Aston Martin Vanquish shootout – Part one

There were just three of us that perfect, perfect day. Dan, Olgun and me. We were on a road I first visited in 1989 in a Ferrari Testarossa, my first big supercar job. My second was in 1992 in a Jaguar XJ220, with a side of Ferrari 512 TR for good measure. Look at Olgun’s incredible images and you might wonder why we don’t come here all the time.

But we tend only to visit when in need of a setting to do justice to the looks, power and purpose of the cars we have with us. Three people, two Astons, one road and, for once, no sheep. Barely a cloud in the sky, nor other motorists to be seen. We got lucky and in this business that happens sometimes on those rare but perfect, perfect days.

The original Vanquish. Actually ‘V12 Vanquish’ if we’re being picky. A car launched before it was finished. That happens too. Car manufacturer gets on the wrong end of balance sheet, needs product to turn a financial one way street into dual carriageway so goes to market before car is ready. Think 996-generation Porsche 911, think McLaren MP4-12C. Think first Aston Martin Vanquish.