Never mind getting the bride to the church on time. Here’s how the groom can arrive in true James Bond style.
Businessman Jonathan Firth has launched Brighouse-based Aston Martin Event Hire to give the groom added vroom!
Brides have always had the monopoly on special wedding cars but now Jonathan, 33, has struck a blow for male equality.
Jonathan has always loved his cars and had Porsches in the past.
But when he swapped his flash motor for a more understated two-seater Aston Martin Vantage, he hit on a business idea that’s taken off.
For around £350 Jonathan will turn chauffeur to transport the groom to his wedding in the leather-bound luxury of an Aston Martin.
Jonathan said: “It’s a unique idea and no-one had done it in the wedding market before.
“The groom is often forgotten about in the wedding planning with the bride’s dress, the wedding cake and the flowers but this is something a bride often does as a surprise for her man. Everyone loves an Aston Martin.”
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Jonathan bought the 2006 Vantage “on impulse” for £35,000 – around a third of the price it would have been brand new – and fell in love with the rare midnight blue paint job.
The throaty roar of the exhaust and the classy exterior lines means the car turns heads but isn’t as ‘in-yer-face’ as a Ferrari.
“It’s quite a classy marque and not a car you see every day,” said Jonathan. “When the Vantage was launched it was called the most desirable car in the world and there was a two-year waiting list.
“Even at £35,000 there is no shortage of people wanting to buy it, whether it’s a midlife crisis car or they’ve got a promotion. And it’s a good investment. It’ll retain its value.”
Running costs don’t come cheap. At 14-19mpg it’s thirsty on petrol and repairs and parts can be painfully expensive – a clutch only lasts for around 30,000 miles and will cost £3,000 to replace.
Surprisingly, Jonathan’s insurance isn’t that outrageous. Fully-comprehensive business use comes in at an almost affordable £500.
Aston Martin owned for a time by Huddersfield industrialist Sir David Brown, hence the DB initials on some of the models, is currently road testing its latest DB11.
The £155,000 supercar won’t go on sale until later this year but a ‘camouflaged’ model has been snapped on the streets of West Yorkshire.
The test car was pulled over by traffic cops in Rastrick last week, probably for a closer inspection rather than the manner of the driving.
Police wanted to tweet a picture but Aston Martin insisted the whole car be blurred out.
The DB11, with a swirly body covering to hide its curves, was also spotted in Leeds.
Aston Martins will always be synonymous with James Bond from the iconic DB5, which first appeared in the 1964 film Goldfinger with Sean Connery, to the specially-built DB11 driven by Daniel Craig in the 2014 film Spectre.
Jonathan also provides his car for James Bond theme nights and other special events.
And, of course, there is a strong Huddersfield link as the car firm was owned by Huddersfield engineering tycoon Sir David Brown for several years.
