First employees for new St Athan plant gaining skills at Aston Martin HQ building the All-New DB11 Sports car.

• First employees for new St Athan plant gaining skills at Aston Martin HQ
• Highly skilled technicians to return to Wales to build the Aston Martin crossover

Earlier this year, Aston Martin announced significant new investments in its long term future in the United Kingdom, choosing St Athan in Wales as the location for its second manufacturing facility.

As a specialist luxury manufacturer, Aston Martin requires highly skilled technicians to hand build its cars, so the new employees for the St Athan plant, which will begin full production in 2020, will commence their careers with Aston Martin at Gaydon. 

Over 40 people have begun work across the business where they are being fully trained in the ‘Aston Martin way’ by building the new DB11.

Dr. Andy Palmer CMG, Aston Martin President and CEO said: “We are proud of the fact that we have a world-class team building our cars so it is vital that the new Welsh workforce is equally dedicated and passionate. 

It gives me great satisfaction to be able to employ a workforce that is local to the St Athan plant and bring them here to Gaydon to train them to become the skilled technicians required to build our beautiful hand-crafted cars. We have continued to work closely with the Welsh Government throughout the recruitment process and we are very pleased with the calibre of our new employees.”

A recruitment event held in Cardiff in the Spring attracted over 3,000 applicants for the jobs being created at St Athan, from apprentices at the start of their careers to already highly-skilled workers.

First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones said: “We are delighted that Aston Martin chose Wales for its second manufacturing facility and it is a pleasure to see the first group of Welsh employees starting out in their new careers with Aston Martin. The new plant will transform the Ministry of Defence site at St Athan with the economic benefits estimated at half a billion pounds over 30 years.”

Construction work is scheduled to start at St Athan in 2017, centering on the transformation of three super-hangers at MOD St Athan.

Aston Martin opens its first "boutique" to sell its range and that of it's product partners, all in the heart of London.

• First global Aston Martin brand experience centre opens in the heart of London
• Will showcase ‘Art of Living by Aston Martin’ products and experiences

Aston Martin has just opened its first brand experience boutique in the heart of London’s Mayfair district. Located in one of the capital’s most sought-after streets ‘Aston Martin at No. 8 Dover Street’ is an intersection of the company’s products, experiences and brand collaborations. No. 8 Dover Street will also be a destination for design master classes, art exhibitions, dinner series and other exclusive events.

No. 8 Dover Street is an expression of the British marque’s Art of Living by Aston Martin concept, a carefully chosen portfolio of the finest artisan products and truly bespoke experiences that embody the Aston Martin spirit. 

The new boutique – where the exterior sign reads ‘Aston Martin Est 1913’ in celebration of the company’s rich heritage – is the ultimate Aston Martin destination where admirers of the brand and people who enjoy elegance and exclusivity can discover new trends in art and design and be inspired by the products on display.

Products from partners including Hackett London, Marma London, Quintessence Yachts, Emilia Burano, Silver Cross and FPM are available at No. 8 Dover Street.

Aston Martin’s EVP & Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman and his team designed the interior space. He said: “Dover Street mixes art, culture, shopping, luxury and elegance. It’s the perfect place for Aston Martin.  We are surrounded by art, design and beauty and want to feature the ideas that inspire us and share them with a wider audience. No. 8 Dover Street is a place where existing customers, admirers of the brand and people new to the marque can understand our design philosophies and experience the spirit of Aston Martin.”

The warm and inviting environment features modern design and the very best artisan craftsmanship such as a bespoke mosaic floor, handcrafted from European oak.

The unique floor follows a Nautilus shell design, starting in the centre of the showroom with a brass plaque proudly displaying the famous Aston Martin wings and circling out to the edge of the room where it flows seamlessly to tailor-made oak cabinets.

The Nautilus design is mirrored on the ceiling with a “Starry Night’ light installation which highlights the sleek, elegant lines of the Aston Martin sports car on display creating a ‘dream’ light effect. The lights give No. 8 Dover Street a multidimensional character, which can be adapted to suit the art or products on display and the wide range of events that the space will host.

