Kiwis love Aston Martin

16 June, 2014

 

Kiwis love Aston Martin more than any other country does anywhere else in the world.

Global Sales Director for Aston Martin, Christian Marti, announced at the Australasia Dealer Conference, held in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, that Aston Martin in New Zealand had the highest market share in the world (luxury segment) in 2013.

Aston Martin/Independent Prestige General Manager, Greg Brinck, was there to accept the accolade.

“We had a fantastic 2013, particularly with the new Vanquish, so we were confident that we’d be ‘up there’ internationally, based on the New Zealand market share stats that we had received. It is particularly fitting that we achieved the number one spot in the centenary celebration year for Aston Martin.

“The celebration events that we shared with our customers and owners during the last year, again emphasized to us the real passion held here in New Zealand for Aston Martin sports cars. The future certainly looks bright with a strong model range and all-new dedicated dealership, in the not too distant future.”

There seems to be plenty to look forward to from Aston Martin in New Zealand, so let’s see what the rest of 2014 has to offer.

Project Adder – an MGB with bite

Bill and Rae Denize have been active MG Car Club members in Wellington for nearly 32 years. They have held a variety of positions on the club committee, and now that they are both retired, they can be even more involved in the club’s activities. Bill is currently the president of the MG Car Club, Wellington Centre.
The list of cars they’ve owned over the years is testament to their passion for the brand. It includes a 1972 Midget — the round rear-wheel arch model with 1275cc motor; a three-door 2004 MG ZR; a 2005 MG ZR (five-door); and Rae’s 2005 MG TF, which they still own. Bill also raced a 1967 Morris Mini Cooper S at Manfeild for many years. That car featured in an article in the January 2013 issue of this magazine.
In April 2013, Bill sold the Cooper S and decided to buy a low mileage, freshly imported MG RV8 from Japan. He liked the idea as there were only 1983 built in the early 1990s, which, hopefully, would translate into these cars holding their value. More importantly, their bodies were galvanised, which meant fewer rust problems, although Bill and Rae didn’t escape encounters with oxidation unscathed.