.25” wrap to back cover

FALL 2008

New Michigan Drivers School

Ontario Grand Touring

38th Lime Rock Event

Issue No. 20

$12.50 US / $15.00 CDN

ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUBNorth America Quarterly Journal

FALL 2008

New Michigan Drivers School

Ontario Grand Touring

38th Lime Rock Event

Issue No. 20

$12.50 US / $15.00 CDN

ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUBNorth America Quarterly Journal

PowerBeautySoul

Miller Motorcars

273 West Putnam Avenue, US Route 1

Greenwich, CT, 06830

Telephone: (800) 721.8781

See.MillerMotorcars.com

Aston Martin Long Island

1060 Northern Boulevard

Roslyn, New York, 11576

Telephone: (516) 478.4326

AstonMartinLongIsland.com

T H E A S T O N M A R T I N D B S

Grand marques have their roots in racing: Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Ford…but not all of them are racing today. That Aston Martin has returned to the hunt for endurance race cham-pionships with not one model but two (and derivatives thereof) speaks to the dynamics of the leadership and the charisma of the company, and the brand. I for one prefer REAL cars, GT1, to Prototypes: your DB9 is in the DBR9, while I suggest there is not so much real Audi in Le Mans Prototypes. That Astons again won Le Mans in 2008 and swept their class at the Nurburgring 24 is outstanding. And the N24 has proven a great racecar in Europe and Asia. But a sweeter moment came when the DBRS9 run by Rahal Letterman Racing took the pole at Road Atlanta this Autumn, two and a half years after that racing variant made its world debut in the Speed World Series at Sebring.

I was at Sebring in March 2006 as Autosport Designs Racing put their two DBRS9s on track days after the new model racecars cleared customs. Elsewhere in these pages Rahal Letterman Racing’s Jay O’Connell reports on chassis tweaks to make the DBRS9 handle in this American series. I find it sweet vindication that Mr. O’Connell’s key changes in moving the engine back and adapting the ride height so parallel how John Wyer and team made similar tweaks to the “DB4GT” to make DP214 a contender in 1963. How well that Rahal Aston was adapted to the American reality (much as street

Astons have adapted with real air conditioning and yes—real cup holders). I met “young” Bobby Rahal in the early 1980s (gosh, I was young too) at Press Days at Mid-Ohio as he was running Indy Cars, eventually winning the 500 for TrueSports and Jim

Trueman…that the Aston DBRS9 took the pole and a podium position (2nd) speaks to the Rahal Letterman Racing car prep, and Aston potential.

Another brand that we live with is that of the AMOC, and AMOC North America—our club, and new Members often express surprise at how pleasant, how congenial (how un-stuffy) the AMOC people are. I reckon part of this is due to our racing tradition: most of the Club officers are seasoned racecar drivers, and our track days are a great leveling (if not humbling) experience for many. Annoying (or imprudent) personalities select out of this gene pool pretty quickly. “When the green flag drops the b.s. stops” is an old rac-ing saying, and I think that good trackside manners permeate the club.

So in that tradition, hooray for Astons winning Le Mans again, and the N24 victories; a salute to the Rahal Letterman Racing pole position at Atlanta; hurrah for the 38th annual Lime Rock week-end, the Monterey Historics, the Kohler International Challenge…and a special BRAVO!! to the organizers of the very first NJ Track Day, and the very first Gingerman, Michigan Aston drivers’ school!!

—Nick Candee, Editor

1

from the editor

RACING IMPROVES THE BRAND

On the cover: Astons on the lawn at Broadmeadow, the Greendale home in the Berkshire Mountains, during the

Stafferton Memorial Tour on the Lime Rock weekend. Photo by Tim Cottingham Above photo by Robert Dennis

T h e V A N T A G e PO I N TT h e V A N T A G e PO I N T

THE VANTAGE POINT aspires to reflect the values and

spirit of Aston Martin: Innovation, Quality, Performance.

We are committed to both inform and entertain our membership,

but moreover to provide context for connection and exploration, and fanning the flames of our

common passion.

The Vantage Point (formerly the AMOC Quarterly) is the official publication of the Aston Martin Owners Club—North America, and published by the AMOC-NA Section East. Statements appearing in The Vantage Point are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Aston Martin Owners Club or its officers. We reserve the right to edit all materials as necessary and may refuse content that is not Aston Martin Owners Club related, or otherwise not deemed relevant, at the discretion of the Editor. The Vantage Point is published quarterly for members of the Aston Martin Owners Club, a non-profit corporation.

www.amoc.org

Publisher AMOC East

Chair Jim Hazen

editor-in-Chief Nick Candee

managing editor Susan Laskey

Art director Heather LaPierre

design Consultant Bruce Crocker

Advertising director John David

(314) 361-9372

Copy editors John David Scott FairleyRobert Obie

Mark Ransome Jane Ransome

Photographers Robert Dennis — West

CJ Gutch — East

Submissions to the editor: nickcandee@aol.com

deadlines are 30 days after the start of each calendar quarter, for the next quarter issue.

Aston Martin Owners Club North America Quarterly Journal

Fall 2008

2

1 FROM THE EDITOR Nick Candee

4 BACK EAST Jim Hazen

4 OuT WEST George Wood

6 NEWS OF THE MARQuE

12 RACING LINE: ROAD ATLANTA Eric Mauk

14 RACING LINE: LAGuNA SECA Obie R. Silverwood

16 RACING LINE: ALMS Chet Floyd

18 RACING LINE: LIME ROCK ALMS CJ Gutch

20 LIME ROCK 2008 Tim Cottingham

27 2008 CAROLINA TROPHy Tom Smith

28 BACKFIRE!

29 AMOC MIDWEST OPEN HOuSE Jim Causey

31 ROAD AMERICA Jim Causey

32 MICHIGAN TRACK EVENT Norb Kaminski

36 VISALIA NORTH/SOuTH MEET 2008 Robert Dennis

39 FALL TOuR AND LuNCH MuSKOKA 2008 John Sale

42 BRITISH CAR DAy, TORONTO Scott Fairley

44 MONTEREy MAGIC Nick Candee

47 NEW MEMBERS

48 1958 ASTON MARTIN DB MARK III Brad Nevin & Peter Heydon

53 AMOC EVENT PLANNER GuIDELINES Jane Ransome

55 IN MEMORIAM: DR. SuRJIT HERMON Jim Causey

57 RESTORATION: DB2 LML-50/13 Robert Burt

60 NuTS & BOLTS

61 TECH TALK Ask Eric

63 uPCOMING EVENTS

63 CLASSIFIEDS

64 CLuB DIRECTORy

TABlE Of CONTENTS

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AmoC-NA/eASt

BACK EASTDuring 2008 the North American (NA) sec-tions of the AMOC have engaged in dialog with AMOC Chair Richard Jackson regarding the way in which the uK addresses our interests and financial needs. Richard has been very open to this and he recognizes that the NA sections are an essential part of the Club. Both AMOC West Chairman George Wood and I traveled

over for Club meetings this year to reinforce our interests. I’m happy to report that the Committee of Management

allocated some funds at the October 21st meeting to support NA activities in 2009. The allocation will be split equally between NA East and NA West. This of course includes Canada and the uS (and eventually Mexico if apropos).

While our efforts have resulted in this positive move, they are not complete. Both George and I are committed to providing our members with the opportunity for greater involvement with the Club. We are, as members of the uK CoM, working to create opportunities for overseas members to participate locally and in tandem with other sections.

Becoming involved in the Committee of Management has reinforced for me how unique and special the AMOC is. I don’t know of any other organization that so effectively celebrates both the history and the modern achievements of a single automobile marque. Our AMOC and the Aston Martin Heritage Trust are

truly unique and an excellent match with the sophistication and beauty of the modern global Aston Martin brand.

If you have the opportunity to travel to the uK, for pleasure or business, please know that you are, as an AMOC Member, always welcome at The Barn or at any AMOC event. If you are going over feel free to contact me about your plans and I can help you coordinate a visit or participation.

This year in NA East we’ve had two stand alone successful driving events. A big round of applause is due to Norb Kaminski and Brian Bucholtz (Aston Martin of Troy) for organizing and sponsoring the day at Gingerman Raceway and to Tim Fox for organizing and leading the day at New Jersey Motorsports Park. I know that the attendees had a great time and we’re planning more like it in 2009.

I also want to thank the dynamic Susan Laskey along with Kathy Gaffney for organizing the excellent Long Island Wine Tour. And we give special thanks to Steven Beasley of uBS and Simon Rodd from Aston Martin Long Island for their gracious support.

As always, I welcome your comments and any ideas for our Section East. Please feel free to email or call me.

Very best to you and all good wishes for the Holidays,

—Jim Hazen, Chairman – Section East

AmoC-NA/weSt

OUT WESTOn August 1, 2008, my wife Tracy and I attended the International Conference for AMOC Chairmen and Area Representatives, in Hamburg, Germany. Hosted by German Chairman Bernd-Heinrich Schriever, whom we met (among others) for the first time, it was a fantastic experience that ended much too soon. The Conference focused, in general,

on the club’s ability to reflect the desires of the membership. As an international club with a large percentage of club members in North America, we had a voice at the table, and took advantage of the opportunity to thank the Headquarters for supporting our Monterey event the previous year, and voice our desire that Headquarters continue to contribute to events in North America. AMOC East Chairman Jim Hazen also flew to England for the Committee of Management meeting in October, to further artic-ulate the sentiments that were expressed in Hamburg. Both Jim and I are committed to having the club administered in a way that benefits the membership in the various areas, which is really the

only way that the club can prosper and grow in North America, and worldwide as a whole.

I have to apologize for not having an article in the previous issue of The Vantage Point regarding our North/South meet in Visalia last April. Let me say that anything that I wrote would not have done justice to driving through the Sierra foothills while the grass is still green, dining at The Vintage Press (Mark and Jane Ransome’s favorite restaurant), and enjoying the hospitality of Obie and Joy Silverwood. This is just something that you have to experience. The editor was kind enough to allow me to include pictures of the event in this issue, courtesy of Robert Dennis.

Though we still have events left before the end of the year, work has begun on the calendar for 2009, which is the 50th anni-versary of Aston Martin’s win at Le Mans (I believe this calls for a road trip). So look forward to a special year.

Kind regards and best wishes over the Holidays,

—George Wood, Chairman – Section West

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NEWS OF THE MARQuE

I recently had the chance to talk with Julian Jenkins,who came on this year as Vice President and General Manager of Aston Martin North America succeeding John Walton. Julian’s prior post was at Bentley, as Director of Marketing, Communications and Product for North and South America. Based at the Aston Martin North America headquarters in Irvine, California, Julian’s responsibilities include sales and service, public relations, brand marketing and communications to both Aston Martin’s customers and the 38 dealers in North America.

Julian was most gracious to make time in his schedule for The Vantage Point.

JH: Tell us about Julian Jenkins—your back-ground and how you got into the automobile business.JJ: My training was in engineering, manufac-turing and mechanical production. I studied at Coventry university, and when I came out, I went to Jaguar in the Product Planning Department. My position gave me a very rounded experience and great insight into all phases of the industry. I was fortunate to be involved with the XK8 from initial concept, the clay models and original product require-ments, to the marketing and the customer research, right through the launch of the car in Geneva. It was quite an exciting time.

From Jaguar I moved on to Vodaphone in the uK where I was involved with look-ing at emerging technologies like telematics, imbedded SIMS, GM’s OnStar, in its early stages at that time. The purpose was to devel-op remote diagnostics technology, something that is really just coming to fruition today. But this was the better part of 10 years ago.

From there I moved into after-sales mar-keting—first with Porsche uK with a par-ticular focus on accessories, options and parts and service. I then took a role with Bentley as the Global After-Sales Marketing Manager. While at Bentley I spent five years in Singapore running operations for Asia Pacific, and then back to North America as Director of Marketing and Products. I was in that role for 18 months when I was approached for my current position.

JH: What was it that attracted you to Aston Martin?JJ: Aston Martin is one of those great iconic brands. How can one be British and not be attracted to Aston Martin?

But for me it was the challenge of the position—to build the processes and the teams and connect them with the products in the market. But it was also the mystique, the history and how Aston Martin is rare, desirable and has such a presence. In terms of the products and the company, I was looking at where the organiza-tion is today and where the opportunities are presenting themselves to take the company into the future.

JH: What do you think are the opportunities for the brand?JJ: I think in this market it is significant. If you look at it from a geographical standpoint, there are ten million square miles. We have 35 dealers in North America and a huge potential customer base. Our opportunity is really about brand awareness and translating that awareness into sales. But to do this, it’s critical for us to provide the infrastructure and aftermarket support in such a geographi-cally diverse market. Selling cars is sometimes the easier part of the equation. Supporting them with the after sales support and ensuring that it meets our standards is the challenge.

JH: One thing, I think, that makes Aston Martin unique are the owners. Many of our members own other marques, but they are attracted to Aston Martin because they make a connection with the DNA of the brand. JJ: I think that is a very good point. I’ve been meeting quite a number of our custom-ers. There is a common thread that comes through and it’s interesting against my back-ground with some of the other brands. There is certainly passion, unquestionably a passion about cars. But one might argue that sits with a number of other brands as well.