The walls are adorned with pieces from London-based artists Vezzini & Chen whose work is a stylish marriage of hand carved ceramics and blown glass. A stunning Letv 120” 4K Ultra HD, LED-LCD TV screen, one of the largest in Europe, provides the perfect way for guests to explore rich content created by Aston Martin and its partners.

A Q by Aston Martin specification area allows clients to originate a unique Aston Martin sports car or an AM37 speedboat, creating an elegant and exclusively personal result.

Katia Bassi, VP of AML & Managing Director of AM Brands commented, “No. 8 Dover Street provides the perfect environment for us to showcase the beautifully crafted products and experiences offered through ‘Art of Living by Aston Martin’. No. 8 Dover Street is where the world of Aston Martin comes together, the tangible expression of the path we started three years ago to develop Aston Martin into a globally admired luxury brand.”    

Aston Martin at No. 8 Dover Street is open seven days a week from 10 am until 6 pm from Monday to Friday and from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Aston Martin, Red Bull and Adrian Newey to collaborate on a Red Bull branded Hypercar.

• Aston Martin and Adrian Newey developing ground-breaking hypercar
• Aston Martin becomes Innovation Partner to Red Bull Racing

British luxury brand Aston Martin and Formula One team Red Bull Racing are today announcing a partnership which sees Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey and Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman collaborate to produce a ground-breaking Aston Martin hypercar.

Codenamed Project ‘AM-RB 001’, the new hypercar will represent the ultimate blend of cutting edge F1^TMtechnology with Aston Martin’s signature sports car design. The combined talents of Newey, widely noted as the most successful Formula One designer of all time, and Reichman, Aston Martin’s design chief since 2005, are set to produce the ultimate hypercar.

Combining the strongest elements of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Aston Martin, this new Innovation Partnership unites the world’s best aerodynamicists, composite experts and manufacturing masters. All the parties offer different elite capabilities and the combination of all of those skills, ensuring that Project ‘AM-RB 001’ promises to be an exciting prospect for customers and enthusiasts around the world. 

Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Formula One offers the ultimate global stage to build wider awareness of the Aston Martin brand. However, this partnership will deliver even more than that when the hypercar that Aston Martin and Adrian Newey are in the process of developing hits the road.

“Between Q by Aston Martin Advanced, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and project partner AF Racing AG, we are going to create a car that will excite and stir the imaginations of the car designers of the future and a global audience of sports car enthusiasts.

“These are exciting times for Aston Martin and arriving hot on the heels of our DB11 launch earlier this month, this new partnership underlines that our brand really is racing again.”

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner said of the new partnership: “This is a very exciting project for everyone at Red Bull Racing. Through this Innovation Partnership the iconic Aston Martin logo will return to grand prix racing for the first time since 1960, and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, led by Adrian, will be harnessing our Formula One DNA to produce the ultimate of all road cars. It’s an incredible project which also realises a dream and vision long held by Adrian to design a road car. We are very much looking forward to what I’m certain will be a successful partnership.”

As the designer of cars such as the Aston Martin DB11 - which was revealed earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor Show - the Aston Martin Vulcan and the One-77, Marek Reichman holds the key to the unmistakeable design language of the modern era of Aston Martins.

“We are in the process of developing a hypercar that combines the latest in aerodynamics from F1^TM and the stunning design language of an Aston Martin sports car,” said Reichman. “The opportunity to collaborate with Adrian (Newey) and Red Bull Advanced Technologies will be a fascinating experience for everyone involved. Unconstrained by F1^TM regulations, we have a unique chance to create a car in its most efficient form that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology.”

Having an illustrious Formula One career spanning nearly 30 years, and as the designer of ten World Championship winning Formula One cars, the partnership represents a new challenge for Red Bull Racing’s Adrian Newey.

“From the age of six I have had two goals in life – to be involved in the design of racing cars, and to be involved in the design of a super car.” Newey commented. “Whilst the former ambition went on to form my career to date, the latter has always bubbled away, resulting in countless sketches and doodles over the years.

