aston martin

Jaeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin have been together for more than fifty years, ever since Aston won its first Le Mans in 1959 with a DBR1 sporting a Jaeger clock. The two companies began to make the most of that partnership only a few years ago, when Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the AMVOX1.

The second generation timepieces -- easily remembered as AMVOX2 -- begin with this, the AMVOX2 Chronograph. The vertical-trigger chronograph is the first of its kind to dispense with push-buttons: the timing mechanism can be stopped, started, and reset by pressing on the upper and lower edges of the sapphire crystal face. The chronograph functions can also be locked in position with the 3-position slider on the right.

Other details surrounding Jaeger-LeCoultre's Chronograph Caliber 751B include the red lever mechanism between 4 and 8'o'clock, and black applique numbers on a satin-finish dial that mask the white discs of the chronograph. You can peruse the details of Jaeger's AMVOX2 and survey the five years of timepieces the partnership has produced below.

When Aston Martin turned its entry-level V8 Vantage into the top-of-the-line V12 Vantage, they went the decidedly understated route with the car's styling: a few extra air vents here, some more aggressive spoilers there.... And good thing, too, because the Vantage is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars on the market. But some may be looking for something with a bit more visual attitude. So along comes Elite with the LMV/R. Starting with the base Vantage, the LMV/R adds a serious dose of testosterone with its widebody carbon-fiber panels. Only 30 examples will be made, with a handsome sticker price of $173,000...plus the cost of a stock Vantage.

RM Auctions has just announced the consignment of a highly-desirable 1955 Aston Martin DB3S racer (above) to its Sports & Classics of Monterey auction event on August 13th - 15th in California. One of just 20 customer DB3Ss built and one of three examples ordered new by Australia's celebrated "Kangaroo Stable" racing team, the 1955 DB3S, chassis number DB3S/104, boasts an unbroken chain of ownership through to the present and an impressive racing history spanning from 1956 through to its last known event in 1997. It's estimated at $1.75 million - $2.25 million, making it one of the world's most expensive Aston Martins.

Painted in the famed Aston Martin racing color of Almond Green metallic with a yellow flash on the bonnet, the car was also driven by racing legends like Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby. "The Aston Martin DB3S in particular is rarely available to the market and when it is, traditionally only changes hands privately," notes RM President Ian Kelleher, "so it is exceptional to find one with such important provenance to be offered for sale publicly." The Aston will be auctioned off along with the $3 million 1952 Jaguar C-Type that The Classicist wrote about last month.

On August 13th - 15th Russo & Steele will stage their Monterey Sports & Muscle sale in California, offering some incredible deals on classic Ferraris and more. We've written plenty about the multimillion-dollar auctions taking place but the R&S sale looks like a great place to grab a bargain. On the high end is this 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, with an estimate of $1 million – $1.1 million. As we noted earlier this year, this model is widely considered to be one of the world's most beautiful Ferraris. Formerly in the collection of racing legend Skip Barber, the car has not only been impeccably restored but tuned up for maximum driving pleasure.

Somewhat less expensive but no less appealing is a 1960 Ferrari 250GT Series II Cabriolet finished in a deep maroon over tan hides and a black cloth convertible top. It was imported when new by Vilem B. Haan, one of the pioneers of the American sports car aftermarket and known to readers of period automotive magazines for his catchy advertising and unique offerings. The car remains in show-quality condition, most recently on display just this past fall at the Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance. It's estimated at only $550,000 - $650,000.

For a real steal, how about the 1970 Ferrari 365 GT2+2? Estimated at only $125,000 - $150,000, it sports a fresh full-leather interior and contains all the period correct items including the vintage Blaupunkt radio, owner's manual with pouch and warranty card and a completely-correct and authentic tool kit. It even has period-correct Michelin XWX tires on the gorgeous Borrani wire wheels. The car has won several Ferrari Club of American Concours Class Awards. Read on for more great cars after the jump.

Kids growing too big for the back seat of your Aston Martin DB9? Fortunately the company's Rapide four-door model is just around the corner. But if you were holding out for something a little bigger, you may be waiting a little while longer, or else be advised to look elsewhere. Reports indicate that the British purveyor of luxury GTs has put its plans to relaunch the Lagonda marque with a new crossover utility model on indefinite hold.

The Lagonda name is part of Aston's corporate identity, but has remained dormant for years. A few months back at the Geneva auto salon, Aston Martin shocked members of the press with an ungainly crossover concept. Reaction was so cold that the company took it off the show stand by the second day, keeping it away from the public. Now the company's chief executive has reportedly confirmed that the model has been postponed indefinitely, meaning that it could come back in another form or it could never come back at all. Considering that Aston is known for more beautiful design work than it exhibited with the Lagonda concept, we're hard-pressed to mourn its passing.

If you're visiting the famed Nurburgring race track in Germany and looking for a souvenir or two, a recent expansion of the facility includes a shopping mall called the Grand Ring Boulevard. That's where Ferrari opened its new merchandise store – its first in Germany and its first track-side store – just the other day, and it's also where rival automaker Aston Martin has set up its very first shop.