The difference with Aston Martin from what I’ve observed is that there is a very knowledgeable customer base. There is a pride about knowing Aston Martin and knowing about what Aston Martin stands for. It’s the heritage, the factory and the way our

iNterview

A CONVERSATION WITH JUlIAN JENKINS, VP & GENERAl MANAGERBy Jim Hazen

Aston Martin is one of those

great iconic brands. How can one be

British and not be attracted to Aston Martin?

7

NEWS OF THE MARQuE

cars are built and it’s the personalities that are involved with our cars. That comes across clearly to me as something people enjoy and with which they certainly connect. They understand the ori-gins of their cars and why that is important to the brand.

JH: I find that when I talk with owners there is often a dichotomy about the way they view Aston Martin. They like that it is a spot-on modern brand that produces a great product. But at the same time they view it as a small (relative to a GM or Toyota), very personal company. I would think there is a balance that you have to maintain. JJ: There is and we’re very clear and very focused on achiev-ing a balance. It comes from Dr. Bez down into the rest of the organization.

We’re not a business built around an aspirational volume num-ber. It’s a business based upon finding a balance from a sales perspec-tive, from after sales support and the overall customer experience. So it is a very fine balance. But it’s one we strive to meet.

JH: Can you talk about plans you have for North America through 2009? JJ: Primarily in this market it’s about putting the structure in place to enhance some of the services I’ve talked about. We’ve had in the past a very small team in North America. They’ve done a tre-mendous job but there were only four to five people looking after a market this size. And it’s a market that equates to 30% of our sales world wide. So it’s significant. Last year we sold just over 2,000 cars in North America.

What we’re looking at now is what the market needs and where the opportunities present themselves. We’ve split the market into three distinct regions: Northeast, South and West, with 11 or 12 dealers each. Within each region we have an Operations Manager, a Regional Marketing Manager and two After Sales Managers who look after five to six dealers each. This is very important so that we have the right level of customer service and dealer support.

In terms of 2009 we have exciting enhancements to product. We have the V8 Vantage with significant changes. The engine will produce 420 brake horsepower. We have a mammoth road tour to promote the V8 Vantage, currently traveling with five cars plus the race cars, the LeMans race car and the car from the Nurburgring. That tour is visiting 32 dealers across the country and covering 8,000 miles.

JH: Do you think the current financial downturn will impact your business? JJ: It certainly has an effect, as it has across all of the automotive industry. To that extent we are managing it in a way that you would expect. It’s about being responsible. We are doing what we need to do to align ourselves with the dealers and their individual market needs. No question—it is a challenge. These things have a tendency to be cyclical and we are trying to manage our way through it for the near term to medium term to protect the brand and the business.

JH: Will you grow the dealer network?JJ: It will certainly have a few more points added to it. In terms of what that will look like and the number, we will make decisions on a ground-up basis. We will grow where the opportunities are, but we don’t expect to have 40 to 50 dealers. We’ll look at the high luxury sector and also where competitive cars are sold and that will give us the opportunity to determine where dealer points are best located.

We then go through a rigorous process to determine the nature of our partners. The two most recent openings—Calgary and Orlando—took us to 35. We have two to three more that we are looking at and there is South America as well. It’s a market in which we do not have a presence but is on our horizon.

JH: Is the One 77 coming to North America? JJ: The car will be available for purchase in the uK. Customers will have the opportunity to bring the car in, but it will be depen-dent on a personal import basis. We’ve had some attention over the past few weeks. The press announcement and coverage and the ads running in Business Week and other places stimulated a lot of interest and contacts to some of the dealers—maybe a half dozen people or slightly more who’ve stepped forward.

JH: How do you see AMOC NA fitting in with Aston Martin in North America? JJ: I think the owners clubs are important to any manufacturer. Looking forward, my personal interest and wish is to have the AMOC involved. I think what is key is that we have a very active Club with members that are passionate about owning and driving our cars, not just in terms of vintage, but also our latest incarna-tions. We also need to have better alignment and communication with the local dealers as well as information on new products and announcements about the brand.

JH: Is there anything that I’ve missed or you’d like to add? JJ: Just that I’ve joined at a particularly exciting time, under this leadership and with our investment partners. That was very much the draw for me. This position presents a wonderful opportunity, unprecedented in the automotive industry today—in terms of the product, in terms of raising the brand profile, in terms of looking at what the Aston Martin brand is going to be for the future. I think few opportunities still exist like that in the automotive industry. So I am very excited about it and committed to Aston Martin.

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NEWS OF THE MARQuE

In 1995, at the age of 13, Tim Layzell won the British Racing Drivers Club’s prestigious young Motoring Artist Award. He is now regarded as one of the world’s leading motoring artists.

He has exhibited at Silverstone, Goodwood, London, and Monaco where his works have always proved popular. Due to the popularity of his motoring originals, Tim has published a series of outstanding, signed, limited edition giclee prints. These include his unique ‘Pop-Art’ style as well as his more traditional

work. Please check his website for fees on original art as well as copies of his prints. Tim Layzell Hall Floor Flat, 80 Pembroke RoadClifton, Bristol, BS8 3EG, united Kingdom Tel : +44 (0) 117 907 4103, Mobile: +44 (0) 7974 900 580 tim@timlayzell.comwww.timlayzell.com

ART fOR ASTON

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Vantage Point-N24 Advert-2008.pdf 14/04/2008 09:44:14

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NEWS OF THE MARQuE

lAGONDA’S RETURN, WITH A NEW lOGO

On 1 September 2008, Labor Day in the uSA, Aston Martin announced it is bringing back the Lagonda marque with an updated logo.

Just ahead of the curve a few weeks earlier in August, AMOC EAST Member Dan Ghose acquires “the most famous Lagonda” at Bonhams in Monterey for $1.4 Million, and ran it in the Rolex Fall Festival at Lime Rock that Labor Day weekend.

THE ONE-77The French magazine Automobile Classiques so liked the One-77 they commissioned a 3-D rendering for their cover within days of the Aston announcement!

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ASTON DBRS9 TAKES POlE AT ROAD ATlANTA!

RAHAL LETTERMAN RACING FINDS SUCCESS WITH ASTON MARTIN WORLD CHALLENGE PROJECT DBRS9

By Eric Mauk

During the early months of 2008, the Rahal Letterman Racing Aston Martin DBRS9 that would eventually sit on the podium at Road Atlanta not only took on a life of its own—it appeared to go through about three different lives as the car that was once too heavy, too unresponsive and too slow became a world-class race car.

Coming into RLR’s Hilliard, Ohio shop as a car that had been on track just 18 months before, the Aston went through a num-ber of massive transformations at the hands of Rahal Letterman Racing engineers and mechanics. The car was reduced to its basic components, moved, twist-ed, reconfigured and finally reassembled to turn what had been an uncompetitive machine into a snarling rac-ing beast.

Nearly everyone in the Rahal Letterman Racing organization participated in the transformation of the DBRS9, which was key to the success of the project as there were multiple aspects of the car that needed addressing—and most of them at the same time.

“The biggest challenge was moving the engine back 10 inches, which we needed to do to achieve the 50% weight distribution we needed for balance,” said RLR Technical Director Jay O’Connell. “More specifically, shortening the torque tube, which attaches the engine to the transaxle, and the carbon driveshaft were the most challenging modifications. We cut the cast aluminum torque tube into three large sections, then shortened all of them a few inches and welded them back together. Keeping the tube straight and the ends parallel was tricky but the RLR fabrication shop did an excellent job. Meanwhile the carbon shop dissected the lay-up of the carbon driveshaft and together we came up with a good approach to shorten it the same amount. After we glued it back together we torque tested the new carbon shaft to over 800 ft-lbs to make sure it would survive on track.”

Moving the engine was more challenging than simply address-ing where it sat in the car. Manifolds needed to be modified as did engine mounts and external parts such as the water pump. In addition, suspension modifications went hand-in-hand with the engine move as the new balance had to be accommodated. New tubes were added to the frame to increase stiffness and aid corner-ing and the overall ride height was lowered.

The work took place over a seven month period, but it all paid off in just 15 minutes on a sunny day at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The DBRS9 in its first outing qualified fourth with Tom Milner at the wheel and went on to score a top five finish in its 2008 SPEED World Challenge GT class debut.

The success at Mid-Ohio emboldened the RLR team to campaign the Aston in four more events to close out the 2008 campaign. The big payoff came at the last of those five races as Milner both qualified and finished second on a very challenging Road Atlanta layout as part of the Petit Le Mans weekend. Milner qualified second, but started on pole when the leading competitor failed post-session technical inspection.

“Our goal was to make the car fully competitive, i.e. within 0.5 percent of the lap time of the fastest World Challenge GT car, so to be quickest in the first practice session and in qualifying at Road Atlanta was outstanding,” O’Connell remarked. “Compared to the 2006 season, the Aston was 3-4 seconds quicker per lap in qualifying in the race at Mid-Ohio, Mosport, and Road Atlanta. Even more impressive is the fact that the car is now 150 lbs. (68.2 kg) heavier than in 2006 due to the rule changes mandating a higher minimum weight for all cars.”

Milner, who co-drove the RLR Porsche to five podiums in ALMS GT2 series competition a year ago, did strong work over his five race stint behind the wheel of the DBRS9. Milner ended

up 17th in the GT series point standings despite making just five starts, with his 337 points being the highest total among all drivers with five or fewer starts this year.

“After driving the car for five races and get-ting a good comparison as to where its strengths

and weaknesses are compared to other cars, I know the car is already very competitive,” reported Milner. “The Aston’s biggest strengths I think lie in its braking performance, medium and high speed corner balance and stability, and in being a car that is easy to set up. I was routinely better on the brakes than most other cars in the series, better getting into some higher speed corners, and was always able to have a good race car.”

The RLR Aston Martin qualified in the top 10 in four of its five starts, including the pole to end the year at Road Atlanta. The car was a fan favorite at every stop this year and was competitive enough after the rebuild to spark thoughts of entering the car full time in 2009, and has the engineers and drivers thinking about what they would do differently for next season.

“I think any shortcomings can be patched up pretty easily by installing a traction control system/launch control system which will allow for consistent starts and improving consistency putting power down out of corners, which is now legal in the series,” Milner explained. “In addition, the gearbox, being a syncromesh gearbox, is slower than the other cars to shift and can cause some inconsistency when shifting. The car makes very good power compared to the majority of the field.”[Ed. Note: Rahal Letterman Racing is outside Columbus OH at 601 Lyman Drive, Hilliard, OH 43026 Tel. (614) 529-7000]

100 Route 73, Palmyra, New Jersey 08065. Call 856.829.8200 or 215.535.2100Contact Peter Klein or Joe Innaurato. www.fckerbeck.com

A U T H O R I Z E D R E TA I L E R

ASTON MARTIN

Aston Martin DBS

V8 Vantage RoadsterDB9 Volante

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In the final race of the of the ALMS season, held in Northern California, Aston Martin was featured in the GT2 class, running against a field of Ferraris, Porsches, Vipers, and Ford GTs. George Wood, AMOC West Chairman, and his seven year old son, Ryan, my wife, Joy and I attended Friday for the class warm-ups and qualifying run, in which the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, car #007, chassis one, placed 10th on the grid.

From trackside, 007 sounded very well tuned to my layman’s ear. Compared to the deep guttural growl of the big GT1 Corvettes and the high RPM whine of the Ferraris, the Aston V8 sounded strong and smooth, combining power and beauty like no other car on the track. After the quali-fying run I spoke with the driver, Jonny Cocker, and the first mechanic, Chris Weeden, both of whom said the car was running fine, but they were not entirely comfortable with the performance of their Dunlop tires. That evening, George and Ryan Wood, and Joy and I enjoyed dinner at the Crown and Anchor in Monterey, a very authentic English Pub.

Attendance Saturday, race day, was a crowd of 49,750, spread over Laguna Seca’s hot and dusty rolling hills, where little shade was to be found. Our club’s rooting contingent totaled nine mem-bers: James Taylor, Cliff Cooper, Gary Moore, Chet Floyd, Mitchell Weitzman, George, Ryan, Joy and me. The four hour championship race commenced at 2:45 PM, combining 7 cars from the P1 class, 10 cars from the P2 class, 2 cars from the GT1 class, 15 cars from the GT 2 class, for a field of 34 cars. Joy and I had positioned ourselves at the bottom of the infamous “Corkscrew,” where the cars are

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17-19 OCTOBER 2008: THE AMERICAN lE MANS AT lAGUNA SECA

Story and photos by Obie R. Silverwood

The Aston V8 sounded strong and smooth, combining power and beauty like no other car on the track.

15

coming downhill out of the last hard corkscrew turns and into a straightaway. The action was thrilling, with massive dirt clouds rising as several cars slid off the track into the rough, others with tires blowing out, and some colliding and parts flying into the air. Through it all, 007 held steady and true, but seemed to be run-ning a little too conservatively. Because of the odd mix of classes it was difficult to assess the position of the GT2 cars, as they were lapped by faster P1, P2 and GT1 cars. It was not until I returned home and Googled the race results that I was able to determine 007’s actual finish position—7th in its class. The winning GT2 was a Ferrari, car #71, whose fastest lap time was 1:23:271, whereas 007’s best lap time was 1:25.913—very little difference. Coming back again to the tire issue, the temperature was dropping very fast during the race, from the 80s down to the 60s, so it created a tire pressure problem. The tire traction is affected by the tire tem-perature, and the tire temperature is affected by the tire pressure. When the temperature is changing rapidly, it is difficult for the pit crew to know exactly where to set the tire pressure. So, that might have contributed to 007’s performance.

