A year with an Aston Martin…

Exactly one year ago today, I bought my Aston Martin Vantage Roadster. It has been quite a surprising year of ownership in many ways. What hasn’t been a surprise is that the car has been an absolute joy to drive and is every bit as special as I thought it would be.

To start with, the car makes every drive special. Not because of the kind of performance it is capable of (which is substantial), but mainly because of how it makes the driver feel…it’s just so rare and beautiful, a car that is universally praised for its timeless design and hand built exclusivity. Whether on the road or parked, the car elicits a lot of attention. I’ll never forget a wonderful exchange while filling-up at gas station where an lovely lady told me how beautiful the car is and that driving an Aston “is very much a proper choice.” And the sound it makes when the revs build…a furious roar that goads you to go faster so you can hear more of it. Like Ian Flemming’s James Bond, an Aston is very much a “brute in a Saville Row suit.”

The surprise of it all has been how reliable the car has been. Normally, hand built and British would mean lots of time and money spent at a mechanic. But, other than an oil change, new battery and tires, the car’s been maintenance and trouble free. Sure, parts and labor aren’t cheap, but they’re nowhere near what it would cost to maintain a Ferrari or even a Porsche. I’ve driven her to get groceries, to visit customers in Virginia, on a tour across Maryland and for a four-day weekend in the Finger Lakes. Yes, it can daily.

But the best thing that came from the first year of ownership is the friends I’ve made. Andrew, Kyle, Rishi, Alex, the two Mikes, Leslie and all the others…great people with a common love of Cars and Coffee. Owning this car has opened up so many experiences I probably wouldn’t have had, sharing them with amazing people. And this has been the best surprise of all…