Sadly these video never show what's just upstairs from the engine builders, at this time in 1999 there were 2 of us beavering away making all the wiring harnesses from scratch, 97 man hours for a Vantage and 107 man hours for a Volante.
i saw a film in the 1960's of Astons being built..looks like the same place,probably the same old codgers weilding the hammers... although they would have been Apprentices then. The engine building methods were exactly the same.
I love seeing this. I get why Aston felt it had to move on from these methods, but it seems to me that the company lost millions of pounds making them this way, and now loses hundreds of millions making them the 'modern' way...so I have to ask, "where is the progress?"
Wow, thats how I thought Ferrari's would be bulit...there are no plants or temperature control here just build the dam car and cut the bullshit. (haha) And they are GORGEOUS cars at the finish. Can't hate Ferrari for their detail and quality though.
Andrew Jackson N'importe quoi...take a pen, already trying to do something right . Then you will try to take a hammer as those people used (not hurt you ) and see the result. It is always easy to criticize but are sure to do better ? it was crafts , manufacturing , a kind of companionship . But it does it still be able to understand it, apparently not ects within the reach of everyone
These cars were truly special. There are plenty of assembly line cars today that are still mechanical nightmares, and lack the beauty, personality, and soul that the cars made this way have.
this is nonsence. no wonder aston was bankrupt. what i see here, is lack of investment into modernisation. ok, u can assemble and weld those freaking astons by hand, but god, u could make molds and press those foking body panels at least. this is what u get when u sell 100 000 pound car and do not invest a penny in your factory..
you buy a aston because its coachbuilt production tooling costs are horrendous, it took fords money to allow them to do it! Thats why small volume cars are coachbuilt or fibreglass
Sorry,workers from Aston Martin. Soo much work, hand-built quality and then the taillights from the Sirocco and the headlamps from the Audi 200. For German eyes a straight "No Go"!! PS: The best of the Virage: The Calibra shaped roof, but again. A Copy! No it wasn't a glorious car.. Sadly. If it would have the pure "no similarity to anything other" - quality of the Lagonda. But no... so much less....
The Virage pre dates the Calibra. John Heffernan & Ken Greenly did the Virage after the Bentley Continental. It was a deliberately conservative design and was well received. By any sensible measure the Porsche 928 is a pretty and better car. But the big Astons of this era were special and are rightly loved.
Big fan of the V8 Virage, Vantage myself. Thanks for sharing. They were my childhood dreams, still they are ! Hope one day my time will come !
That's a real trip down memory lane, I spent nearly 20 years panel beating there
I spent 10 years in the harness room and was still looked on as a newbie 🙂
Sadly these video never show what's just upstairs from the engine builders, at this time in 1999 there were 2 of us beavering away making all the wiring harnesses from scratch, 97 man hours for a Vantage and 107 man hours for a Volante.
The results of your work created timeless, iconic automotive art.
Thank you from the USA.
ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE V8 =❤
The video is a piece of automotive history. Thank you very much for sharing!
Its about 1999. We took our classic car restoration students from Leeds College of Technology on a tour of the factory.
this is gold
If its 1999 then the title should be Bulding the Vantage, as the Virage was phased out by then, and the cars shown are Vantages.
good to see they still do things by hand ,and thats why the cost is what it is for one
Coolio in the background at 15:02 just so cool :D
Absolutely beautiful car!👌🥰👍a timeless classic!♥️
proper factory love to have been working there
Craftsmanship at its best, just watch the skills, nobody can do this today.
Sooo much more desirable than any of the line up today. These will be around for decades longer too! Proper motors :)
Artisanal work is always more valuable
nostalgic excellence
I worked there from 1989 to 1999, Sadly it's now a housing estate
i saw a film in the 1960's of Astons being built..looks like the same place,probably the same old codgers weilding the hammers... although they would have been Apprentices then. The engine building methods were exactly the same.
Yes it would have been the same factory, David Brown moved Aston Martin to Newport Pagnell in 1955
Last production supercar to be made totally by hand
Nice video, what year was it shot please?
new port?
OMG Terry Durstan built the engine on my Vantage. I wonder if it's the same motor.
Same here ;) mine is 1995 what year is yours ?
@@rss5381 Mine's a 1994 in Royal Blue. Amazing cars, I can't believe I own one.
Old men beating panels into shape with hammers: how Aston Martin used to make their cars.
Amazed at the lack of ear protection!
I can see ear plugs.
to anyone that says that handbuilding is the real way of making things, i wish they used a hand built vehicle like this every single day. ))
I love seeing this. I get why Aston felt it had to move on from these methods, but it seems to me that the company lost millions of pounds making them this way, and now loses hundreds of millions making them the 'modern' way...so I have to ask, "where is the progress?"
Wow, thats how I thought Ferrari's would be bulit...there are no plants or temperature control here just build the dam car and cut the bullshit. (haha) And they are GORGEOUS cars at the finish. Can't hate Ferrari for their detail and quality though.
I like everything hand built its pice of art you feel the humanity on it its built by human not machines I aluse use handbuilt pins and sunglasses
God that factory needs a shake up, no wonder they only turn out one a fortnight, does it close for lunch!
It's a DUMP, where overpriced, under reliable cars are HAND MADE one crap at a time. A Real British way...
Andrew Jackson N'importe quoi...take a pen, already trying to do something right . Then you will try to take a hammer as those people used (not hurt you ) and see the result. It is always easy to criticize but are sure to do better ? it was crafts , manufacturing , a kind of companionship . But it does it still be able to understand it, apparently not ects within the reach of everyone
These cars were truly special.
There are plenty of assembly line cars today that are still mechanical nightmares, and lack the beauty, personality, and soul that the cars made this way have.
err mr netto blaster........ astons were never crap!
So much noise at that factory
Es interesting about the making the Aston Martin cars, but the video is very slow, a little boring.
this is nonsence. no wonder aston was bankrupt. what i see here, is lack of investment into modernisation. ok, u can assemble and weld those freaking astons by hand, but god, u could make molds and press those foking body panels at least. this is what u get when u sell 100 000 pound car and do not invest a penny in your factory..
you are right the machines killed them put is the new aston martin same as before the new ones you cant say its uk car its look moor germany
I think there problem that they didn't made small cars or half hand built cars beside the full hand built super cars
you buy a aston because its coachbuilt
production tooling costs are horrendous, it took fords money to allow them to do it!
Thats why small volume cars are coachbuilt or fibreglass
dan wolf nope. u know nothing. hand tooling costs nothing, real expenses are in automated lines, modern automated factories cost billions to build.
+RivieraByBuick that s what i said! automation costs silly money
Sorry,workers from Aston Martin. Soo much work, hand-built quality and then the taillights from the Sirocco and the headlamps from the Audi 200. For German eyes a straight "No Go"!! PS: The best of the Virage: The Calibra shaped roof, but again. A Copy! No it wasn't a glorious car.. Sadly. If it would have the pure "no similarity to anything other" - quality of the Lagonda. But no... so much less....
Germans are so full of themselves
The Virage pre dates the Calibra.
John Heffernan & Ken Greenly did the Virage after the Bentley Continental.
It was a deliberately conservative design and was well received.
By any sensible measure the Porsche 928 is a pretty and better car. But the big Astons of this era were special and are rightly loved.