After the races, Cliff Cooper, George Wood, Joy and I settled into a nice dinner at Tarpy’s restaurant. under the category of “it’s always something,” somehow I picked up a 2 inch crack in my DB7’s windshield in the race parking lot—which will cost about $3,000 to replace, making it a very expensive weekend.

The adjoining photos are of the Aston Martin Drayson-Barwell staging area; driver Jonny Cocker by 007 chassis one; fueling 007; George Wood and son Ryan by 007 chassis two; driver Lord Drayson getting into 007 to start the race; 007 being chased by a P1 car as they start down the “Corkscrew;” my lovely wife, Joy, by 007; and our members’ cars in the raceway parking lot.

The action was thrilling, with massive dirt clouds rising as several cars slid off the track into the rough, others with tires blowing out, and some colliding and parts flying into the air.

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THE AlMS, THE ASTON MARTIN, AND THE 20 MIllION DOllAR TOW TRUCK DRIVER

Story and photos by Chet Floyd

Gary Moore and I perched with dozens of other race fans on the high hill overlooking Laguna Seca’s sandy-treacherous Turn 2, awaiting the start of the American LeMans Series’ 12th and final race of 2008, the tenth ALMS season, on a gorgeous central coast California day.

We were looking forward to seeing one or more Aston Martins race, and hopefully meet up with other AMOC folks who had driven down from San Francisco way.

A little over 24 hours before, I had driven to Gary and Brooke’s gracious ranch home at the very foot of the Angeles Crest Mountains that jut above 8,000 feet and are visible virtually anywhere in the Los Angeles basin.

Gary felt it was high time I drove his Proteus Jaguar C-Type replica. What a car to look at, and what a car to drive. I call it the Dry Mouth Special because it is so exciting to drive. There could not be a better road than the nearby Angeles Crest Highway on a quiet Friday morning. Talk about feeling sporty—it felt so natural to hang out the cockpit in turns, looking like Juan, or Stirling, or Jim. Gobs of torque meant I could stay in 3rd gear except when following slower traffic. That torque made it easy to twitch the rear end out as I pointed the long bonnet into turns. Out the cor-ner of my left eye, I could see Gary involuntarily lift his right knee before the corners he knows so well, a great cue for my braking on an unfamiliar road.

Too soon that ride was over and we tossed our gear into the 5-speed Porsche Boxster for the run to Moore’s rancho west of Templeton. This meant we, heh heh, took the wiggly, ridge-running roads west of I-5 deep in the Tehachapi Mountains past

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Mount Pinos, where Gary had me drive. My first sports car was a 1953 356 Porsche and the Boxster also plays like an extension of mind and body at speed, but with lots better handling and lots more power. Funny what 51 years of technology can lay on. And too bad we hadn’t the time to run that road but once.

Scooting along the desert full of oil wells north of Taft I had to take the oncoming lane at reduced speed to pass loose sheep grazing the right shoulder. One lamb nearly bolted at us the last instant. At dinner that evening in McPhees—well known to AMOC members convoying to Laguna Seca—we joked with the bartender about nearly bringing fresh lamb chops.

We arrived at Laguna Seca about noon after a relaxed morn-ing. We scouted 2 DB9s and a Vantage V8 in the corral, but only found out later the AMOC folk—George Wood with son Ryan, James Taylor, Obie and Joy Silverwood, Cliff Cooper and Mitchell

Weitzman—were on the move most of the day around the track.The DBR9 of Bell Motorsports did not make an appearance in

GT1 class, but the Drayson-Barwell Vantage V8 in GT2 got a lot of interest on the pre-grid. If you have never been to an ALMS race you might not know that race fans are allowed on the pre-grid up until just a few minutes before the race. I followed a huge crowd out onto the track at start/finish where all 36 cars were lined up LeMans style. It was hard to see the cars, but I think I got a good close-up photo of one of the Miss Audis.

During the scheduled four hour race, we were continually amazed at the speed of the Prototype cars as they came off the main straight and through the slight Turn 1 and braked for the Turn 2 hairpin. I think they had to shed 100mph in about 75 yards, and of course the slower GT1 and GT2 cars—our intrepid 007 Aston Martin included—provided moving obstacles to the faster Prototypes. It made for great watching and more than one driver visited the gravel traps on this tricky course.

We left after about two hours, as the Aston was running reli-ably but well down in the order, and never a gravel-eating bobble did we see drivers Paul Drayson or Jonny Cocker make. We had a late barbeque at Rancho Sombroso and another night of solving the world’s problems over glasses of local zinfandel.

Sunday night after returning home I looked up the race results: The V8 finished 7th, five laps down in a field of 16 GT2 cars. Ferrari, Panoz and Porsche took the top three places in GT2. The

GT1 Corvette’s finished 6 laps down from the overall winning Prototype Audis. The Aston was the only car running E85 cel-lulosic ethanol in class, I believe.

Gary was now standing on the side of a lightly travelled road, cell phone in hand. An hour before we had downed our second country breakfast at Templeton’s landmark eatery, Hoovers Steak House, rubbing elbows with local cowpokes wearin’ spurs and 10-gallon hats. We had travelled through golden foothills on James Dean’s road, CA route 46. Shortly after turning south on CA 33, we saw the sheep again.

They were on both sides of the road now, and there were a lot more of them. They weren’t behind the fences where they belonged and there was no shepherd in sight. Gary slowed rapidly but the sheep on the left bolted to join those on the right. Before we could come to a stop there were sheep everywhere. A big ewe

took the full brunt of the left corner, another glanced off the right, and a little lamb went under the car. It was very upsetting to see the animals go down and some not get up.

Gary was shaking for fifteen minutes, long after the water tem-perature went up signaling major damage. He shut off the engine and we coasted to a stop at an almond grove. Oil and coolant were spilling on the road. And Gary was talking to AAA.

While we waited, the CHP stopped by and took our report. “Must get 2 or 3 calls a week about those sheep,” the officer mut-tered. He left to drive the flock back to pasture.

About an hour later the flatbed arrived. Not bad, I suppose, for being off the beaten path in the middle of the great Central Valley.

The Porsche loaded, we headed for LA, learning the driver’s life story. That’s when he mentioned he and his wife were worth twenty million dollars. Gary and I exchanged glances. Here’s a twenty-something, tattooed East Bakersfield redneck telling us all about his wife’s recent inheritance, now safely squirreled away in a trust somewhere while they both continued to work. “Best tip I ever got was $300—got that and all my tips stashed in my dresser drawer,” he proudly announced. “I’m makin’ great money on this tow job with the hours I put in.”

I continued to marvel at this whole situation as we ground up the Grapevine, slowed to 25mph and less as the truck overheated.

I’m still marveling as I reflect on the weekend of the tenth season finale of the American LeMans Series.

Photos: Opposite, top: Vantage leads Penske Racing’s P2 Porsche RS Spyder

and Andretti Green Racing’s P2 Acura ARX 01-B through Turn 2; Middle:

Vantage follows Autocon Motorsports’ P1 Lola B06-10 AER through Turn

2; Bottom: The Aston Martin Vantage 007 is in GT2 class of the American

Le Mans Series. It was the only E85 ethanol fueled entry in class; This page:

Drayson-Barwell folk, the middle gentleman is the father of driver Jonny Cocker

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rACiNg liNe

ASTON MARTIN AT lIME ROCK AlMS / AMERICAN lE MANS SERIES

Photo Essay by CJ Gutch

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Lying in my hospital bed, July 2007, how could I have imagined the chain of events that eventually would unfold. A stupid error had led me to take a tumble from my pedal bike. I’ve fallen off before and only ever hurt my pride, but this time I’d done some serious damage. Whilst I was oddly in no pain, my elbow was apparently in pieces and as good as useless without surgery. How could I have done so much damage in an instant of madness and thus put in jeopardy my trip of a lifetime to Monterey, CA with three weeks to go? But I had learned a very important and life-changing fact: circumstances can change sud-denly and without warning; life is most definitely not a rehearsal, and I must grasp opportunities before they are cruelly snatched away.

I did, of course, get to Monterey. you will no doubt have read about the MAD DASH in AMQ Spring 2008—I was there on the journey from Oregon to Monterey with great support from my friends. I was indeed dazzled by the auctions, the historic races at Laguna Seca, meeting in person AMOC members I have only cor-responded with by e-mail, but mostly by seeing Aston Martin as the featured marque at Pebble Beach. But I was forced to be a passenger as I couldn’t possibly drive. Indeed none of my cars came out of the garage for 10 weeks until my elbow had developed sufficient strength to change gear in my V8 Vantage. At one point in my recovery, I honestly thought I might never drive ‘stick’ again and I’d have to put in an auto box.

CoNNeCtiCut

DISCOVERING AMERICA: lIME ROCK 2008

By Tim Cottingham

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Therefore, in the next twist of this story, it would appear that I’d hit my head when I came off my bike, for what I was about to do was risky, to say the least. Through last Autumn, something was nagging at me. I had enjoyed one of the best and most memo-rable weeks of my life (yes, even better than Le Mans 2007)—but it could have been even better! What if I actually had a car to drive to Monterey in the coming years? People have a holiday home—does the concept of a holiday car really exist? And then I found her on the internet, she was perfect for the job. I lost my head and broke all the rules that I set out most carefully on my website. Did I consider lots of cars? Did I get an inspection? Did I have a test drive? No, none of these. I just liked the colour, Coniston Sand, (same as my V8 Vantage), low mileage and in exceptional condi-tion for the year. Back in the ‘70s my first schoolboy infatuation of any car, not just Astons, was about to be made real. I had bought myself over the internet, sight unseen, a Wedge Lagonda.

At this point I must introduce two characters to the story, firstly Tom Papadopoulos, known to you as the proprietor of Autosport Designs. Sorry if this appears to be a gratuitous plug for Tom, it isn’t, I must tell it like it is. Tom was incredibily honest and easy to deal with. I put my trust in Tom and he looked after me. And secondly, Mike Major is a real hero. I first met Mike at the famous Swann Revived Hotel at Newport Pagnell three years ago after

one of those famous Works Service Bonhams auctions. I asked Mike to look after the car for me in the uS and without Mike, the Lagonda project could never have happened.

I guess that not all readers of TVP will know about the ‘70s/’80s Lagonda, so you won’t mind too much if I bring you up to speed on this important AML model. Back in the mid 1970s, AML, as a manufacturer of expensive and thirsty automobiles, was having trouble selling cars to a world short on oil. So much trouble that production stopped and the company went into administration. Fortunately it was saved by a small group of wealthy enthusiasts, including AMOC East member, Peter Sprague. As the V8 at the time was starting to look dated, they quickly unveiled a ‘halo’ model to signal that the company had been re-born. Now when we talk ‘halo’ model today, we think of a hyper-performance supercar like the One-77 but in 1976, AML went for a 4 door sedan. But the Aston Martin Lagonda (they dropped the AM bit after a while) was of extremely sleek design, a futuristic wedge with enormous pop-up headlights, digital instruments and touch sensitive switches. To an 11-year-old schoolboy, it was without doubt the most exciting thing on 4 wheels, a true car of the future. Production started in 1978 and continued until 1990 with 645 examples completed. The price tag may have been huge, but the car was a smash with buyers who had wealth; around a third of all

22

production was sold to customers in the Middle East. Today the Lagonda still has the looks to impress but has been shackled with a reputation of unreliability in the electronics department. Its first generation auto-electronics have now been made redundant many times over. The Lagonda was the car of the future, just a shame that the future is now where things are thrown away instead of

being fixed. Despite the many advances in technology, we have difficulty with retro-tech.

So I decided to make Lime Rock ’08 my first introduction to AMOC East and the Lagonda. Due to the time difference and jet lag, I had no trouble getting up and out before sunrise from Mike’s house on the Thursday morning for the 150-mile run up to Troutbeck in Amenia, Ny on the CT border for the start of the Scenic Drive. What a fabulous introduction to both the scenery and the car. Sorry to have led so many of you astray so many times, just remember that I’m more used to driving on the correct side of the road. I did, of course, discover that if the Lag had any bigger turning circle, it would have needed tugs to bring her round. But we had fun all the same. Our destination was the beautiful home of Chris and Ellen Greendale in Stockbridge, MA where we all enjoyed superb hospitality in delightful surroundings.

So to the Lime Rock track on Friday (www.limerock.com). Now I’ve never really driven on a track before, the precious parade laps around Le Sarthe circuit before Le Mans in 1999 don’t really count. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. However everyone else appeared relaxed so that helped calm any nerves I may have had. Still, it did feel very strange driving a sedan whilst

wearing a race helmet, very claustrophobic. I had no need to worry, whilst Mike thrashed the Lag with some hot(ish) laps for the camera, I cruised around in the precision sessions like a drive in the countryside—still managed to squeal the tyres which now need changing. At one point I had Tim Fox in his Vanquish S snapping at my heels. Hearing the blipping of the throttle behind me as I entered each corner was mind blowing. I wasn’t exactly holding Tim up since you aren’t allowed to pass during precision driving laps. Despite the unsuitability of the Lag for the track, it was excellent and safe fun. I see no reason why any owner would feel uncomfortable lapping in their pride and joy; there is simply no excuse for not getting onto the track and allowing the car to do what it was built for.

