FEATURE DRIVE STORY

WORDS DAN TRENT PHOTOGRAPHY SIM MAINEY FindFind thethe beautybeauty

A tour of northern England, exploring creative director Marek Reichman’s journey to Aston Martin, reveals some unexpected influences on the cars he has shaped

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he long-outdated ‘grim up north’ stereotype may no longer be a true reflection of this proud region’s post-industrial identity. But there’s an undeniable grit to both mindset and landscape, seemingly far removed from the more idealised vision of Englishness that many might associate with Aston Martin. Yet, thanks to -born chief creative officer Marek Reichman, the influence of the urban and natural Tscenery of the north is present in everything from Vantage to Valkyrie. Hence the inspiration for a bit of a road trip in one of his cars, tracing a chronological and geographical path through his upbringing to better understand how these surroundings inform the spirit of the Vantage we’ll be driving. From Marek’s hometown of Sheffield we’ll follow his journey across the Pennines and North York Moors to Middlesbrough, where he studied industrial design and combined his fascination for the manufacturing process with influences from the rich landscape, history and traditions. ‘I can appreciate the beauty in anything,’ muses Marek, relaxing in an office stacked with an eclectic array of inspirational objects, ranging from boutique bicycles to hand-crafted Japanese teapots. ‘Whatever it might be, I’ve got a strange affinity to ‘From an observing and studying it. And it’s a funny thing, you grow up in the industrial north and not many early age I was people would assume you’re born with these instincts.’ But, as we’ll see, for all the associations surrounded by with heavy industry, the region has also nurtured artistic talent, and expressed its traditions keenly people physically in more creative ways. ‘I think one of the reasons I wanted to be a maker of stuff and an inventor of stuff was because I grew making stuff’ up in Sheffield,’ reflects Marek. ‘My dad was a blacksmith, not in one of the big steelworks but in – Marek Reichman

Clockwise from above a more boutique shop that did everything from Reichman today, recalling his wrought iron gates to chains for ships. It’ll all be formative years in the north automated now, but he did it one link at a time, all of England; Vantage pauses at Spout House on the North by hammer. So from an early age I was surrounded York Moors – as a car-mad by people physically making stuff.’ student, Reichman would often drive these roads; fine It therefore seems appropriate to start our cutlery being crafted at David journey in the city where Marek grew up, and one Mellor Design, a process that that so perfectly embodies the way extremes of captivated the young Marek industrial and natural landscape coexist here. Sheffield’s roots are of course in metalworking, the invention of stainless steel here and the city’s association with the cutlery industry proving technical innovation and design have always rubbed shoulders. Not so long ago, giant steelworks beside the M1 broadcast Sheffield’s might; these days the more obvious landmark is the Meadowhall shopping centre, which says much about how the world has changed. The fact that sites of former steelworks are now overspill car parks for the mall is evidence

