Things didn?t go as planned the last time that Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer loaned out one of his cars. That was during his previous role as Nissan?s chief planning officer, when he had personally imported a NISMO GT-R into the UK. It arrived in time for the Goodwood Festival of Speed two years ago, and Palmer generously allowed professional bicycle racer, and wannabe car racer, Chris Hoy to take a turn in his pride and joy up the infamous hill course. That turn ended 25 seconds later, after Hoy left the track and embedded the ultra-rare GT-R in the hay bales.
So we?re honored, humbled, and slightly frightened to be offered a turn in Palmer?s newly purchased 1980 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, especially as he hasn?t had a chance to drive it yet since it emerged from Aston?s Heritage works division in Newport Pagnell after a heavy refurb that was accompanied by an equally hefty bill. Senior auto executives normally borrow the old models from the corporate museum when they want to be photographed with one. Not so Palmer, who has invested a considerable amount of his own cash in this gorgeous Vantage, a British muscle car that?price tag aside?bears a passing resemblance to a Ford Mustang II. He won?t say quite how much he paid??a lot, but not too much??but an internet trawl of similar cars in the U.K. suggests they’re now north of £200,000 ($290,000 at current exchange rates). Yet Palmer insists he would have bought a period Aston even without having become the company?s bo...