Boasting the same 2,400 square meter space as the Ferrari Store, the Aston Martin Store Nurburgring is stocked with all manner of merchandise from clothing and accessories to models and artwork. Aston brought in the first production model of its upcoming One-77 million-dollar supercar for the grand opening, but if you couldn't make it then and aren't planning a trip to Germany any time soon, you can always check out the full Aston Martin Collection at astonmartin.com.

Classic cars have their undeniable appeal, but they can't rival a modern automobile for technological superiority. But once in a while, a unique creation comes along that takes the best of both worlds and melds them together into one beautiful, advanced machine. The Huet HB Special is one of those machines. This is another.

The boys over at Rizk Auto in Phoenix, Arizona, took the classic 1957 Aston Martin DBR2 as their inspiration and rebuilt its shape around a modern chassis designed using Formula One technology by a former Formula One engineer. It's lightweight and rigid, and available for custom order. Buyers can choose all manner of options, including the powertrain options that encompasses six or twelve-cylinder engines from Jaguar or a Corvette LS3 V8. Prices are not yet available, but of course if you have to ask....

There is no arguing with the fact that Aston Martins are absolutely gorgeous machines. They are also absurdly fast. But if you live in a crowded city like Manhattan, London or Tokyo they are utterly impractical. Like most exotics they can be hard to see out of and who wants to risk getting entangled with a bus or delivery truck? The crew at Aston Martin are now working on the solution.

The Cygnet by Aston Martin is a urban car concept that would give Aston owners a more practical alternative for when they need to head into the city center. The Cygnet is based on Toyota's recently launched iQ micro-car. While Aston doesn't have any confirmed production plans for the Cygnet yet, it could be offered in the future as an accompaniment to "standard" Astons, much like a dinghy for a yacht.

If only we could afford a "standard" Aston Martin on a blogger budget.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Rapper, producer, designer, and tastemaker Kanye West could obviously have any watch in the world. The one he chose is a customized all-black Rolex Submariner by Swiss firm Black-Out Concept (above), on a black nylon NATO spec strap. Kanye made a decision a while back that Rolex would be his signature watch brand, but he wanted to add his own twist; Black-Out's version was perfect. "It looks hard, it looks really cool," he explained in naming the watch one of his 10 style essentials. "It's a new take on a classic watch." He also likes the fact that they take a Rolex and literally "paint it black" (coat it, actually).

Black-Out Concept was founded in 2007 by Fabrice Letellier in Geneva. An avid watch collector, racecar driver and all-round exotic car enthusiast with the means to indulge his passions, the idea was born when Letellier had some of his supercar collection given a matte black treatment, i.e. blacked-out. Next he decided to do the same with his Rolex, and soon some of his fellow car and watch aficionados followed suit. Obviously there was a market for it. Letellier contracted with one of Geneva's best watchmakers to perfect the black out process for timepieces, which is done using two low-friction, scratch-proof finishes used by the military, PVD and DLC (diamond-like carbon).

Black-Out also creates customized blacked-out cars, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and Aston Martin; the Black-Out package on the latter (see the gallery) costs about $40,000. They do customized matte black motorcycles as well built on a Harley-Davidson base, blacked-out Vertu Ascent cell phones - basically anything you can think of that would look better in all black. In addition to the Submariner they also black out several other Rolex models, including the GMT II, Daytona, Milgaus, and Deepsea, as well as other brands like Panerai, Bell & Ross and Audemars Piguet. Letellier has his own high-end watch brand in the works as well.



Of course, Black-Out aren't the only ones to offer blacked-out Rolexes; we've written before about Bamford & Sons' $30,000 PVD Daytona and other models, as well as Jacques Picard's $18,000 DLC Deepsea. (No, we don't know who thought of it first.) Black-Out doesn't actually sell watches, however, they customize yours at a cost of €5,000, or about $7,000, which includes Fed-Ex'ing to and from Geneva, and a set of three different straps including the NATO. So you can in fact get the look of the far more expensive models for much less - if you pick up a used Submariner in the $5,000 range - yet still have a watch that's every bit as exclusive, not to mention Kanye-approved. You can contact Black-Out's U.S. representative Christian Ginet at blackoutconcept@mac.com for more info.

A new supercar tour of Switzerland and Austria has just launched called First Class on the Road. On the two-day journey you can switch between a Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin DB9, BMW M6 and a Weismann MF3, with stops at top luxury hotels, restaurants and spas along the way. The Swiss tour begins at the historic Palace Luzern on the lake in Lucerne, while the Austrian jaunt starts at Schloss Fuschl on Fuschlsee Lake, a stone castle built in 1450. Local guides lead you on six-hour drives through the "sweetest hairpin turns, the sharpest inclines and the most breathtaking picnic spots."

