James Bond might have served as Aston Martin’s greatest ambassador for the best part of half a century, but the Prince of Wales isn’t far behind. He’s been an Aston man ever since mum and dad gave him a Seychelle Blue DB6 for his 21st in 1969, when a gallon of leaded four-star cost a reasonable six shillings and tuppence.
He still owns the MKII ‘Volante’ (that’s Aston-speak for convertible) and allowed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to use it as their post-wedding ‘getaway vehicle,’ complete with cringe-worthy ‘JU5T WED’ fake registration and droll ‘L’ plates with hearts in each corner.
Just four years after acquiring the DB6, the Prince was received into the hallowed fold of the Aston Martin Owners Club – AMOC, for short – and has remained a staunch supporter of the marque throughout the highs and lows that continue to pepper its history.
Notably, he travelled to the Newport Pagnell ‘works’ in 1986 to collect a V8 Vantage Volante in British Racing Green that had received a range of bespoke tweaks, among which were extra sound-proofing and a lowered centre console (more elbow room) with flush-fit switches.
Outwardly,
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