On the way back from the track we noticed a coin-operated car wash that was just what we needed to clean the dirt picked

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Canadian contingent takes the Stafferton Trophy for longest distance, named for the beloved late Richard Stafferton, expat Brit resident in Toronto, who ran his V8 Volante and raced his

pre-war Le Mans often at Lime Rock.

up during the day. Since we suspected many oth-ers also spotted the facility, Saturday we were up early to beat the queue. Once washed, the Lag was parked in a very prominent spot by the stone bridge at Troutbeck, not because of any special treatment, more to do with its being so long. Despite the shade of the trees, it was hot work getting the car ready for judging—I was so engrossed, I totally failed to spot the beer keg until midway through the afternoon (perhaps a good thing to be honest). Now, I’m very familiar with the uK AMOC concours scene. It’s really quite formal, the experienced and knowledge-able judges wear pressed white overalls, the competi-tion is fierce and the result, no matter who wins, is always contested on the Club web forum for weeks afterward. Not so at the Troutbeck: informal judging was from the knowledgeable to the inexperienced and still the best car won. To be honest, the standard of the cars was as high as any uK event; it was a real

pleasure to be a judge; a wonderful opportunity to get a very close look at the cars. The car I’d most like to have brought back to the uK? I was more than a bit partial to the DB4 Vantage GT of Stefano Bruni, just about the rarest and least well known DB4 vari-ant, but also the California Sage DB4 convertible of Elliot Hillback was ‘to die for’.

I have to say that the weekend was the most perfect event for enjoying an Aston as it was meant to be enjoyed. I know I didn’t drive the furthest (the Canadian contingent held that honour), but if I’d have needed to, I would have happily driven across the Atlantic to spend such an all encompassing weekend with a great bunch of people. I felt so welcomed and so at home with friends and I must thank everyone that I met for their kindness and hospitality.

God willing, I’m planning to be back in 2009—after all I have a target—to do one better and win the V8 concours class.

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Jim Utaski’s fabulous DB5C

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North CAroliNA

2008 CAROlINA TROPHy—THROUGH THE BlUE RIDGE AND SMOKy MOUNTAINS

By Tom Smith

The 2008 Carolina Trophy was once again held on the fantastic roads of Western North Carolina. The main sponsor is Premier Financial Services, which provides the attractive lease program to Aston Martin North America for the V8 Vantage. Several Premier Financial executives participated in the Rally.

This year’s event moved out from Asheville proper to the charming Lake Lure Inn in Lake Lure, NC, eliminating the transit stages from downtown Asheville to the wonderful twisty roads of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. AMOC East member Tom Smith campaigned his 2000 DB7 Vantage as his DB2 is still undergoing restoration and wasn’t ready in time for the event. Other notable cars on the rally included a 1952 OSCA, several Ferraris, and numerous Porsches including a stunning Martini Rally “tribute” car. Additional information on this competitive event can be found at www.carolinatrophy.com

A short video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFL323ajayg NOTE: For 2009 we will be limiting the field to 35 cars,

and we will be CLOSING the registration much earlier than ever before to know our final numbers for the hotels, meals, etc. There is no risk—you can cancel with deposits for entry FuLLy REFuNDABLE uNTIL July 1, 2009. Dates for 2009 will be roughly the same as this year—middle of September.

Paul Misencik, Event DirectorThe 2008 Carolina TrophySponsored by Premier Financial Services13532 Waverton Lane, Huntersville, NC 28078 uSATel: +1 (704) 351 2087 paul@carolinatrophy.comwww.carolinatrophy.com

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Tom Smith at left, above, has run this event in several different Astons!

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To the Editor:

I just got the TVP and I must say it’s a beauti-ful issue overall. LOVE the cover shot and the interior 2-page middle single shot spread of those beautiful racers.

— robert dennis los Angeles

[Ed. Note: and thanks to Robert for his great images elsewhere in our pages! Our ‘centrefold’ beauty shot is a recent innovation.]

Imperial War Museum (from “For your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond” TVP Summer 2008) holds a special place in my heart, for two reasons. Firstly, my father lived thru the blitz in London, and spoke of the terrifying V1 and V2 German rockets, which are on display here. I lost a few family members that I shall never meet in that war, and it is quite an emotional experience to see these weapons up close, that were built to kill. Secondly, on a more exciting note, is the Ian Fleming exhibit, which, unfortu-nately, photos were not allowed.

A thrilling day it was to see Connery’s tuxedo, Little Nellie gyrocopter, and dozens of props from the Bond movies. uncle Sal commented that they had nothing on my living room! The Fleming exhibit also had many WW2 now de-classified operations that Fleming was involved in, and he really was a secret agent of Her Majesty’s Secret Service! The deception of the Nazis for the Anzio and D-Day landings were a huge part of their relative suc-cesses.

The IWM is an impressive sight, from the Lambeth Road tube, coming around the corner you see the magnificent guns staring you in the face, and as you enter the dome, you look up to see planes from the Battle of Britain, along with tanks built as a child. A REAL Panzer, T-34, and even Monty’s armoured com-mand car, just like Michael Caine drove in ‘A Bridge Too Far.’

There is so much to see at the museum, I will return for a second look someday, maybe with Kevin, before he gets too big to stuff into a tank!

Enjoy the photos...more to come

—tom mulhall

BACKfIRE! Please direct all correspondence for publication to the Editor: editor@amoc.org

illiNoiS

AMOC MIDWEST OPEN HOUSE

By Jim Causey

This summer’s Midwest Open House was a busy one with a full slate of activities. Jan and I were poking along on the interstates heading up north to Lake Forest, from our home downstate near Champaign-urbana, thinking we had plenty of time before the 2 pm Cannonball Run. Then we hit the I-294 parking lot. Not good! The DB4 was very hot and cranky and finally stalled out two miles from our exit. We promised the DB4

a facelift and body enhancements, and she started back up to the glee of the stopped motorists behind us. She purred to the exit and final destination. We were the last of the Aston contingent to arrive at the home of John Koziol and family (DB7) and were greeted by Elliot Kamenear (DB7), Rich and Betty Dagiel (DB6), Dennis and Maureen Brown (DB9), Henry Matson, (V8 Vantage), and Eddie Manelis (1976 V8).

The urban/suburban competition was a timed rally with questions about landmarks. Feeling comfortable with our lead, we had become very distracted with the scenery when suddenly out of nowhere Elliot Kamenear whizzed by us. Elliot finished first in time and third overall.

The grand affair continued with a 4 pm wine tasting party put on by Wine Styles of Northbrook. Musical entertainment followed with concert harpist Nanette Felix playing for us. At 6 pm a fine dinner was served compliments of John Koziol and family. Many thanks to John for a good show and job well done.

Photos, clockwise from top: Eddie Manelis 1976 V8,

Rich Dagiel DB6; Harpist Nanette Felox; Wine Styles

Of Northbrook display; Elliot Kamenear, Rich Dagiel,

Jim Causey Eddie Manelis, Henry Matson, Ferrari in

front, Rich’s DB6 behind us

Photos courtesy of Jim Causey

We promised the DB4 a facelift and body enhancements,

and she started back up to the

glee of the stopped motorists behind us.

29

With youat every turn

Aston Martin Marin 195 Casa Buena DriveCorte Madera California USA 94925

415 496 2101www.astonmartinmarin.com

A Price Family Dealership

The 2009 Vantage Coupes and Roadsters have arrived! Choose a classic New or Pre-Owned Aston Martin for you

or someone Special today. Ask about our extended test drives of up to 48 hours for qualified buyers. Financing up to

144 months, and affordable lease packages for all models. Consider purchasing an Aston Martin demonstrator Vantage V8 or DB9. Choose from a variety of color and option combinations—Each Aston Martin is unique as its owner! Feel free to contact

an Aston Martin sales consultant for more information about the benefits of purchasing your new car at Aston Martin Marin.

Showers threatened but we dodged most of the raindrops. Club turnout for the weekend activities in mid July was the best yet at 22 Members present. I arrived at Elkhart Lake in the early evening Friday, to observe the racecar concours, a great attraction. On Friday, at the end of the race day, the custom is for spectators to line Highway 67 from the track to Lake Street, a several mile stretch, to watch the grand procession of the vintage racecars. Some sit in cars, others bring lawn chairs and coolers. The most avid fans bring their grills and friends to make an evening of it. There were 10,000 people lining little Lake Street. Through the swarms I man-aged to run into Tom Gould at Clyde Morter’s ritual Lake Street gathering. [Clyde Morter’s Mom was Editor’s Cub Scout Den Mother; in these parts, a lifetime bond.] We spent the evening chatting before a light dinner at the Victorian Village just a short walk away.

Saturday started early as my son arrived from Milwaukee—then off to the track for time trials and locating early bird Members. We caught up with Tom Gould, Annemarie Sawkins, and Eddie Manelis at registration. Tom and Annemarie ran their Astons during the noon hour track run, as Eddie joined us for the road tour.

After visiting the race car paddocks of our favorite drivers, we had little time to make it back to the Main Gate, for the open road tour created by Henry Matson. At 11:30 a.m., our contingent of Henry/Peggy Matson, Eddie Manelis, and Jim/ Jim Causey wended its way through the Wisconsin countryside. Henry and Peggy led us over winding roads, past grain/livestock farms, and around acres of enormous energy producing wind-mills (Technically, wind turbines…but “windmills“ sounds more picturesque)(Go Green). On occasion, we did manage to stray off course. We had Mapquest direc-tions, simply one road from point A to point B. In reality, we discovered more than one road between point A and point B. This proved to be a challenge, but Henry’s GPS equipped Aston magically

rectified all confusing situations. We had a splendid lunch at the “Water City Grill” in the depths of Oshkosh before heading back to Elkhart Lake. As we walked to the parking lot, two curious restaurant kitchen staffers accosted us. The young enthusiasts had been patiently waiting for Henry and Eddie to “rev up” their V8 Vantage and 1976 V8 respectively. My DB4 was too old and too uncool for their consideration. No respect! A warm thank you to Henry for his efforts in creating this tour and lun-cheon. It was a lot of fun.

We returned to Lake Street just in time for our Aston group to line up in front of our grassed reception area. Team Aston was well represented by Dennis/Maureen Brown (DB9), Tom Gould/Annemarie Sawkins (DB5/DB7GT), Henry/Peggy Matson (V8 Vantage), Tom Lacy (DB7), John Koziol (DB7), Jim/Jim Causey (DB4), Rich/Betty Dagiel (DB6), and Eddie Manelis (1976 V8). On an interesting note, there were several judges who were terribly disturbed by the way we lined up our Astons. “TOO CLOSE!” was the referee call. “Cars have to be one car width apart from each other! If you do not move, you will not be judged!” This was a large problem since we were boxed in by other vintage cars and could not spread out. Luckily Tom Gould, our silver tongued statesman, tactfully negotiated with the judges and a satisfactory resolu-tion was reached.

With the problem resolved, we retired to the exquisite Reception already in prog-ress. The lavish spread of wine and hors d’oeuvres were sponsored once again by Rick Mancuso and Lake Forest Sportscars. Many thanks, Rick!

To my delight, I ran into Dr. Surgit Hermon (DB7 Vantage Volante Neiman Marcus) during the heat of the concours. Surgit was there with his race team and was participating in the weekend racing in his Westlake (replica of 1957 Lotus 11).

The ROAD & TRACK concours results included our own Rich Dagiel picking up top honors in class in his silver DB6, a most deserved honor.

wiSCoNSiN

AMOC AT ROAD AMERICA (KOHlER INTERNATIONAl CHAllENGE)

By Jim Causey

My DB4 was too old and too uncool for their

consideration. No respect!

31

With youat every turn

Aston Martin Marin 195 Casa Buena DriveCorte Madera California USA 94925

415 496 2101www.astonmartinmarin.com

A Price Family Dealership

The 2009 Vantage Coupes and Roadsters have arrived! Choose a classic New or Pre-Owned Aston Martin for you

or someone Special today. Ask about our extended test drives of up to 48 hours for qualified buyers. Financing up to

144 months, and affordable lease packages for all models. Consider purchasing an Aston Martin demonstrator Vantage V8 or DB9. Choose from a variety of color and option combinations—Each Aston Martin is unique as its owner! Feel free to contact

an Aston Martin sales consultant for more information about the benefits of purchasing your new car at Aston Martin Marin.

Torrential rains failed to dampen the enthusiasm of 21 Aston Martin owners at the inaugural safety seminar held at Gingerman Raceway on Saturday September 13, 2008. Over nine inches of rain fell during the day long event sponsored by Aston Martin of Troy. The track saw watery conditions better suited to the talents of invited guest and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. Mr. Phelps was unable to attend, however, having been asked to host Saturday Night Live that evening.