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that the city’s industrial past is steadily being occupying a distinctive circular building Above and right Between cities steeped erased. It’s not all gone though, the main route designed by Sir Michael Hopkins, where visitors in steelmaking and from the M1 taking you right through the can still observe the manufacturing process manufacturing lies some truly beautiful countryside middle of Sheffield Forgemasters, with grand from start to finish. Mellor’s son Corin has taken and some superb driving red-brick offices towering over one side of the the business on and, like his father, enjoys living roads, whose challenging road and the stacks and chimneys of the works and working on the same site, flitting between topography is meat and drink to the agile Vantage on the other. It may be a shadow of what was this charming rural location and the hustle and once there, but the fact that your arrival in the bustle of the firm’s flagship stores in Marylebone city is through the centre of a metalworks says and Sloane Square. The influence of his father’s much about its roots. Even at this early hour, the work on Marek and the informal connection hum of furnaces, clang of metal and sight of come as a pleasant revelation to Corin – the workers arriving for the morning shift proves fact that both have found success expressing Sheffield is still a city defined by steel, albeit the industrial traditions of their hometown now at the specialist, high-end of the spectrum, through creative and luxurious product design with specialist components for the defence and is a happy coincidence. nuclear industries. The short drive here has revealed another Stereotypical boxes having been ticked, in a aspect to Marek’s ‘find the beauty’ mantra too, leafy suburb close to the city centre we find namely the proximity of Sheffield’s gritty side Broom Hall, former home and studio for with the beauty and splendour of truly stunning ‘The Vantage celebrated silversmith and industrial designer countryside. Out here the Vantage is in its David Mellor. The young Marek used to while element too, its pugnacious proportions ready is in its away time here, enjoying a unique insight into to tackle the tight and twisty roads while the how design and manufacturing are one and the crackles of the exhaust reflect off the granite element, the same. ‘They had an open studio and you could rockfaces and dry stone walls. sit outside the building and watch the whole And it only gets better the further north crackles of process, from drawing to model making, then to we go. Over Holme Moss into Huddersfield, we the foundry and then the finished articles,’ he skirt Leeds before branching off the A1 at reflects. ‘As a young teenager I used to watch Thirsk, heading for the North York Moors via the exhaust the designers sketch and make stuff and that Sutton Bank. We’re tracing Marek’s path from was it really, I knew what I wanted to do.’ school days in Sheffield to his university years reflecting off David Mellor Design has since relocated to in Middlesbrough, another town built on steel the nearby town of , and heavy industry. The picturesque market rockfaces’

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town of Helmsley provides a handy lunch stop; Above and right natural scenery and the expansiveness of the Even though he knew he a gaggle of motorcyclists relaxing in the town landscape had further influence on Marek and wanted to be a car designer, square hint at the fun to be had on the local his university friends too: cheap lodgings in Reichman studied industrial design at Teesside roads. Its comparable length and topography to Middlesbrough meant they could channel University; heavy industry the Nürburgring mean the 13-mile road to money into classic cars to enjoy out here. and iconic structures like the Newport Bridge (below nearby Stokesley is something of a magnet for ‘As soon as we got our grant money we’d right) also inspired him petrolheads of all persuasions – Aston Martin’s look in the local paper – you could buy some own test centre beside the famous German track amazing things back then,’ laughs Marek. ‘I had is core to the development of all of its cars. a Sunbeam Alpine, an Alfasud, a Rover P6, a ’63 Little surprise, then, that the Vantage feels Mini, a 425cc 2CV, a Series II Land Rover, all right at home, the twists, turns and crests all sorts of things – we just kept switching, buying reminiscent of the famous track, the final section one at the beginning of term, doing a little work feeling distinctly Germanic thanks to the pine to it, selling it, and then upgrading or buying plantations bordering the road. One advantage something else. If you had the desire to find of testing at the ’Ring is that, as with British stuff you could do it all cheaply.’ B-roads, the surface is bumpy and unpredictable, But why Teesside? Put simply, the quality of ‘Suddenly meaning the Vantage has a natural sense of flow the education and a valuable lesson he’d learned on both roads and racetracks. Rather than try to at school in Sheffield. ‘I had a great mentor I wasn’t isolate you from your surroundings, it helps called Jock Mitchell, who was the most amazing you to enjoy and appreciate them, with the aim design technology teacher,’ Marek recalls. ‘I’d embarrassed of making every mile memorable. And that it answer his briefs very quickly but he would does, the turbocharged torque of the V8 always ask me: “But why, laddy?” I’d say I’d to be from ensuring effortless progress, punctuated by the answered his question but he’d say: “Find out click-clack of the shifter paddles you’re the why; you’ll thank me in the end!” I actually encouraged to use in this type of driving. thought he didn’t like me, but when I got my the north, to From here we cut east and onto the North grades I realised why he’d pushed me so hard.’ York Moors, the wide-open topography of In Middlesbrough he saw something he’d not be the son of which makes you feel on top of the world. The encountered at any other campus he’d visited. combination of fantastic roads, the rugged ‘It was a brand-new campus, everything was a blacksmith’