[via UrbanDaddy]

Christian Slater's vintage Aston Martin is among the lots on offer at Bonhams' Collectors' Motor Car Sale at the S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco Motor Museum in Monaco on May 18. The car is a 1984 Aston Martin V8 Volante, finished in gray with a matching gray leather interior, that the Hollywood star bought in Los Angeles in 1997, a few years after he starred in True Romance. The Aston is estimated at €40,000 - €50,000, or about $50,000 - $65,000. Slater's Aston is a steal compared to the auction's top lot, the 1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Mille Miglia Speciale, one of only three in existence, which is expected to fetch up to $1 million.

Classic car collectors in England have come to know Bonhams' auction at the old Aston Martin factory in Newport Pagnell as a significant event on the calendar. Always packed with a mouth-watering selection of classic Astons and Lagondas, the Works Service auction has raised some £14 million in sales over the past ten years. But this year the prospective bidders are in for another surprise: protestors.

Aston Martin moved its production facilities to a new factory in Gaydon two years ago, leaving the old historic Newport Pagnell facility to its classic maintenance and restoration division. But the Works Service only needs so much space, so part of the compound is earmarked to be converted into a Tesco supermarket. Historic automobile enthusiasts find this disgraceful, and intend to bring it to the attention of the marque's devotees this Saturday when they arrive for the auction, which will feature a rare 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante expected to fetch over half a million dollars. Follow the link for more information.

It's been nearly nine months since Aston Martin first starting taunting performance car aficionados with teaser shots of its upcoming One-77 supercar. Finally, the first completed vehicle has made its way out of the marque's factory in the United Kingdom and over to the shores of Lake Como in Italy where it took part in the Concorso d'Eleganza. Apparently, it was rather well received.

Aston's brutally-styled beauty took home the Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes, garnering 30% of the total number of votes cast at the event in the process. Not only were the event's attendees the first to gaze upon a fully assembled One-77, they also got to hear it run for the first time ever.

Here's the best news: thanks to the wonders of YouTube, we all get the chance to hear the baritone grumble of Aston's carbon-ensconced 7.3L V12 engine. Interested? Click on past the break for the video.


[Source: Aston Martin]

On Saturday May 9th Bonhams will celebrate its 10th Anniversary auction sale at the Aston Martin Works Service facility, at the marque's spiritual home in Newport Pagnell, UK. The sale is dedicated solely to the Aston Martin and Lagonda marques, and Bonhams work closely with the Aston Martin Owner's Club who also schedule their annual International Concours d'elegance over the same weekend. Over the past decade Bonhams has sold over £16 million worth of Aston Martins and related automobilia, making them the worldwide leader in this sector.

Last year, they sold a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupé for £1,079,500, a new world auction record for the model. Aston Martin Works Service is offering a "premier client package" to those looking to celebrate the 10th Anniversary sale in true style. The package includes reserved parking, entrance with catalog, morning refreshments, a delicious luncheon served in the marquee and priority reserved seating in the saleroom. Tickets are limited to 100 and cost £155 per person.

This is a big year for both famed British auto marque Aston Martin and one of our favorite brands, classic London-based men's clothing company Hackett, official partner of the GT1 works Aston Martin Racing team. In June Aston Martin aims to win this year's Le Mans race outright, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of racing legend Carroll Shelby's stunning overall victory at Le Mans in an Aston Martin DBR1, with its incredible new LMP1 racecars. Hackett provides official Aston Martin Racing Team clothing and sells a range of licensed apparel and accessories, including the super-stylish Hackett Aston Martin Racing Moto Plan biker style jacket (above) for £300.00, bearing the number 59 for Shelby's 1959 victory.

Hackett, founded in 1979, is a classic British clothing and accessories brand which "caters for the head to toe needs of men of all ages who wish to dress stylishly and to whom quality is more important than the vagaries of fashion." The brand takes its inspiration from the traditions of British dress without being old fashioned and as such its products are "evolutionary rather than revolutionary." As founder Jeremy Hackett says, "our clothes wear in not out". In addition to a total of 29 shops across the UK, Spain and France, Hackett is now represented in 15 European countries, Hong Kong and Dubai.

The Le Mans race "epitomizes the true values of racing; endurance mixed with the thrill of speed and a certain savoir faire," Hackett notes. The two Aston Martin Racing LMP1 cars vying for victory this year will sport the iconic Gulf colors of light blue and orange, colors with a fine tradition at Le Mans as well as being immortalized by Steve McQueen in the famous film Le Mans. In addition to Aston Martin, Hackett also sponsors the London Rowing Club and the British Army Polo Team.

Jeremy Hackett is also known as "Mr. Classic," the title of his regular column for the London Independent on Sunday, which airs his witty, incisive views and observations on fashion and style. In 2007 he published a compilation of his columns accompanied by lavishly photographed style tableaux. Mr. Classic the book is a must-have for any man who takes sartorial matters seriously. As the publishers describe it, Hackett "takes us on a Grand Tour of an appealing world of Bentleys and polo, bicycles and picnics, bow ties and Sussex Spaniels, top hats and bespoke luggage." That's the world The Classicist wants to get lost in, no doubt.