Aston Martin AM Vantage: bringing glamour back to life
The Aston Martin AM Vantage is, without doubt, a special car. It might even be one of my all-time favourites. So when I was approached by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust to detail a 1972 model, I wasn’t going to say no.
Why the Aston Martin Heritage Trust needed my help
The Trust had been approached by Vantage Magazine, who wanted to feature their AM Vantage in the magazine. They wanted it to look immaculate inside and out, including under the bonnet. It needed to be at its absolute best for the photoshoot and for the Aston Martin owners and enthusiasts who’d be reading the article. I have worked with the Trust many times before, and have been a Concours judge for the AMOC. They know the care I take with their cars and my attention to detail and so we arranged a full detail of the car.
What I did with the Vantage
The beautiful Vantage had been through winter and had then been stationary in storage for six months throughout lockdown. It needed some TLC to get it looking its best.
Exterior
Thoroughly hand-washed all paintwork, wheels and chrome.
Cleaned 72-spoke wire wheels
Clay polished the paintwork
Polished wheels
Applied wax
Engine Bay
Degreased the entire bay
Cleaned
Buffed away any tarnishing
Interior
Cleaned all leather seats, dash and trims
Treated the leather
Vacuumed the carpets, including underneath.
The result
Two days and a full detail later and we were all thrilled with the result. Being nearly 50 years old, it will, at some point require restoration but its recent detailing made it look incredible and brought out the AM Vantage’s best features. Rob Smith, Chairman of the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, said, “Huge thanks go to David for making our Vantage shine. She looked incredible driving along the south coast for the photoshoot. We know he loves our cars as much as we do so, to say thank you, we gave him the opportunity to take the AM Vantage for a drive. I think I can safely say he loved it!”
Pick up a copy of December’s Vantage Magazine to see just how incredible this absolute classic Aston Martin looks after two days of proper tender loving care.