“The opportunity to now develop and realise those ideas whilst working with Marek and his colleagues from Aston Martin is tremendously exciting.  It allows us to translate the technology we have developed in F1^TM into a new arena.”

The Aston Martin brand was borne out of the racing exploits of Lionel Martin - one of the founding partners of the British marque over 103 years ago - and the company made its international motor racing debut at the 1922 French Grand Prix. While motorsport has always remained integral to the brand’s DNA, the most famous moment in Aston Martin’s significant motorsport history is the 1959 outright win at the Le Mans 24 Hours for Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby in the Aston Martin DBR1. The modern Aston Martin Racing team, formed in 2005 has taken three class wins at Le Mans and will return to Circuit de la Sarthe again this June.

To celebrate the partnership between Aston Martin, Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the RB12s will carry the iconic Aston Martin wings logo throughout the 2016 season, making their debut at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. 

Aston Martin announces it has located a new production facility in St Athan, Wales for its next gen cars.

• St Athan, Wales selected as second manufacturing location for new crossover as part of £200M investment in new products and facilities
• Gaydon, England confirmed as manufacturing centre for next generation sports cars
• Up to 1,000 new jobs created across both locations by 2020 

Aston Martin today announced significant new investments towards its long-term future in the United Kingdom. The company confirmed that St Athan in Glamorgan has been chosen as the location for its second manufacturing facility.

With the decision to build the new crossover vehicle in Wales, the company additionally confirmed that production of next-generation sports cars would be focused at its headquarters and manufacturing centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Production of the recently announced all-electric RapidE is also to be located at Gaydon, starting in 2018.

It is anticipated that up to 1,000 new jobs will be created across St Athan and Gaydon between now and 2020. Across the supply chain and local businesses, a further 3,000 jobs will likely be created as a direct result of these investments.

Dr. Andrew Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin said: “During our 103-year history, Aston Martin has become famous for making beautiful hand-crafted cars in England. 

Through a detailed evaluation of over 20 potential global locations for this new manufacturing facility, we were consistently impressed with the focus on quality, cost and speed from the Welsh Government team. 

As a great British company, we look forward to St Athan joining Gaydon as our second centre of hand-crafted manufacturing excellence.”

First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones said: “I am delighted to officially welcome Aston Martin to Wales. We have been working closely with the company for almost two years in the face of fierce competition from other potential sites across the world. 

Our success today is testament to the reputation, dedication and skills of the Welsh workforce, all qualities that are synonymous with such a luxury, hand-crafted brand as Aston Martin.

“Today is the start of a long-term relationship between Wales and Aston Martin. We will work together in building on the strong foundations of our partnership to nurture a prosperous and rewarding future for this iconic company and its skilled workforce in Wales.”

Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “Aston Martin is an iconic British brand and the decision to invest here shows real confidence in our economy. 

With our economic strengths and easy access to European markets, the UK automotive sector is thriving. It is one of the biggest in Europe – and the most productive – and Aston’s creation of up to 1,000 new jobs in Wales and the West Midlands is welcome news.”

Occupying some 90 acres, the new Aston Martin facility at St Athan will re-purpose some of the facilities currently in use at the site by the Ministry of Defence. 

Centered on the transformation of the three existing ‘super-hangers’ at MOD St Athan, construction work is planned to commence in 2017 with full vehicle production commencing in 2020.

St Athan will be the sole production facility for a new Aston Martin crossover vehicle. A concept crossover vehicle named ‘DBX’ was first shown in early 2015 and showed the company’s intention and direction for this fast-growing segment of the luxury market. 

With growing demand for these types of vehicles in markets such as China and the United States, it is expected that over 90% of the production from St Athan will be exported outside of the United Kingdom.

Aston Martin will commence production in the autumn at Gaydon of the new DB11, the replacement for the iconic DB9 and the first car to be launched under the company’s Second Century plan. 

Over the course of the next five years, the company will both replace and expand its entire sports car portfolio. Starting with DB11, sports car manufacturing will be centered at Gaydon with the facility progressively expanding production to a planned maximum volume of 7,000 sports cars a year by 2020.