- Aston Martin recently celebrated 70 years of its presence at its historic Newport Pagnell facility.
- More than 13,000 Aston Martins were built at the site before production relocated in 2007.
- The Newport Pagnell site is now home to Aston Martin's classic car sales, service and restoration department.
Aston Martin recently marked the 70th anniversary of its historic Newport Pagnell site with a unique celebration that saw a gathering of more than 100 classic Aston Martin and Lagonda models that were originally built at the site.
The site, which housed the Aston Martin factory and service division for more than 50 years - close to half the 111-year-old company's existence! - is now home to the Aston Martin Works classic car department which focuses on heritage sales, service, spares and restoration operations.
More than 13,000 Aston Martins were produced at Newport Pagnell from 1955 until production was relocated 70km up the road to its current site - a former RAF bomber base in Gaydon - in 2007, and the majority of those models were represented at the event.
The event featured an impressive array of keynote speakers, including world-renowned designer of the DB7 and V12 Vanquish, Ian Callum, and motorsport and automotive engineering legend Ray Mallock who raced Aston Martin's only Group C car - the Nimrod NRA/C2 - at Le Mans. Iain Heggie, son of 1960s Aston Martin Managing Director Steve Heggie, also addressed the attendees.
For most guests, however, the vehicles were stars of the show, and the anniversary drew scores of exceptionally rare and valuable Aston Martin and Lagonda cars, representing examples of every major model built at the Newport Pagnell site between 1955 and the early 2000s.
An "exceptional selection" of DB6s gathered outside 'Sunnyside,' the modest mock Tudor building that served as the former global headquarters of Aston Martin Lagonda, while owners of DB4 and DB5 models positioned their cars in front of the Aston Martin Works showroom, and V12 Vanquish, V8, and Lagonda drivers formed other displays around the site.
"We wanted the 70th anniversary event to be a memorable occasion for all concerned, but I don’t think any of us envisaged it being quite such a special affair!" said Aston Martin Works President, Paul Spires.
"The chats with our superb guest speakers, the enthusiasm and dedication of the Works staff, and the exceptional commitment of our guests, some of whom who had travelled hundreds of miles to be with us on Saturday, really does speak volumes about the affection for Newport Pagnell as a key part of the Aston Martin Lagonda story.
“A few of the cars that were present at the anniversary celebration had not been back to Newport Pagnell since the day they were built, many decades ago, while many others are, of course, ‘old friends’ of the Works business.
“I don’t think, even back in the ‘60s, there was ever a time when quite so many examples of the DB6 were parked outside Sunnyside and in this, the 60th anniversary of the car’s launch, it was truly a sight to behold.”
