Peter McDermott was invited to Gaydon in 2013, for a day of fun and discussions, to “shape the future of Aston Martin”.
Peter was surprised to be asked, as he had recently sold his Vantage N400. Many reasons, but one comes to mind, the Sat Nav would close itself down, just when you needed it! As a result, he returned to Porsche bought a 911 and enjoyed tech that worked when he needed it.
On arrival at Gaydon he enjoyed a fascinating day, meeting individuals from every discipline within the business. The group were questioned about the things they liked and disliked. Even down to whether the cars have touch screen or toggle switches on the dashboard.
There appeared to be a generation gap, older members of the cohort were prepared to cut Aston Martin some slack, just because it was Aston Martin, whereas younger members, Peter included, were not as forgiving and expected the car to reflect modern technology and be fit for the 21st century.
The group were questioned about the value of the brand and what the iconic wings meant to them. Aston Martin wanted to know how they could improve the cars. Peters request on the day was simple: build a car as responsive as a 911, with modern tech, and a curvaceous Aston Martin body shell. This seems to have been achieved with the new Vantage.
This little paperweight is treasured reminder of a great day “Shaping the next generation of Aston Martin products” November 2013.
Ps Peter is back in the fold!