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| New Standards of Quality.
It wasn't always this way. While Aston Martins have always been handbuilt automobiles, they have not always been made to the exacting standards they are today. A prime example of a less-than-perfect Aston would be the spectacular, but famously flawed, Lagonda super-saloon of the early 1980s, whose electrical system was reputed to be woefully unreliable, ultimately detracting from what would otherwise have been an instant aristocratic classic.
Things have certainly changed with the move in 2002 to the pristine new production facility at Gaydon. While Aston Martins have always been hand-made and built to order, as they had been in all the decades past, their quality is now assured. It takes 200 man-hours to build a DB9, and 180 to build a V8 Vantage, with all the cars custom-made. That is, their specification has been decided by a customer who will then have to wait for his personalized machine to be crafted. Once the exact details have been decided upon, the chosen model goes into their order bank. Working on a first-come-first-served basis, the production “lines” are not really lines at all, with DB9s and V8 Vantages being worked on in the sequence spelled out in the order bank.
The resultant capacity for infinite customization also means that you can specify pretty much anything you want on your pride and joy. Though most customers opt for more conservative color schemes, there is scope for one to order something truly ghastly, although with their superb looks there can probably be no such thing as a ghastly Aston Martin. Having said that, I did see some rather “interesting” shades being painted on cars during my visit to the factory. No matter how unconventional your tastes may be, you can specify any color at all that you may want knowing the company will take great pains to get the finish to the same standard as their recommended hues.
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What also impressed us was the way the cars were put together. The structure of the VH-platform cars' (that is, the DB9 and the V8 Vantage) are made from bonded aluminum, including the architecture of the instrument panel. This technique aids weight savings and rigidity, as well as forming a safe cocoon for passengers. Even the seats of the VH cars are not made of a single piece of hide; rather, they are stitched together from form-fitting panels which then make for a very modern looking leather seat. Incidentally, the seats in the DB9 have recently been redesigned, resulting in a more supportive, less angular armchair.
Keep in mind, of course, that nearly every last task is carried out by a person, and not a machine. This, according to Aston Martin, is because a handcrafted finish is actually superior and thus preferable to that of a machine. “Assisters” - hydraulic devices to help take heavy loads and aid in the lifting of heavy parts, are utilized but it is human hands that position and fit the said parts.
Of course, without the mass automation prevalent in automobile production, and combined with an unprecedented number of new orders, the waiting time for a new Aston Martin is now quite long. It is now roughly a year's wait between placing a deposit and collecting your car. With just 30,000 Aston Martins ever built, this is a sure sign of each car's exclusivity.
Quality control plays a big part in this extended wait. With each car requiring 9 layers of hand-applied paint, which is dried on a rotating spit for uniformity of glaze across all panels, the standard of fit and finish is exceptionally high. The thunk of the doors was specifically engineered to impart a sense of integrity to the owner. Even the smell of the Bridge of Weir leather has to be just right for it to be worthy of use. |
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| Finally, at the Customer Acceptance area of the factory, cars randomly plucked from the line are scrutinized daily for every last detail, with a demerit point system used to check for flaws. As an example, if even the safety warning stickers behind the sun visors are misaligned, that alone would constitute three demerit points. Reach six demerit points and the car fails the internal quality test - such is the strict level of quality control that exists within Gaydon.
With the backing of one of the world's largest companies, Ford Motor Company, Aston Martin now has access to rigorous – and therefore, potentially expensive – durability testing facilities. Each model has been subjected to extreme weather conditions, such as Arctic frigidity and ice, as well as severe desert heat and dust. Crash testing for safety is also carried out much more strictly than would be possible in the past.
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