An iridescent red (prototype not yet named) DBS graced the lawn of the Seawolf Restaurant Friday night as Aston Martin of Troy hosted a 6pm cocktail and dinner party for the Aston owners and guests. After the gourmet meal, Beth Paretta of Aston Martin North America talked about upcoming Aston products and com-pany goals.

Chief driving Instructor Norb Kaminski discussed track pro-tocol, safety regulations and weather conditions. A question and

answer period followed focusing on vehicle preparation and the driving dynamics of the DB9 and Vantage.

Donating his time, pro driver Shields Bergstrom came in from Milwaukee and entertained the group with his experiences driving the DBR9 and N24 Vantage. Norb has had Shields ride shotgun with him on several tracks and encouraged everyone to seek Shields expertise the following day. “No matter how fast or good you are you can always benefit with in-car coaching from someone of Shields caliber,” said Norb. “He focuses on smooth-ness, balance, and keeping the car happy. A happy car is a fast car.” The event concluded around 10:30 pm as everyone would meet at the track at 7 am the following morning. The only downside was Beth’s insistence the DBS remain a static display. Both Shields and Norb offered drifting lessons with the DBS but for some reason, Beth graciously declined their offer.

Everyone arrived on Saturday morning at a track soaked by a

miChigAN

MICHIGAN TRACK EVENT A HUGE SUCCESS DESPITE MONSOON

By Norb Kaminski

With wipers working furiously and headlights blazing, the drivers learned the rain line and capabilities of their

Astons with their instructors guidance.

32

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steady rain. A hot breakfast was followed with a classroom session and track protocol review by Randy Everson. Norb introduced instructors to students and reviewed the day’s schedule. The track went hot and wet at 9am with students riding in their instructors’ cars to learn the track. Astons took to the track for alternating half-hour sessions throughout the incessant downpour. With wip-ers working furiously and headlights blazing, the drivers learned the rain line and capabilities of their Astons with their instructors guidance. With traction control both on and off, they rotated, hydroplaned and slid the Astons along the two mile road course. Even with three and half hours of track time, many were still on track until lightning forced an early closure at 4:30 pm.

Aston Martin of North America provided a DB9 and V8 Vantage while Aston Martin of Troy supplied two Vantage road-sters. Shields put the DB9 through its paces giving rides to over a dozen students. Norb and several other instructors gave other stu-dents and guest’s rides in the three Vantages. One agricultural inci-dent occurred when instructor Eric Jablonski buried a roadster in eight inches of mud as he went off straight and did not attempt to correct. The only damage done was to his pride. All of the Astons were Gaydon products except Dave Pasant’s beautiful DB7 GT.

Bruce Mather, inventor of the C-G Loc, presented the lunch time safety seminar and generously donated over $2000 of his safety products to the Aston owners and guests.

Aston owners enjoyed the school and getting to know their Astons better: Vantage V8 owner Pat Pengelly finally exceeded 4500 rpm; it was also the first occasion that his car felt rain drops. [Astons are all-weather fighters, e.g. Le Mans this year!—Ed.] Other Aston owners included Mike Bilyk, Heinz Haller, Mike Guthrie, Diane Van Maele. Leon Lome, Charles Kaminski, Tony Dong, Doug and Jeff Miro, Rick Linder, Dennis Layne, Nancy Kaminski and Ron Lipson. Also attending were Paul Zigler, George Gorno, Jim Seavitt, Scott Jacobson, Harold Freid and August Hoffmeier.

Special thanks to Tony Elder, owner of Aston Martin of Troy, for sponsoring and subsidizing the event. In addition to the Friday night dinner and Saturday’s program, he also provided Aston Martin polo shirts, hats, and commemorative track T-shirts for each driver and guest. Also, thanks to Mary Padovini, general manager of Aston Martin of Troy, and the three B’s—Brian Cupler, Brian Frania, and Brian Bucholtz. (The good, the bad, and the ugly!) Thanks to Beth Paretta and Aston Martin North America for pro-viding a DBS, DB9, and V8 Vantage; Nick Candee and AMOC for a lovely DBR1 print, and several T-shirts; thanks to Kingsley Ryding-Felce of Works Service for the Newport Pagnell books, and Ron Pruette of uBS for the embroidered duffel bags. The 30 instructors who volunteered their time and cars in dismal condi-tions have all previously instructed with Norb Kaminski for the following clubs: Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, and Porsche. Thanks to the Chief Instructor for arranging the speakers and organizing the track events.

Finally thanks to all of the Aston owners and drivers who braved the worst thunderstorm of the year to attend this event. Everyone raved about having an outstanding time despite the weather [or because of it!—Ed.] and can’t wait for next year’s event.

Instructor Eric Jablonski buried a roadster in eight

inches of mud as he went off straight and did not attempt to correct. The only damage

done was to his pride.

CAliforNiA

VISAlIA NORTH/SOUTH MEET 2008

Photo Essay by Robert Dennis

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CANAdA

fAll TOUR AND lUNCH MUSKOKA 2008

By John Sale

The day was upon us—Sept 27th for Fall Tour and Lunch aboard the Steamship Wenonah 11 in Gravenhurst, Ontario

At 7 am I was standing in front of my DB4 contemplating the weather forecast, which looked gloomy with cloud cover and 70% chance of rain. Just as I was convincing myself that the weatherman is usually wrong, the sky opened up raining the usual small animals and acid rain. Well that did it, and off we went in Karen’s BMW trusting that the wipers would last longer than my 12volt positive ground wiper motor.

We all meet at 8:15 am at our favou-rite Petro-Can station on the 400 Hwy, which was by default as the City had closed the previous rendezvous, due to the fact that they had too many chocolate bits on their donuts.

With clearing skies the small group of enthusiastic members braced themselves with hot drinks and off we set on a 100km tour to the Lakes of Muskoka, where the good ship Wenonah 11 was waiting, stok-ing up her boilers. It was great to look in the rear view mirror and see all the new Astons in tow. Paul DelGrande and Kim Stokes V-8 Volante, Derryk & Vilma Barrow of Grand Touring Fame in a V8 Vantage Coupe, Stephen and Wendy Rhodes DB9, Gary and Josie Smith also in a DB9 and of course our fearless leader Scott Fairley in his DB7 GT.

The side roads took us through the hills of Moonstone, Dalton, Horseshoe Valley, the Hall of Jarret, Warminster, Foxmead, with the occasional detour to avoid gravel roads—although I was outwitted by the Township who had decided to repave a short section of road without asking me. Then over a one-way iron bridge to Sparrow Lake, along the river drive (a relief to the concession roads, as they had been divided up by the early pio-neers, like a square cake with the occa-sional twisty bits to keep the ploughman awake). The leaves were just turning, with bright reds and oranges becoming

With clearing skies the small group of enthusiastic members braced them selves

with hot drinks and off we set on a 100km tour to the Lakes of Muskoka, where the good ship Wenonah 11 was

waiting, stoking up her boilers.

39

more evident the further we ventured North to our destination.

We arrived at the Wharf in Gravenhurst at 10:30 am and met up with Sandy Chapman, Barry was not able to attend and we passed on our best wishes. This left us with plenty of time to socialize and we finally boarded the Wenonah 11. The Ship was built in 2002 a newer, larger ves-sel, with all the modern engineering tech-nology, while retaining the appearance to match the design and elegance of the original, 1887 Royal Mail ship the R.M.S Segwun. We steamed on Lake Muskoka, taking in the views of cottage country and landscapes that artists like the Group of Seven would have seen many years ago.

At about 12:45 pm I was surrounded and about to break out the emergency rations when the dinner gong sounded and we all invaded the dining room for a Turkey Lunch, complete with suitable beverages. The friendly and attentive Ms. Christie who was also our booking agent of the line served our tables. Time passed

quickly and a couple of hours later we were back on the dock in Muskoka.

The drive back was interesting with fast twisting roads on Hwy 169 into the Town of Bala and then onto Hwy 38, though friendly Mohawk Territory and then to the 400 Hwy where we had 1.5 hours drive back to Toronto. It was at this point that both DB9s and the Feisty V-8 Coupe took off like rockets leaving the Bimmer in their dust. It was then that I wished I had brought the DB4 and given them a run for their money, for a while anyway.

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CANAdA

BRITISH CAR DAy, TORONTO—A DOzEN ASTONS SHINE IN THE SUN!

By Scott Fairley

British Car Day took place on Sunday, 21 September, under ambiguous but ultimately hospitable and sunny skies. And thanks to the efforts of George Ormsby on behalf of the Club, Aston Martins shone as well. By the count of AMOC Webmaster Emeritus Martin Hidinger, 12 Astons were in attendance.

For the Club: Dennis Sheehan, Paul Del Grande, Bruce Rudolph, Glen Beatty, and Arno Schmidt, along with yours truly (apolo-gies in advance if I have missed anyone), and the balance from outside the Club, but hopefully not for long. Thank you, George, for another well organized appearance for England’s “coolest” marque. George had a nice little tent, which Arno’s DB6 occupied with some aplomb, and considerable appreciation circulated around our little group of vehicles for the whole time I was there. I say this because the competition was stiff, as we were parked down from a similarly sized group of authentic AC Cobras, next to Lotus and across the way from Bentley, Rolls Royce, not to mention more idiosyncratic offerings such as Allard. There must have been upwards of 1,000 British cars of one kind or another in attendance, one of, if not the, largest events of its kind in the world. [Quite likely the largest, as your editor founded British Car Day of Cleveland in 1987, which has grown to 1/3 that number —Ed.].

Thank you again, George Ormsby for organizing the Aston enclave!

White V8 is a true “Vantage”, 1978, sold new in Saudi

Arabia, now belongs to Gleyn Beatty, a Club member;

In the same picture is Dennis Sheehan’s Virage, obtained

from “Lord Rumbold”, and my DB7 GT, “Marilyn”

with her bonnet popped; A Series V DB4, which belongs

to one of our members, Bruce Rudolph; The DB9 with

the “bling” wheels is outside the Club, he purchased

it in the United States (we don’t do so much “bling”

in Canada as you do there…No offence meant); The

Lagonda is also outside the AMOC

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1989 and 2007 were vintage years for the Aston marque on the beautiful Monterey peninsula in northern California, with Aston Martin featured at Pebble Beach both years, and in 1989 also on track at Laguna Seca raceway. But any August is great for the Aston owner because of the AMOC hospitality and the magic of this setting.

2007 was so special for Astons at Pebble that the factory produced a gorgeous hard-back book to commemorate the world launch of the new DBS model, as well as scores of great Astons in the con-cours from around the world: uS, uK, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia, Switzerland, etc. From the earliest four-cylinder Astons of the 1920s, through famous racing Astons of the 1950s, to gor-geous GTs of the 1960s, fabulous Astons

graced the lush green fairways of the legendary golf course [Book available from Aston dealers world wide; ask for Part # 703658].

Even in an off year like 2008 with no Astons on the lawn at Pebble, and few Astons racing at Laguna, Aston dealers and club members from around the world convened to enjoy the great terrain, sports, auctions, fine dining, and cameraderie.

Any year “Monterey” offers a multi-ring circus: • Historic Races at Laguna Seca, with 400

or so special cars (Road America in July has more cars, 480 or so) but the net worth of the grids at the Historics trumps all other events on the continent. In 2008 only Greg Whitten was racing an Aston with his DBR2 as Len Auerbach and Tom Price of California were not run-

CAliforNiA

MONTEREy MAGIC: MAGNET fOR ASTON MARTIN OWNERS WORlDWIDE

By Nick Candee

Above, left to right, clockwise: Patricia Serenbetz, LA/

V8 Volante; Susan Simpson, Bay Area, DB5; Mark

Ransome, LA/DB2/4; Guy Simpson (belongs to Susan);

Jane Ransome (Mark belongs to her); Nick Candee

Opposite: Greg Whitten’s DBR2 with its DB4GT type

motor was the lone Aston racing at Laguna Seca!

45

ning. Admission: $85/day. www.laguna-seca.com

• Pebble Beach Concours was utterly Aston-free this year, but AM North America offered a hospitality package through dealers with lodging at Spanish Bay, and Aston owners were there with other cars or serving as judges. Admission

$150 www.pebblebeachconcours.com • Pebble cars tour 17 Mile Drive with a

display in the streets of Carmel; many observers find greater joy seeing these cars in motion than in a static display.

• Pebble had its own special sub-orbits of events, including the Automobilia display, various manufacturer displays, and cor-porate hospitality chalets from Bmbardier Flexjets to Range Rover.

• The Quail had its special weekday event as did Concorso Italiano.

• Major auction houses had world famous consignments: Bonham & Brooks offered “the world’s most famous Lagonda” which went for $1.4 Million to AMOC Member Dan Ghose of CT. RM Auctions had a few DB Astons presented by staff

including former AMOC-East chair Jack Boxstrom and Vice-Chair Don Rose. Gooding & Company offered the great Bugattis of the late Dr. Peter Williamson of NH, well known to participants in the New England Tour 1000.

• AMOC WEST hosted several events for its faithful pilgrims:

8 champagne reception Thursday eve at Casa Munras, HQ hotel for 38 years

8 dinner Friday at Fandango in Pacific Heights

8 lunch trackside Saturday with 80+Astons in a special paddock.

8 dinner Saturday at George and Barbara Von Gehr’s lovely home in Pebble

Contact AMOC WEST officers at www.amoc.org for bookings.

