleep with to get one!  It’s a perfect blend of the finesse, and elegance of the DB9, and the steroid induced DBR9 race cars that won LeMans last year.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you will have to wait until our very own DBS launch event in Boston.  I will definitely keep you guys posted.

 

Stay tuned, because Jude and I, will drive the DBS in April, at the Ascari Race Resort in Spain.  My life sucks.

Pat Roussel and Steve Serio are taking off for the New York Auto Show today.  Aston Martin is giving everyone a good peek at the yet to be seen in the U.S. new DBS. We should see the DBS sometime in June or July but I had a chance to drive one earlier this month when I was at the Aston Martin proving grounds in Millbrook England. The DBS is Aston Martin’s new flagship automobile with a V12 engine, 510 hp and utterly fantastic to drive. 

Stay tuned for DBS launch details

In the spirit of not completely boring our blog readers ad nauseum every day, we'll keep this section for small trade news, things we find relevant in the Aston Martin world  or perhaps just an occasional news update of a piece of inventory that is inbound to us. A great many transactions with inventory are pre-sold and the cars never hit the inventory section. Think 1963 Shelby Team Cobra that is in our showroom and was sold before it hit the transport truck to get here. Neat ride.
 
At the moment we are negotiating on some very neat rides. Today's offerings are an LP400 Countach, Porsche 550 Spyder and another Mercedes 300SL disc brake Roadster.
 
And as the New York City AutoShow approaches, we'd like to gently remind our future DBS customers, please contact us ASAP so we can let you preview that spectacular Aston there.

With the excuse of revamping our website, our humble group has decided that a blog or two would be a good idea. We'll see...

I hope to add a weekly story or two that can add a little fodder to the car world.

Here goes with a little story about a visit to the Artcurial Auction in Paris during Retromobile last month.

A remarkable price realized for a rather unremarkable DB4... or, upon closer inspection, you'll discover what the hoo-hah and trend is now all about.

The price guide has been recalibrated once again as I attempt to unravel the mystery of how "unremarkable" has become the new "amazingly remarkable." Confused yet?

Let me un-wrap the preceding paragraph and the Parisian auction process as a bonus.

First the baffling Franco auction scene. Close your eyes and think back, humor me, to your formidable college years, the ones that involved an overheated, dry, windowless auditorium. Stubbornly overcrowded and perhaps involving an Armenian / Pakistani / Russian tongued professor who was rambling at such an incomprehensible pace his accent was the least of your worries. How do you focus? You were behind before he even got started. You were clueless and failing before you signed up for the class. Got it? Remember that physical & mental uncomfortable surrounding? Well that is a nice way of describing an American in Paris visiting the Arturial auction house. Talk about your classic culture shock. Not speaking fluent French was the least of my worries.

This auction venue during Retromobile was simply bizarro world compared to events in the USA & UK. The above-described room is no exaggeration mon ami. I attended, I nodded, I left empty handed.

When the show started I could make out the auctioneer easily enough, a DeGaulle-esque leader with a wooden pointer, he was in charge of the scene; but who was his accomplice and what was his purpose? The mystery man who was parroting DeGaulle's every word, if you will. Standing not but three paces ahead of the auctioneer and yammering with such a sing-song cadence, half a syllable behind in the same language echoing every word! Great, two pig-latin speaking professors having at it in a tempo that only needed dancing girls to finish the theatrical effect. Why the need for two people rabbiting on? Why is one mimicking the other? The French appeal for Jerry Lewis & Mickey Rourke is a relative cake walk compared to understanding this podium chaos & Clouseau silliness.

More foreign still was the quiet calamity of the crowd. Catholic wakes have more life. A room full of the buried Terra Cotta soldiers from China would show more physical movement. I'd need night vision goggles, a sight dog and three interpreters to point out the ROW any winning bid came from. Man, I was the proverbial fish on the bicycle here....please someone, yawn, stretch, show that much excitement or clap. Winning bids are happening in an auditorium full of people sleeping with their eyes open, that's the best way to describe it... honestly.

Onward to lot #21, the 1961 Series III Aston Martin DB4. I ventured across Paris hopefully to buy this lot and was dreaming it would knock my socks off in person.  Not so much at first glance.

Here was my immediate discovery with knee jerk observations.

First and foremost Series III DB4s are the red headed step children of DB4s, no one specifically ever asks for one, can't change that. They're the middle child that every family has few photos of. Not old enough to be the first and not young enough to be the most advanced.

This car had a few whopper door dings, a DB2/4 MKIII steering wheel (curious to know if it was ordered like that), DB5 Selectaride (huh?), unfortunate non-original chrome strips on the rockers and paint that was as dull as a ride in a new Kia. Bumpers a bit pitted, engine bay could use a few hours of tidying and the Avon Turbo-Squirms were correct (maybe original) but really dated and no help to the drive...but here's where the collector car world takes those minor irritations and goes 180 degrees on us. I was micro nit picking an incredible jewel.

Behind my head fake of said aforementioned irritations this car was otherwise 100% complete & original down to the chassis number chalk marks on the underside of the rear seats. This DB4 possessed that amazing scent of old Connolly leather that only an honest Aston can have. Glorious!  Tools, engine markings, manual, factory correspondence, killer panel fit and a like-new straight chassis really showed that this one-owner car was truly loved better than most family members.  I've only seen four other cars as original as this in the last 22 years and three of them have had that beauty and charm restored right out of them. Sacre bleu! A retrospective tear is being shed here, pity really.

So it's bidding time. I figured this car to be a $275-300k DB4 all in back home. Most buyers would not see the value in such a glorious car but it was worth a shot. Well, before I could say "HEY CHUCK, LOOK THIS WAY, I WANT TO BID!" the sing-song helper blew past the auction estimates and rapidly hit the 300k Euro mark. Well, so much for being an expert in such things, time to get some fresh air and digest what I just witnessed.
 
Playing the part of Louis Lament back at dinner, the obvious had struck square in the choppers. A car is only original once and this is proof positive AGAIN that a really savvy collector will pay much more for that than he would a restored car. A car in this shape, with all of its' warts and blemishes is exactly what has become de rigeur for the truly clever buyers in this hobby. Anyone can own a restored trailer queen but the very few great original cars that still exist are being coveted by the real educated buyers. Price guides can be used as kindling or emergency t.p. in these instances, no one can figure what a 1-owner, honest, low mileage, documented classic will do, not even an expert in room full of terra cotta statues quietly smashing world record prices while they bid.