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pristine and the tutors were all fresh out of Specification makes it exciting. I honestly believe if I’d grown industry and full of enthusiasm,’ says Marek. ‘I ENGINE V8, 3982cc, twin-turbo MAX POWER 503bhp up surrounded by cars like that I wouldn’t have wanted to study industrial design because, even @ 6000rpm MAX TORQUE 505lb ft @ 2000-5000rpm had the same excitement. And I want to generate TRANSMISSION Eight-speed automatic with paddleshift, though I knew I wanted to be a car designer, I rear-wheel drive, E-Diff, torque-vectoring SUSPENSION that same feeling.’ didn’t just want to be a stylist. I wanted to come Front: double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic adaptive Practically speaking, it’s about combining the dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: multi-link, coil springs, at it from the other direction and understand the telescopic adaptive dampers, anti-roll bar STEERING functional and the beautiful into a single design, manufacturing processes I’d seen as a kid.’ Rack-and-pinion, electrically assisted BRAKES Vented underpinned by an appreciation of materials discs, 400mm front, 360mm rear, ABS, EBD WHEELS As with Sheffield, the juxtaposition of heavy 9 x 20in front, 11 x 20in rear TYRES 255/40 ZR20 front, and production processes. Marek gestures to the industry and beautiful natural scenery proved 295/35 ZR20 rear, Pirelli P Zero WEIGHT 1630kg (est) two bikes he has in his office, one a traditional inspiring too. ‘Given the stark nature of the POWER TO WEIGHT 314bhp/ton 0-60MPH 3.5sec steel-tubed racer, one a more modern carbonfibre (claimed) TOP SPEED 195mph (claimed) PRICE £120,900 town itself there was very much a focus on the Pinarello. ‘Most people would say it’s just a bike course, so you tended to concentrate on your frame. But that bike compared with the Pinarello work. It made me search for beauty and a melting pot of creativity and influences from is totally different – it’s beautiful where the something to inspire me, and I found that in the across all artistic disciplines. ‘The inclusivity of modern one is functional. In our cars it’s about countryside, the coastline, the old industries everything was a real eye-opener,’ he recalls. combining the two and finding the perfect you see up in the hills and all the rest.’ ‘Suddenly you’re not embarrassed to be from compromise between beauty and performance. Like Sheffield, Middlesbrough is reinventing the north, to be the son of a blacksmith, because So Valkyrie is the least compromised of anything itself and signs of its industrial heritage are fast everyone is interested and it means something. we’ll ever do, whereas something like DBX has disappearing. Imposing steel structures such as At the RCA you’re in the centre of it all, at the to have functionality. But you don’t have to the Newport Bridge and iconic Transporter heart of an institution created to make Britain give up beauty for function, and following that Bridge over the River Tees remain landmarks, a world leader in art and design.’ mantra is what I do on a daily basis. That is the while Teesport on the south bank and the miles When you put it like that it’s easier to “how” as opposed to the “why”, if you like.’ of pipework snaking through the vast petro- understand how growing up where he did Which is why taking the Vantage – the design chemical works on the other side prove industry equipped him for designing luxury sports cars, of which was overseen by Marek – to some of hasn’t entirely left the area, even if the imposing the like of which would have been a rare sight the places that informed it makes for such a Redcar steelworks now stands idle after the in ’80s Sheffield. ‘It goes back to Jock and the fascinating experience. While you might expect furnaces were finally switched off in 2015. “why” I think,’ reflects Marek. ‘Why did we all to find inspiration in a fabulous road across The bright lights and glamour of London run to the windows at the RCA any time we stunning countryside, the steelworks of seem a long, long way from here. But Reichman’s heard a supercar coming by? Obviously, we’d Sheffield and the brutal industrial landscapes northern grounding served him well at the seen them in magazines and suchlike, but it of Teesside also play their part – and that is a , where he’d followed in was still like stumbling across a wild animal. lesson in Marek’s ‘find the beauty’ philosophy. the footsteps of his Sheffield compatriot David That was the why, and creating that feeling in That dichotomy is at the root of Aston Martin’s Mellor. Like Mellor, at the RCA he found everything you do is the wow factor, that’s what unique blend of innovation and style. V

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