While 2008 “Monterey” lacked all the star Astons at Pebble 2007, the Aston fam-ily attending from England, Australia, the uS, etc. made once again for a fabulous weekend.

Note: Editor of The Vantage Point, Magazine of AMOC North America, Candee has been vintage racing Astons since 1982, and is with Aston Martin of New England in the Boston, MA area.

Any year “Monterey” offers

a multi-ring circus.

Our readers are at the very top of the business and professional

world; there’s no waste circulation. If your target is the top 1% of

decision-makers by income or net worth, our fellow members could

be prospective customers for your products or services.

TVP is cost efficient; just $450 a page for high quality, four color, ads

next to world class editorial content four times a year.

Plus, 100% of what you spend with The Vantage Point goes to

AMOC North America. Your support of TVP helps us cover increased

production and postage costs, leaving more funds for club events

and promotion.

Of course, our Aston owners love their cars—and to spend for new

Astons and other collectible cars, as well as accessories and services

as diverse as car transport, restoration, and leasing. The Vantage Point

readers include buyers of the latest Astons as well as owners of classic

Astons which may be in the value range of six to seven figures.

While the magazine’s art director is a retained professional, our edito-

rial team is a set of club volunteers—which does not preclude profes-

sional handling of your advertising! Several members of our team have

career publishing and editorial experience—and we’ve worked hard

to produce a car club quarterly that is as “uncommon” as the Aston

Martin brand itself and a great showcase for your company’s ad.

START AT THE TOPwith an ad in The VanTage PoinT

Please contact our Ad Director, John David—an AMOC member and DB9 owner.

Tel: (314) 361-9372, Email: John.David@sbcglobal.net

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Charles w. Bailis Omaha, NE 2008 V8 Vantage

geoff Barrall San Jose, CA 2008 V8 Vantage Roadster

raymond S. Bregante San Rafael, CA 2005 DB7 Vantage Volante

A. m. Clise Seattle, WA 2006 Vanquish

Simon de guili Botta Berkeley, CA 1964 DB5

Joe diNucci Saratoga, CA 2007 V8 Vantage Volante

Charles w. elliott Golden, CO 1991 Virage

dr. ivor r. ellul Houston, TX 2008 DB9 Coupe

marco ferreira West Los Angeles, CA 2007 V8 Vantage

John fliessbach Mendocino, CA 2007 V8 Vantage

Jasbir S. gill Mississauga, Ontario 2009 DBS

russell glace West Palm Beach, FL 1954 DB2/4 Mk1

Jonathan goss El Segundo, CA 2008 V8 Vantage

rick hartbrodt Monterey, CA 2007 V8 Vantage

Jeremy hinchcliffe Oakville, Ontario

daniel r. householder Seabrook, TX

Chirag Khopkar Seattle, WA 2008 V8 Vantage Volante

Blade Kotelly Boston, MA V8 Vantage Coupe

Ken Kroner San Rafael, CA 2008 V8 Vantage Volante

thomas & elece leverone Manhattan Beach, CA

h. hunter lott, iii Wilmington, DE 1966 DB6

Saira malik San Francisco, CA 2007 Vantage

mike manion Portland, OR 1962 DB4

richard S. manley Jr. Longview, TX

Sandra & Bruce massman Beverly Hills, CA 1966 DB6

Colleen & ron militello Rohnert Park, CA 2007 V8 Vantage

don miller Portland, OR 1998 DB7 I6 Volante

william A. morgan Bethesda, MD 2007 DB9

James r. Peacock Santa Ana, CA

malik Pirani Lake Oswego, OR 2007 V8 Vantage

donald r. Proctor Walnut Creek, CA 2009 V8 Vantage Volante

Joe Pruskowski Woodinville, WA 2008 DB9 Coupe

Patrick rabbitt Austin, TX 2006 DB9 Volante

Stephen rhodes Oakville, Ontario 2005 DB9

tara Curtis & david richards Danville, CA 2008 V8 Vantage

will roberts Tiburon, CA 2005 DB9 Coupe

Joseph Scherman Alamo, CA 2008 DB9 Coupe

david J. Scholes Dallas, TX

Stewart Schuster Walnut Creek, CA 2007 DB9 Coupe

randy Simon Plantation, FL 2005 DB9

Kenneth C. Smith La Jolla, CA 2003 DB AR1

mark e. Smith Flower Mound, TX 2007 V8 Vantage Volante

michael Sotirhos New Canaan, CT 1985 V8 Volante

dr. david r. Springett Sacramento, CA 1960 DB4

Sandra Stohler Zurich, Switzerland

Paul g. Strong Hidden Hills, CA 2007 DB9 Coupe

dr. t.A. (terry) & dave t. Summers Calgary, Alberta 2008 V8 Vantage Roadster

Scott warrender Houston, TX 1998 DB7 I6 Volante

WElCOME NEW MEMBERS

48

It was a typical English rainy day, and the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were standing in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle. An impeccable 1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III drove by and Ian MacGregor leaned over to the queen and said, “And this one came all the way from America.”

MacGregor was one of the organizers of the event taking place before the Queen and Duke that day, the Royal Windsor St. George’s Day Festival of Aston Martin. More than 10,000 people had gathered for a parade of cars from the Aston Martin Owners’ Club (AMOC), which had gath-ered in England for its 70th anniversary on April 23, 2005.

The DB Mark III saloon that caught the attention of Queen Elizabeth was driven by its owner, Peter Heydon of Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was the only car from America at the AMOC event. Other Aston Martins on hand included DB2s, 5s and 6s, a 1935 Lagonda, some DB7s, GTs and Zagatos. A highlight came when Aston Martin CEO ulrich Bez drove by in one of the first V8 Vantage production models. It took an hour for roughly 300 Aston Martins to drive past Her Majesty with rain drizzling down the entire time.

Ask him about his car and Heydon is quick to point out that the DB Mark III

is in fact the car James Bond drove in Ian Flemming’s 1959 novel Goldfinger. The DB5 only gained infamy after the 1964 movie version of Goldfinger. When the book was written, the DB Mark III was the Aston Martin du jour; the DB5 was the available model when the movie was produced a few years later.

From the book, Goldfinger: “The car was from the pool. Bond had been offered the Aston Martin or a Jaguar 3.4 He had taken the DB III. Either of the cars would have suited his cover—a well-to-do, rather adventurous young man with a taste for the good, fast things of life. But the DB III had the advantage of an up-to-date tripty-que, an inconspicuous color—Battleship Grey—and certain ‘extras’ which might or might not come in handy.”

The Aston Martin DB Mark III was built from March 1957 until July 1959. The “Mark” designation was used to differenti-ate the car from the DB3, which was solely a race car. The Mark III was one of the first production cars with front disc brakes, and it had significant engine improvements over previous Astons. A total of 550 were built, all with a 3-liter/162hp dohc in-line six-cylinder engine and a four-speed manual gearbox. Some were equipped with an electric overdrive unit. When the

DB Mark III arrived in 1957, it was avail-able in several different specifications, but the higher-spec engines (with up to 214hp) were known as “Special Series” engines rather than “Vantages.” When new, the Aston Martin DB Mark III cost $6,995.

While the relationship with his Aston Martin isn’t nearly as famous as Bond’s, Heydon’s experience with his Mark III runs deep. About 10 years ago, Heydon, a retired English professor from the university of Michigan who is now a pri-vate investor and philanthropist, decided he wanted a DB Mark III. To get leads on a good one, he joined the AMOC.

To find a suitable model, Heydon turned to his friend, Walter Hayes, the

1958 ASTON MARTIN DB MARK III

By Brad Nevin, Ford Communications/Peter Heydon, owner. Photos by West Peterson

previous chairman of Aston Martin, Henry Ford II’s biographer, and Ford’s execu-tive assistant. Hayes also advised Ford to purchase Aston Martin in 1987 to take advantage of the esteemed brand’s styling and engineering expertise.

After looking at a half-dozen models, Heydon found a car he liked in Exmouth, Devon. The car needed work, so he brought it to Aston Martin’s Tickford Street Works in Newport-Pagnell for a complete restoration. The Mark III arrived “in the back of a truck with many of the parts in carrier bags, wicker baskets, cardboard boxes and plastic bin-liners,” according to a post-work summary from the shop. Heydon estimates that he had about 95 percent of the original parts.

“Restorations of this magnitude take time, but even this car represented the lon-

gest and most challenging resurrection in Aston Martin history,” wrote Tony Swan in a story about Heydon and his car in the Chicago Tribune.

It took 2½ years and 4,000 hours to finish the work.

“The car is as perfect now as it was when originally manufactured,” said Heydon. “What we did when we restored it was bring the car right back to the original condition it was in when new. It has all the pleasures of a 1958 sports car. It has a won-derful, delicious sound and fabulous ability to corner and go fast. I just love it.”

Experts have taken notice of the car, too. “Peter’s Aston Martin is probably the best in the world,” said Larry Crane, editor of Automobile Aficionado.

An unexpected twist in the restoration came after most of the work was complete

when Heydon and his wife, Rita, realized their car didn’t have safety belts. They wanted their car to be safe, so they took the car back to the Aston Martin shop and had them installed.

“In order to attach a shoulder harness to the frame, they had to tear up the brand new upholstery to weld the seatbelt bolts to the frame of the car,” said Heydon. “They’re modern, new seatbelts that work great and are comfortable, but we had to tear up the restored interior to get them.”

Heydon said the headlights are typical of a 1950s car, too—which is to say, dim.

“We put a spotlight on it that casts a light way down the road. We found the light in a Bentley dealership in England. It’s an entirely appropriate accessory to fit. Getting it restored this way is part of the fun. The same people who worked on my

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SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

ROM

51

car have just completed Paul McCartney’s car, which is on view at the new Aston Martin factory in Gaydon.”

After the car’s restoration, Heydon and Rita drove the Mark III through France and Britain in 1999 and again in 2000. The car was invited to the Pebble Beach Concours in 2003, but Heydon couldn’t make it due to business commitments. It won first place at the “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” annual meeting (a group of English car enthusiasts in Michigan) two years running.

Today, Heydon drives his DB Mark III at least once a month.“It’s refreshing that the affable Heydon, unlike many denizens

of the concours car circuit, doesn’t treat his cars like hothouse plants,” said Swan.

“When I drive this car down Main Street in Ann Arbor, one out of 10 people will give a thumbs up,” said Heydon. “That’s almost as good as having the queen herself admire it.”

Photo by Robert Dennis

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Here is a checklist to improve the effectiveness of your Aston Martin event.

• Choose venue, and make reservations if necessary• Obtain address labels for mailing announcements

from your Section Registrar: West: Chet Floyd,

(310) 545-0405 cfloyd24@juno.com East: Ellen Greendale,

(413) 298-5122 egdale@aol.com • Determine event price. Include admission fees, meals

with tax and tip, stationery, copies, and postage. Round prices up to the next dollar as a contingency; there are always additional costs. “Every tub on its own bottom” as each event should be self-support-ing; plan your budget accordingly.

• Prepare an announcement or invitation of your choice. Mail 4 to 6 weeks before the event, using both email and address labels from your

Registrar. For areas with smaller Membership, the Area Representative may have a mailing list for your use. On your invitation/announcement/brochure/flyer, include the following:

1. Type of event 2. When, where, what, who hosts (date, time,

location) 3. Organizer name, address, phone, email 4. Payment method for cost of event, and dead-

line for registration. Checks should be payable to AMOC Section West, [or East]; sent to the Treasurer who will reimburse the organizer on presentation of receipts and invoices.

5. Disclose costs that may not be in the event fee, e.g. meal, or entry fees.

6. Suggest attire, e.g. casual, elegant casual, coat & tie, warm clothing, etc.

• Provide materials or equipment for event: AV, pylons, awards, dash plaques.

• Notify your Area Rep and AMOC editor(s) of the event. The Area Rep will then notify your Section VP to address any insurance matters:

West: Larry Fromm l.fromm@att.net East: Scott Fairley sfairley@theallgroup.com

AMOC’s general liability insurance carrier requires advance notice of any planned event, especially if it involves driving (e.g. caravan, rally, time trial, group trip).

• If you plan a weekend trip, we think it is wise to visit the area to check out facilities and environs, includ-ing secure parking for the cars. While a nice excuse for a weekend away for the organizer, it is not to be included in the event cost!.

• Any driving tour that you have mapped out should be driven “recce’d” a few days before the event to check for hazards, road closures, etc.

• The organizer is responsible for paying the restaurant and other items for which money has been collected. On submission of receipts to the Section Treasurer, he or she will be re-imbursed. Ensure that the meal server is aware of any deals with management, e.g how much wine, if any is included in the meal price (e.g. one bottle of red and white each, after which people pay for themselves). Make clear with attendees as well that they pay for any extra wine they order.

• When booking a block of rooms, discuss with the lodging provider policy on cancellations, and include that information in the event flyer.

Confirm reservations a few days before the event, then go, enjoy—and report it in TVP!

THANKS FOR PLANNING A GREAT AMOC EVENT!

