20 Jul 07
Gaydon-built DBS, as seen in Casino Royale, will replace the Vanquish
He wasn't the only one within earshot of that test bed. 'One Saturday morning, when we were running an engine with open pipes, a man who lived nearby came knocking, complaining that we'd woken him up. So to keep him happy we gave him a couple of tickets for the racing at Silverstone. Only problem was, every time that we did engine work on Saturdays after that, the moment we fired the engine up there he was knocking on the door, hoping for some tickets.'
Aston Martin is a Newport Pagnell thing, but it's also an international thing, with an impossibly glamorous image helped by the James Bond associations and the knee-wobbling beauty of so many of its cars. Famous customers who have visited Newport Pagnell include David Beckham, Prince Charles, Harold Sakata (who played Oddjob in Goldfinger), Rowan Atkinson, golfer Greg Norman and even the mighty Chubby Checker.
Aston Martin is now in uncharacteristically rude health, with bulging order books. Ford's sale to new owners fronted by Prodrive boss David Richards has been completed and chief executive Ulrich Bez is leading from the front.
Kingsley Riding-Felce: 'It's been a family'
But Kingsley Riding-Felce, director of Works Service and the senior figure at Newport Pagnell ever since the centre of gravity shifted to Gaydon, recalled the days when the business was extremely precarious and every single sale was hugely significant. 'It took four minutes to run to the Midland Bank with a cheque for a new car. We have always worked closely with the banks.'
He told the workers and guests at the closing ceremony: 'It's been a family. There will never be anything quite like this again. You should feel proud of what you have achieved, whether you trim the seats, shape the panels, carry out the assembly or make it possible for the other functions to take place. An Aston Martin is a car for life. It never dies, and nor will your great achievements.'
