The British luxury sports car maker Aston Martin has launched phase two of the development of only its second UK production line, on the former ministry of defence site in St Athan in south Wales.
The new £200 million (Dh911m) facility will enable the company to start production of its first 4x4, the Aston Martin DBX, in 2019.
“Due to its sheer size and scale, the St Athan [ex-aircraft] ‘super hangars’ represented an excellent opportunity for us to build our second manufacturing facility, within the envelope of an existing structure,” said the Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer.
“It is perhaps fitting that St Athan is, like our headquarters and sports car factory at Gaydon, a former royal air force [RAF] base.”
Adding to the air force connection, the car maker also announced its latest Q by Aston Martin creation; the Vanquish S Red Arrows edition.
Just 10 examples of the cars, inspired by the air force’s Red Arrows aerobatics team, are being commissioned by Aston Martin Cambridge, each with special design features, hand-crafted interiors and graphic elements that draw on the visual language of aviation, Aston said. Only nine will be avaible to buy.
Phase two of the St Athan development marks the beginning of the project that will see the three super hangars redeveloped into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The new plant brings employment opportunities to South Wales; a recruitment event last year attracted 3,000 applications and already the first technicians are working on the DB11 sports car at Gaydon, training for the highly-skilled roles they will take up at St Athan in 2020, according to the car maker.
“As the UK exits the EU, we are determined that our country remains a great place to invest and to do business,” said the secretary of state for Wales, Alun Cairns. “Aston Martin’s decision to invest in Wales shows that we are creating and supporting the right conditions for industry investment.”
Founded in 1965, the Red Arrows quickly achieved a reputation for incredible precision flying and now operates using the BAE Systems Hawk aircraft at airshows across the UK and wider world.
The Q by Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows edition is finished in Eclat Red, mirroring the familiar livery of the Hawks and referencing the word “Eclat”, the Red Arrows’ motto.
The limited edition is the third Q by Aston Martin – Commission from Aston Martin Cambridge, following on from the success of last year’s V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 Edition, marking 80 years of the Supermarine Spitfire’s first flight, and the earlier Vantage S Blades Edition, developed in collaboration with the Blades Aerobatic Display Team.
chnelson@thenational.ae
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