Confirm reservations a few days before the event, then go, enjoy—and report it in TVP!

how to guide

AMOC EVENT PlANNER GUIDElINES

By Jane Ransome, Secretary, AMOC North America—Section West

PUTNAM LEASINgNEw Ad IN PLACE

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

ROM

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A race-car driver killed in a crash at Road America in September has been identified as Surjit Hermon MD, a 61-year-old radi-ologist from Sterling, Illinois.

Surjit crashed shortly after 2 p.m. during a practice session on Friday for the annual Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival Races, said Road America spokeswoman Julie Sebranek. His 1957 Eastlake 11 was pulling out of turn 13 when he lost control and struck a disabled Mini that had pulled off the track. Dr. Hermon was taken by ambulance to St. Nicholas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the neck and chest.

Dr. Hermon was a member of the Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association and participated in the group’s races through-out the Midwest, Sebranek said. He was also a member of the AMOC with his DB7 Vantage Volante.

Surjit was born May 17, 1947, in Calicut, Kerala, India, the son of Roland and Emilda (John) Hermon. He graduated from Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, in 1972. He joined CGH Medical Center in 1982, as a radiologist, and was a partner in Sauk Valley Radiology. Surjit was integral in bringing the latest advances in radiological technology to the Sauk Valley area. He served as chief of the medical staff at Community General Hospital and chairman of the radiology department.

Surviving are his wife, Dr. Manorama Hermon of Sterling; his sons, Anish (Patricia) Hermon of Bloomington and Kabir Hermon of Brooklyn, N.y.; his daughter, Renuka Hermon of Ann Arbor, Mich.; and his brother, Ashok (Sunita) Hermon of Waukesha, Wis.

In their tribute in the VSCDA month-ly, his team mates observed that “Surjit was a Christian man and spoke openly of his faith…We can only hope that Surjit is at home in the British section of God’s garage.”

Our deepest sympathy for his family.

—Jim Causey

iN memoriAm

DR. SURJIT HERMON

1947-2008AmoC member &

dB7 vantage volante owner

reStorAtioN

DB2 lMl-50/13 THE lAST EPISODE

By Robert Burt

We did not make Le Mans for 2008 and so that part of the project failed us. As much as this was a pretty bitter pill to swallow, it was a simple matter of time. In the end it made no sense to compromise the quality of the car to make an event that is pretty tough on equip-ment anyway. I have done two Le Mans classics in four cars and have finished them all. There is a special feeling about that accomplishment and having to withdraw a car after a few hours is pretty gutting. I have a dear friend who has had that experience three times and Le Mans can become nearly boring with a broken car.

Lance managed to break the news to me without me having a meltdown and we then thought about when we would be ready. The

2008 Rolex Lime Rock Festival became the deadline and it was a realistic one at that. There was still a great deal to be done, much of it really time consuming stuff. Final fitting of the chrome, mak-ing new windows, restoring the original back window, making a wiring loom, fitting up the dash, removable roll bar installation, full

trimming of the interior, and so on. The list would be punctuated by sudden discoveries of missing pieces and changes of direction on previously concluded ideas. One example was the front wind-down windows. We ultimately restored all the original mechanisms because we did have all the necessary components. We were able

to install the proper umbrella style hand-brake handle and cables. The defroster ducting was a mat-ter of some debate. Lance wanted to replace these rather lovely aluminium ducts with some-thing more efficient. I argued that as the windshield is flat and one foot from your face, hand defrosting would be the order of the day and origi-

nal ducting would suffice. Some of these parts looked very home made and wonderfully Heath Robinson/AKA Rube Goldberg.

While these trifles were under way Jon Clerk was hard at it in the engine room and on the dyno. I had requested that a tractable power plant was more important that outright power. I stressed

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“We then thought about when we would be ready. The 2008 Rolex Lime Rock Festival became the

deadline and it was a realistic one at that.”

Photo by Chet Floyd

59

that the car was unlikely to be an outright winner in any class but that it should be fun to drive. Add to that the fact that the Willie Watson [W.O. Bentley] Lagonda sixes were not quite as strong as a Tadek Marek six and conservatism makes more sense. Jon did a wonderful job of build-ing and tuning the engine to perfection. Curiously the dyno failed during the final power runs and so we don’t know the exact power it makes. In classic Aston ver-nacular I have been told it is adequate!

I returned from a fairly wet sailing expedition to Maine and back in late August to learn that the car was ready. It was to come up to Hopewell NJ for final race prep two days in advance of shipping to Lime Rock. When the car arrived I was quite anxious to see the finished product and as it emerged from the trailer I was enormously pleased. The car looked absolutely marvelous. We then set up the alignment and completed a full bolt check and I then realized that I would first drive the car at Lime Rock with no road trials to bed it in or sort out any post resto-ration concerns.

Friday practice at Lime Rock with Lance’s admon-ishment, “don’t forget the car hasn’t been driven for 48 years and has no test miles.” echoing in my ears, I drove this lovely old car around the track. After the Friday sessions revealed nothing, and the car was thoroughly inspected for any concerns, it was time to push a little and see how we could qual-ify. The car went extremely well, and, as we subsequently discovered, as we only used about 5000 RPM we know there is much more to come. Being back on drum brakes is an education in restraint! I had one fairly

breathtaking moment finding no brakes entering Big Bend. The drums had simply overheated and went away. Member Stu Forer had a similar incident in his 120 rounding big bend in a spectacu-lar fashion in the dirt and raising the 2008 dust bowl. Avoiding

the ever-spinning Dan Ghose in his Ferrari was another moment making one ponder the merits of racing a freshly restored car!

The weekend ended with a tremendous sense of accomplish-ment and a feeling of having bonded with the car. It is a joy to drive…now Lance…about those brakes…if we were to…

In 1985 I did the AMOC Golden Jubilee Tour and LML 50/50 and 50/51 were on that tour. Many thanks to Alan Wheatley and the late Paul Hodgson who drove those cars to my utter delight. It was that Tour experience that made me determined to see this project through. Also a special thanks to Lance and Jon who were noth-ing short of amazing during the entire process. Certainly a long and arduous process on which they never flagged. The result is one of the earliest DB2s which is at once delightful to look at and a joy to drive.

Post script. As the Lime Rock race weekend began I ran into my old friends Joel and Ann Finn. They were unpacking some volumes of Joel’s new book “Road Racing in America 1948 to 1950” I asked Joel if I could reserve a copy and he told me I would like the book as it had some significant information on the three DB-2 s that ran at Sebring in 1950. I told Joel I had just fin-ished restoring one of those cars and sure enough LML 50/13 is featured in several photographs I had not seen before! Incidentally a wonderful book with typical Finn detail.

Post post script. One of the high points of the weekend was chatting with a very charming lady and her daughter. It seems that the DB2 was her favorite car and after every outing she visited to be sure it returned unscathed.

The green DB4GT of Jim Freeman, the red DB4 of Rob Burt (ex Littlechild), and the

silver DB4GT of Jack Boxstrom at speed at Rolex Fall Festival. Murray Smith will be

running the event in 2009 with Skip Barber.

60

NuTS & BOLTS

CONNECTING WITH THE AREASFall is now upon us, and Astons in northern climes—at least the ones sensitive to changes of season—are headed for hibernation, if not already slumbering. This issue’s column is very brief, as all I need say is to read the no less than six articles and reports from Area Reps appearing elsewhere in these pages, which attest to the increasingly vigourous health of our Club at the local level, either in events of their own making or through participation in others. The latter appears to be a growing phenomenon, particu-larly in the capable hands of Jim Causey in the Mid-West, and Messrs. Stinsmen and Levin in Pennsylvania, one of those “piv-otal” states one reads about for other purposes. And, of course, the Great White North continues to remain active as attested by the contributions of John Sale to this issue and Paul Del Grande to Summer, 2008.

More opportunities abound as Aston Martin’s dealer-ship network continues to expand. Canada now has four Aston stores, with a new venue in Calgary having opened this summer. Florida has no less than five; however, I regret to report that the Area Reps position(s) is (are) cur-rently OPEN in Florida. Notwithstanding the presence of an increasing number of sun-worshiping Aston own-ers and significant Club membership, our best executive

efforts need to secure a successor to build on the enviable legacy of Bob Stockman. So…any Floridians tempted to grab the brass ring of greatness, please call me, or our fearless leader, Jim Hazen, to discuss the opportunity that awaits.

Cheers, everyone. Scott Fairley—Area Rep. Coordinator

61

TECH TALK

CAriNg for the APPeArANCe of your AStoN mArtiN

Detailing and polishing

A lot of people like to clean and polish their own cars. I am one who considers it a form of “therapy” to clean my own cars. By using high quality products, it can be very beneficial to not only the look of the car, but also the lifespan of the finish. Most owners I have spoken to are not DIy guys. It’s not that they don’t want to clean and polish their own vehicle; they just don’t have the time. Employing an on-site detail company is a quick and cost effective means of ensuring good care to your Aston Martin’s finish. There is nothing wrong with having your car detailed by professionals. If you decide to allow someone else to care for your vehicle’s appearance, it’s always a good idea to get a copy of their insurance policy. Check carefully to see what kind of liability coverage they have before allowing them to work on any vehicle. It only takes a second with a buf-fer to burn through paint, which can be very costly to fix. your local Aston Martin dealer employs a staff of professionals who can perform high quality detailing, and in some cases finish restoration as a result of improper polishing or buffing.

How to handle scratches and scrapes on the finish.

The great thing about the finish on an Aston Martin is that it is hand applied. Hand applied finishes are thicker than machine fin-ishes. Depending on the depth and severity of the scratch, most of them can be wet sanded out or polished out. Again this should only be done by a qualified Aston Martin repair facility or some-one who is skilled in color or wet sanding. Because the finish is thicker, you can usually color sand or wet sand the finish twice before having to consider repainting an area. Again that depends on the depth of the damage.

How to take care of curb damage to your wheels

Wheel scrapes as a result of curb damage don’t necessarily mean the wheel needs to be replaced. Depending on the severity of the damage, most wheel damages can be taken care of by removing the wheel and having it professionally repaired and refinished. Speak to your Aston Martin service advisor who can help evalu-ate the damage and recommend a professional wheel refinishing company in your local area. Some can actually come to your home or business to perform this service.

By utilizing your Aston Martin dealer resources for cosmetic, in addition to service concerns, you can greatly enhance your ownership experience.

gettiNg your AStoN mArtiN reAdy for StorAge

How do you properly store your Aston Martin for short or prolonged periods of time? First thing to remember about modern automobiles is the electrical gremlin known as the parasitic draw. [Aston uses the eloquent phrase ‘quiescent battery drain’—Ed.] The parasitic draw is the amount of current that the electrical system

pulls on the battery while the car is parked or in storage. So when equipped and whenever possible always utilize the Aston Martin battery tender. If the car is going to be sitting for more than 30 days, AML recommends using the battery cut off switch as well as the tender. Note that the ‘tender’ is more than just a battery charger in that it senses when to cease charging, and not over-charge the battery.

If the car is going to be sitting for longer than 60 days it is a good idea to add a quality fuel stabilizer like Sta-bils. This fuel tank additive will prevent the fuel from breaking down and var-nishing up causing the fuel system to become clogged resulting in a no-start condition. This product is readily available at local auto parts outlets.

If your Aston Martin is due for its annual service we always rec-ommend that you service the car prior to storing it for a prolonged period. Oil has several additives; some of these are detergents that break down over time and go acidic causing severe pitting in aluminum casings and castings. It is always best to change oil and differential fluids annually and brake fluid and coolant biannually. Remember, prevention is always cheaper than correction.

If possible, raise the car up on a lift or jack stands while it is in storage. This will allow the suspension to hang free, taking weight off of critical components—greatly reducing the amount of stress on these components. It will also eliminate flat spotting of the tires while the car is being stored. If you can’t raise the car up or place it on jack stands, then have the tires filled with nitrogen. Nitrogen has a larger molecule than air, so a tire is less likely to leak down —which in turn prevents low pressure flat spotting.

I always recommend that a soft car cover be used to pro-tect the finish while the car is being stored. Aston Martin has a great indoor soft cover that is specially fitted to each individual model. And yes, there is an extra inside cover for your Volante or Roadster top. Ask your local Aston Martin dealer’s parts specialist for details regarding these covers.

your Aston Martin storage experience will be greatly enhanced. if you take the time to incorporate these few simple tips.

ASK ERICEric Stephans is the Service Manager of Aston Martin Beverly Hills. Please forward any queries for publication c/o editor@amoc.org

62

TECH TALK

whAt to do if your AStoN mArtiN iS dAmAged

Minor and major collision damage

The first thing to do if your Aston Martin is damaged in a collision is to contact your local Aston Martin service advisor who will be able to determine whether the car should come into service for mechanical assessment or go directly to an Aston Martin certified body and paint repair facility. Obviously, if the car cannot be driven it should be flat-bedded to the Aston Martin certified repair facility right away.

These are hand built cars that require specialty tools and train-ing to repair them correctly. An Aston Martin is put together like no other car. Aston Martin utilizes aerospace technology in the construction of their newer cars. Instead of welding structures together they are actually assembled with hot and cold bonding adhesives and rivets. These 3M adhesives are similar to the ones used in the construction of the space shuttle flown by NASA. There are also a variety of advanced materials used in the construc-tion such as carbon fiber, composites and advanced alloys. These materials pose their own set of challenges during repair and reas-sembly. The result of this harmonious blend of materials is one of the most rigid and safest crash structures in the industry.

