Aston Martin will eventually start building vehicles like the DBX crossover and new Lagondas at its site in St Athan, Wales. At the moment, the former Royal Air Force hangars are empty, and the British car manufacturer is celebrating the acquisition in the best way possible.
In an incredible video, 28 Aston Martins from the firm’s 104-year history assembled as World Endurance Championship drivers Darren Turner and Nicki Thiim, plus the company’s chief engineer Matt Becker, took them for a spin. In all, the collection of vehicles is worth around £65 million.
The collection of cars on display showcases Aston Martin’s entire history, and the drivers don’t baby them. Modern rarities like the One-77 and Vulcan slide around the empty hangars, and some of the company’s most important racers speed through it. Even the unloved Cygnet gets some screen time.
The St Athan factory will start assembling the DBX in late 2019. The site will support building 7,000 cars a year, which will essentially double the carmaker’s production capacity, and it will employ 750 people. Aston Martin will also tailor the plant for allowing the company to build electrified vehicles in the future, including a likely variant of the upcoming crossover.
In addition to building a new factory, Aston Martin is keeping busy by prepping the Valkyrie hypercar for ultra-wealthy clients. With a design by Red Bull Racing F1 Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey, the low-slung coupe looks like no other vehicle on sale. It features a Cosworth-designed 6.5-litre V12 with 850hp. While competitors might be more powerful, the Valkyrie allegedly weighs a mere 850kg for an impressive 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. The company is building just 150 for the road and 25 track-only variants.
There appears to be an incredibly brief look at the next-gen Aston Martin V8 Vantage’s headlight in this clip, too. The coupe shares a platform with the DB11 but is smaller. A 4.0-litre biturbo V8 from Mercedes-AMG powers the shark-nosed coupe.
Source: Aston Martin
Gallery: Aston Martin Wales Factory Stunt Video
NEW FILM: Aston Martin DNA unleashed at new St Athan plant
• Aston Martin sports cars appear in film for the first time at St Athan in Wales
• New film celebrates marque’s 104-year history with £65M of Aston Martin cars
• Work underway on redeveloping site into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility
25 April 2017, Gaydon: The Aston Martin Vulcan was the first car to turn a wheel at the site of the British luxury carmaker’s second UK manufacturing plant at St Athan in South Wales recently, signaling the start of the redevelopment of the former MOD site into a state-of-the-art facility.
The appearance of the Aston Martin Vulcan though was just the start of an incredible celebration of Aston Martin’s heritage, which brought together 28 very special Aston Martins with a combined value of £65 million in a film produced to celebrate the transfer of ownership of the three super hangars at St Athan.
The vast, empty hangars offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Aston Martin’s 104-year history in the only way its drivers knew how. Aston Martin Racing’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) drivers, Darren Turner and Nicki Thiim, along with Aston Martin Chief Engineer Matt Becker, had plenty of room to manoeuvre a stunning selection of Aston Martins. That is, until they got caught by the ‘boss’ Aston Martin President and CEO, Andy Palmer.
Enjoy the glorious sights and sounds of Aston Martins from the A3 to the DBR1, the One-77, numerous Vantages, Rapide S and of course the Aston Martin Vulcan, as they spread their wings at St Athan.
You can view the film via the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZeIB1hCk8k #AstonMartinStAthan
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