Aston Martins – a nice way to spruce up your residence

The following is a guest post by Zachary Zimmerman, a business development associate with UK Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Washington.

The British Ambassador to the United States has a nice house. Some argue that, since it is Sir Edwin Lutyens’ only architectural work in America and is adorned with a priceless display of art from the British Government Art Collection, it is one of the nicest houses in the country. But surrounded as it is by other nice houses on Embassy row, it needs a little something to make it stand out. Perhaps something like a new sports car with a beautiful carbon-fiber body and a 565-hp V12 engine? I think we are getting closer… Perhaps take this new sports car and multiply it by, oh, about forty, to create a string of gleaming Aston Martins covering the back lawn and grounds? Now that’s a nice house!

Last Thursday, the Ambassador hosted a reception for Aston Martin to showcase their new Aston Martin Vanquish and celebrate the prominent British brand’s 100th anniversary. Not only did the reception offer guests a glimpse of the new Vanquish, Bond’s new car in the upcoming Skyfall film; when the parking lot and surrounding streets became lined with local car dealers’ and enthusiasts’ array of sports cars, the event turned into a spectacle like few others.

In addition to being stylish enough for Bond to drive, this new Aston Martin represents the strength and innovation of the automotive industry in the UK. Indeed, Britain offers the largest number of specialist sports cars in the world, displaying its rich heritage through names such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce. As a whole, the UK automotive sector is worth over £10 billion ($16 billion) annually and produces over 1 million vehicles a year.

Trying to upstage the Joneses is never easy on Embassy row. But I think the Ambassador’s Aston Martin reception managed to do so on Thursday night.