Following an accident there are not only structural issues to take into consideration, but also usually mechanical repairs to be performed as well. Again, these should only be performed by an authorized Aston Martin repair facility to ensure the correct parts are installed and repair procedures followed.

Why is it that the repair process necessary to bring an Aston Martin back to original operating standards should only be performed by qualified factory authorized repair facilities? The processes that these facilities undergo to become Aston Martin certified are quite rigorous. After becoming certified these facili-ties are audited and monitored for quality on a regular basis by Aston Martin.

By choosing an Aston Martin repair facility which utilizes genuine factory authorized repair methods and parts, you will get the best possible results. Don’t settle for less.

AStoN mArtiN PerformANCe driviNg CourSe

Q: What is the best way to experience all of the performance of which an Aston Martin is capable? A: Enroll in the Aston Martin Performance Driving Course. This course is held several times a year at the Millbrook proving grounds in Bedford, England. Millbrook is a wonderful track in the rolling hills of England, and is also one of Aston Martin’s test facilities. Millbrook is actually several tracks laced over each other to form a wonderful venue for all types of driving. There is a high-speed bowl, a short circuit track, a hill course in the middle and a long course on the outside. This majestic and historic test circuit features great switchbacks, marvelous chicanes and a wonderful hairpin turn.

This track was featured in the last installment of the James Bond movie series, “Casino Royale.” The scene that features the track is the one where you see the DBS coming over the hill at high speed. Bond sees his love interest lying in the road in front of him. At the last possible second, he swerves to avoid hitting her and subsequently rolls the DBS several times into the grass and down the hillside. Incidentally, that scene made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most induced automo-bile rolls in a movie scene.

All course participants are paired with an Aston Martin per-formance driving instructor as well as a factory provided Aston Martin. The instructors teach you handling techniques as well as a myriad of skill sets that will improve your everyday driving. It is truly a one of a kind experience.

I speak so highly of the Aston Martin Performance Driving Course because I have experienced it firsthand and know the capabilities of the cars. I invite everyone who has purchased or is thinking of purchasing an Aston Martin to go to their local Aston Martin dealer and request information regarding this course. The “PDC Brochure” includes a DVD so you can further visualize the course. your Aston Martin sales associate can give you all of the details.

By participating in this and other performance driving courses you will enhance your Aston Martin ownership experience.

[Eric Stephans is Service Director, Aston Martin & Lamborghini of Beverly Hills, estephans@ogaracoach.com Office (310) 967-7188—Ed.]

“These adhesives are similar to the ones used in the construction of the space shuttle flown by NASA.”

63

uPCOMING EVENTS

2009 AMOC NORTH AMERICA EVENT SCHEDUlEPlease contact your Area Rep for additional details and information.

January

IL 24 The 24th Annual AMOC Midwest Winter Dinner. Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest. Contact: Jim Causey

Can 31 Toronto Winter Dinner. Quince Restaurant. Featured speaker: Nick Candee on 50th Anniversary of the DB4 & DB4GT. Contact: new Area Rep Tom Appleton.

April

PA 18 AMOC Tour & Dinner, Simeone Museum, Philadelphia. Contact: Len Levin or John Stinsman

may

NJ 29 AMOC Track Day, New Jersey Motorsports Park—tentative.

June

CT 24-27 39th Annual AMOC Lime Rock Meeting

July

WI 16-19 Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman. AMOC lineup in R&T Concours on Saturday. Contact: Jim Causey. www.RoadAmerica.com

August

CA 13-15 Monterey weekend. 13th Thursday: AMOC Welcome, poolside at Casa Munras HQ Hotel www.hotelcasamunras.com 14th Friday: AMOC Dinner TBD 14th-16th Laguna Seca www.montereyhistoric.com 15th Saturday: Aston paddock & luncheon trackside. Dinner TBD 16th Sunday: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance www.pebblebeachconcours.net

September

CT 4-7 Vintage Fall Festival www.limerock.com Directed by our Murray L. Smith

december

NyC 4 Annual Luncheon www.leperigord.com

ClASSIfIEDS

for SAle rAhAl lettermAN/SiNderS rACiNg 2006 Am dBrS9

world ChAlleNge gt Heavily revised chassis for 2008 season including 5% weight distribution shift rearward, 1” lower ride height, and revised geometry, 5 races on engine rebuild and 2

races on gearbox rebuild, On POLE for 2008 Road Atlanta SCCA World Challenge GT race, Recorded fastest race lap during 2008 Mid-Ohio race, 2008 SCCA WC GT results: 2nd at Road Atlanta, 4th at Mid-Ohio. Contact Sally McKittrick mbzgirl@hotmail.com

for SAle 1997 AM DB7 Coupe, Automatic, 41,500 miles, VIN 201203. Black, Parchment trim with black piping. Asking $41,000. Boston area. Please contact Norman Sirk nsirk@sackstorage.com

for SAle 1952 Aston Martin DB2 Coupe, RHD, delivered new to San Jose. Project in bare aluminium. Enquire at AM of New England, 781-547-5959 ext. 224

ClASSified AdvertiSiNg iS Now free for AmoC memBerS! Please forward all ads to Editor, The Vantage Point via email: editor@amoc.org. For more classified ads, check out the Market Place section of the Club website: www.amoc.org

64

DIRECTORyAMOC EAST OffICERSChAirJIM HAZEN268 Beechwood Street Cohasset, MA 02025 (781) 383-6007 jwhazen@comcast.net

viCe ChAirDON ROSE37 Warren Street Salem, MA 01970 (617) 513-0388 Fax: (978) 744-7678 007@donrose.com

SeCretAryELLEN GREENDALEPO Box 1460 Stockbridge, MA 01262 Tel/Fax: (413) 298-0222 egdale@aol.com

direCtorS At lArgeJIM FREEMANSuSAN LASKEyc/o Freeman & Co 645 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900 New york, Ny 10022 Jim tel: (212) 830-6177 Susan tel: (212) 830-6160 Fax: (212) 265-4350 jfreeman@freeman-co.com slaskey@freeman-co.com

treASurerBREWSTER MINER73 Beekman Road Summit, NJ 07901 (908) 522-1054 brewsterminer3@verizon.net

field mArShAl (AreA reP CoordiNAtor)SCOTT FAIRLEy42 Strathgowan Crescent Toronto, Ontario M4N 3A2 Canada (416) 483-2855 (evening) sfairley@theallgroup.com

memBerShiP direCtorCHRIS GREENDALEPO Box 1460 Stockbridge, MA 01262 (781) 775-1898 Fax: (781) 672-2501 chris@greendale.com

AdvertiSiNg direCtorJOHN DAVID35 Maryland Plaza #2 St. Louis, MO 63108 (314) 361-9372 john.david@sbcglobal.net

regiStrArJOHN MORLEy9412 Crosby Road Silver Springs, MD 20910 (301) 588-0817 johnmorleyfbdo@hotmail.com

ComPetitioN direCtorJIM FREEMAN(see Directors At Large)

CoNCourS direCtorJOHN GEORGE203 Kensington Court Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (412) 780-9176 george.john@comcast.net

editor-iN-Chief/ the vANtAge PoiNtRICHARD “NICK” CANDEE21 Anis Road Belmont, MA 02478 (617) 484-2561 (617) 962-2498 NickCandee@aol.com

deSigN CoNSultANt / the vANtAge PoiNtBRuCE CROCKERc/o Crocker Inc. P.O. Box 470858 17 Station Street, 3rd Floor Brookline Village, MA 02447 (617) 738-7884 bruce@crockerinc.com

AMOC EAST AREA REPRESENTATIVESeASterN CANAdATOM APPLETON3300 Lakeshore Road West Oakville, Ontario L6L 6S6 Canada (905) 847-9197 Mobile: (561) 827-2830 tea@cogeco.ca

floridA—SouthVACANT

mASSAChuSettS/ New eNglANdDR. BOB WELCH105 upland Road Cambridge, MA 02140 (617) 864-6936 rjwelch1@verizon.net

miChigANPETER HEyDON3562 West Huron River Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48103 (734) 747-7070 Fax: (734) 663-9676

mid-AtlANtiCJONATHAN METCALFEOne Freedom Square 11951 Freedom Drive Reston, Virginia 20190 (703) 464-8807 jonathan_metcalfe@ml.com

midweStJIM CAuSEy1649 County Road, 750 N Philo, IL 61864 (217) 684-2421 kjjj@pdnt.com

New JerSeyDENNIS DRAKE5 Nash Court Morganville, NJ 07751 (732) 972-8448 musiclab@optonline.net

New yorK/CoNNeCtiCutANDy WILLIAMS165 Gun Club Road Stamford, CT 06903 (203) 321-7088 willpubs@aol.com

PeNNSylvANiA—eAStLEONARD LEVIN239 Winged Foot Drive Blue Bell, PA 19422 (610) 272-3812 levin2391@verizon.net

JOHN STINSMEN3436 Lincoln Avenue Allentown, PA 18103 (610) 432-7254 j3stinsmen@aol.com

PeNNSylvANiA—weStJOHN GEORGE(see Concours Director)

AMOC WEST OffICERSChAirGEORGE WOOD2771 Camino Venadillo San Ramon, CA 94583 (925) 969-7698 onefastaston@aol.com

viCe ChAirLARRy FROMM1564 Domingo Road Fullerton, CA 92833 (714) 525-2400 larryamtn@att.net

SeCretAryJANE RANSOME101 North Delphia Brea, CA. 92821 (714) 529-4439 foransome@aol.com

regiStrArCHET FLOyD664 18th Street Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (310) 545-5409 cfloyd24@juno.com

treASurerGARy D. MOOREG.D. Moore & Co., Inc. 2222 Foothill Blvd., Suite E-605 La Canada, CA 91011 gmoore@gdmoore.com

CommuNiCAtioNS direCtorGuy SIMPSON22402 Citation Court Los Gatos, CA 95033 (408) 353-8682 Mobile: (408) 813-3303 guy.simpson@verizon.net

AMOC WEST AREA REPRESENTATIVESCAliforNiA—SoutherN & loS ANgeleSDAVID GOWARD12 Reata, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92675 Mobile: (949) 292-0588 dgoward@gmail.com

CAliforNiA—NortherNGuy SIMPSON(see Communications Director)

GEORGE WOOD(see Chair)

mouNtAiNCRAIG SHANKLINPO Box 949 Santa Clara, uT 84765 Home: (435) 674-1742 Work: (702) 595-3150 cshanklin@mac.com

teXAS/oKlAhomAJOHN LAVENDOSKI8127 Mesa Drive B206-116 Austin, TX 78759 (512) 748-1434 john@prodicus.com

NorthweSt/wAShiNgtoNROBIN BOLZ24917 NE 20th Place Sammamish, WA 98074 Home: (425) 836-9194 Mobile: (425) 503-7242 rbolz2@comcast.net

SAN diegoLARRy DAVIS6578 Crystalaire Drive San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 303-3350 Mobile: (619) 405-1419 LarryDavis@cox.net

weSterN CANAdAPETER BATEMAN1618-134th Street Surrey. V4A 9R4 B.C. (604) 531-0696 pgbateman@shaw.ca

JOIN THE AMOC!US and Canada. For information on 2009 membership please contact:

SeCtioN eAStCHRIS GREENDALEMembership Director (781) 775-1898 Fax: (781) 672-2501 chris@greendale.com

ELLEN GREENDALESecretary (413) 298-0222

SeCtioN weStCHET FLOyDRegistrar (310) 545-5409 cfloyd24@juno.com

JANE RANSOMESecretary (714) 529-4439 foransome@aol.com

www.amoc.org Password access to Members Area available by contacting Webmaster with your membership number: amocweb@amoc.org

TEL: +(00) 1-631-425-1555 | FAX: +(00) 1-631-425-6185203 WEST HILLS ROAD

HUNTINGTON STATION, NY 11746

The Largest Vintage Aston Martin facility in the USA

Autosport Designs has been a mainstay in the automotive field for over twenty years. Well known for ourprofessional and courteous service to the discriminating automotive enthusiast. From routine maintenance,interior refinishing & re-trimming, minor to major accident repair to nut & bolt-body off restorations, all workis performed in-house and under one roof in our 30,000 sq. ft. facility.

Autosport Designs always has a large selection of classic and modern automobiles on display for sale.

Automobiles prepared and restored by Autosport Designs have graced both concour events and race circuitsthroughout the world.

Our website has an up-to-date photo gallery of our current inventory as well as valuable information about

our facilities and services.

www.autosportdesigns.com

Final_AMOC_Summer_2008A 10/9/08 10:09 AM Page 1

.25” wrap to back cover

FALL 2008

New Michigan Drivers School

Ontario Grand Touring

38th Lime Rock Event

Issue No. 20

$12.50 US / $15.00 CDN

ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUBNorth America Quarterly Journal

FALL 2008

New Michigan Drivers School

Ontario Grand Touring

38th Lime Rock Event

Issue No. 20

$12.50 US / $15.00 CDN

ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUBNorth America Quarterly Journal

Aston M

artin of New

England / Lotus M

otorsports, Inc. 85 Linden Street, W

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A 02452 1-781-547-5959 astonm

artin-lotus.com

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