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MI6 investigates the new James Bond themed Club Aston
Martin and the latest cars, hidden away in a Blofeld-esque
base in California...
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MI6 Bonds With Aston Martin
25th May 2005
James Bond has had the pleasure of driving an Aston Martin in
no less than seven films, and the new V8
Vantage is lined up for the next 007 in "Casino
Royale" due out in October 2006. With such a prestigious
history and a reputation for quality and luxury, how seriously
does Aston Martin take its 007 connections? MI6 reporter Christopher
Folan visited the brand new $2.5m Club Aston facility in California
last week to find out - with the first access all areas pass given
to a James Bond website.
Above: The view from the main entrance. |
The spectacular Galpin Aston Martin’s Club Aston is located
in Los Angeles, California and introduces an entirely new concept
in showroom design and in the merchandising of exotic automobiles
- all with the distinctive flavour of Mr Bond. It was opened on
April 16th this year and amongst the many special guests were
a number of past 007 cast members, including Robert Davi, Gloria
Hendry and Maud Adams.
Club Aston is a James Bond inspired private
club located within the Galpin Aston Martin dealership,
having access only by thumbprint identification or Club
Aston access card in true MI6 style.
The secret entrance is by valet parking, and when you buy
an Aston from their showroom, you become a member of Club
Aston, meaning you can go on in any time you want. Owners
get an All Access Card and can then use a thumbprint for
entry.
When you have entered a seemingly unassuming hall greets
you, with stairs going up. Only a silver wave of ribbon-line
metal along the ceiling gives a hint that these stairs aren’t
taking you to just any room.
When you enter, Bond music starts playing, and on this
particular occasion it was the beginning of the “GoldenEye”
title song. It is timed so that when you reach the anteroom
at the top, the music really starts going. The 2.5 million
dollar Club Aston is on the second floor in the same building
as Jaguar.
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Above: A view of the sparkling Aston
Martin behind the desk sculpture. |
The central design of Club Aston is a circular room. The red
walls have three silver sliding doors. The first goes to the main
showroom and offices, the second is the secret entrance, and the
third door goes into the Aston Martin showroom.
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Above: Comfort James Bond
style (click images to enlarge). |
Behind the bar is a screen, where guests can enjoy a number of
quality drinks, whilst browsing samples of colours for the body
of the car and the leather from a specially designed tray. The
bar also contains a sculpture, featuring three different Astons:
the DB5, the DBR1 that won Le Mans in 1959, and the DB7 - three
generations of cars.
Above: The selection of colours available
for your new Aston Martin. |
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Over on the other side is another screen,
which is used to show renderings of what different colour
samples would look like on real cars.
ales Director Joe Van De Veere said that you can tell a
lot about the buyers by the colours they pick, “If
they choose a yellow exterior with red leather, this is
a car they’re going to keep for a while”.
On the flip side, a choice of any shade of silver will
make life easier when it comes to those people who part
with their Aston. |
The room also had a lot of books. The shelves pictured are empty,
but they now have an eclectic range of titles, from James Bond
books to the works of Anton Chekov and Hemingway - even an upside
down copy of Alice in Wonderland. The room's five windows are
also decorated with various memorabilia, and the facility comes
with wireless Internet for those wanting to keep in touch with
the outside world.
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Above: The impressive
gunbarrel in the ceiling also hides the lights (click images
to enlarge). |
After you order a car from the bar, it usually takes about three
months to have it delivered. This is because they are handcrafting
in England, but the wait will be well worth it. Once your car
is ready for collection you can throw a big party at Club Aston.
When you arrive with your guests, the curtain on the turntable
is closed. There is a fantastic colour light show as a brand new
car is revealed...
The lights are housed in the gigantic gun barrel powered by an
MX10 light motor. It’s all timed so that the nose of the
car follows the curtain as it slides by so that the car proudly
surveys the entire room as the audience holds it’s breath
before the big reveal.
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Above: A `home away from
home` (and work) for Club Aston members (click images to
enlarge). |
Then the owner is taken to the vault, where their actual car
is waiting. A security code is needed to open the vault door,
but fans of the legendary spy should not have a tough time cracking
it. The door itself is 800 pounds and set into a wall that cost
$750,000, yet it is so balanced that it can be moved with the
meager power of a fingertip.
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Above: A view of the vault
that Goldfinger would be proud of (click images to enlarge). |
But that is not where the Club Aston experience ends, as members
can return any time as a place away from work or home. Members
relaxing and working in Club Aston can choose from a lot of different
kinds of music, selected from a 100-gigabyte archive. The computer
tasked with managing entertainment can also run three DVD players,
and there are plans to tailor Club Aston for each individual guest
so that when you swipe your All Access card to enter, it automatically
sets itself up for your personal tastes in music and lighting.
The ownership experience with an Aston Martin is second to none,
and with specialised facilities like Club Aston at the beck and
call of owners, James Bond himself would surely swap from his
Q-Branch garage.
Related Articles
Q-Branch Coverage
Aston
Martin V8 Vantage
Aston
Martin DB9
About Galpin:
Galpin has been the #1 volume Ford dealer in the world for 15
consecutive years and the #1 Jaguar dealer in the USA. Besides
Aston Martin, Ford, and Jaguar, they also deal in Volvo, Lincoln,
Mercury, Mazda, Saturn, Panoz, SVT, Saleen, S7, and Roush. Galpin
Motors has a sterling reputation built on integrity and superior
service to its customers. Club Aston now takes that service to
a whole new level offering the Galpin Aston Martin customer complete
privacy and a truly entertaining experience!
Galpin Motors
