His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales’ prized Aston Martin DB6 Volante is now helping raise funds for The Prince’s Trust, thanks to a collaboration with specialist sculptor of provenance metals, TMB ArtMetal. 

TMB has created 200 pairs of cufflinks, in two designs, formed from the car’s original aluminium engine pistons, which are now available to buy, with all profits going to youth charity, The Prince’s Trust.

Martina Milburn, chief executive of The Prince’s Trust, said: “With these proceeds, we will be able to help more young people into jobs across the UK. Young people have been hit hardest in the recession, so it’s now more important than ever to give them the skills and confidence they need to find work.”

The project also strikes a chord with The Prince of Wales’ dedication to the environment.  The six donor pistons became available when his DB6 was first converted to run on biofuel and their subsequent transformation into exclusive accessories is an unusual example of recycling components that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Christopher Bennett managing director of TMB and originator of the idea, said:  “These cufflinks are quintessential conversation pieces, with each pair directly benefiting The Prince’s Trust. When I heard about the possibility of creating such future heirlooms from The Prince’s Aston, the project was irresistible!”

TMB’s two, limited-edition cufflink designs have both been made into 100 pairs, each pair formed from aluminium piston and finished with 18ct gold.   One edition is an exact, miniature sculpture of the DB6 Volante, whilst the other replicates the car’s iconic wheel ‘spinners’ – the quick-release fixing that secures its wheels. 

Each is presented in a high-quality presentation case, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

ASTON MARTIN LAUNCHES ‘ASSURED’ SEAL OF APPROVAL

Aston Martin is to launch an exclusive ‘Assured’ seal of approval to endorse official products and services for its customers. The first products receiving this endorsement will be Aston Martin’s Pre-Owned and Extended Warranty programmes, both of which have undergone recent refreshments.

The official ‘Assured’ seal of approval is applied to underwrite factory-backed services and products, offering the reassurance and peace of mind that is only available from an authorised Aston Martin dealership. All ‘Assured’ services carry the logo which features the distinctive front grille; a design signature throughout all Aston Martins.

“The growth of our business over the last eight years has been consistent and by virtue of an extended but still exclusive model line-up we have been able to make the Aston Martin brand accessible to just a few more people” says Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez. “It is now right that we extend our capability to cater for this extended group of Aston Martin owners.”

The ‘Assured’ seal of approval is applied to the now well-established official Aston Martin Pre-Owned programme offering peace of mind through a meticulous 140-point inspection, a 12 month Aston Martin warranty, a comprehensive roadside assistance package and unrivalled expertise provided by factory trained sales and after sales staff.

This initiative adds to the successful introduction of the Aston Martin Pre-Owned locator; http://used.astonmartin.com which provides users with visibility of all available official pre-owned Aston Martins across the company’s global dealership network.

The Aston Martin Extended Warranty programme receives the ‘Assured’ seal of approval following a comprehensive redesign and now offers a range of updated extended warranty products. Designed to protect customer investment after manufacturer warranty has expired, two exclusive products are now available. Firstly, Extended Warranty Premium has been created especially for the latest generation of Aston Martins, from new factory build up to five years old.  Secondly Extended Warranty Plus caters for the needs of Aston Martins that are between five to ten years old, in order to ensure many more years of loyal service. These new simplified product structures are intended to offer owners a superior level of cover at competitive prices with both packages available in 12 and 24 month purchase coverage blocks.

Business Development Director, Philipp Grosse Kleimann says; “Assured is the official seal of the factory providing complete and unrivalled peace of mind and security for our customers. Beyond new car sales it is essential that we develop initiatives to support both existing and future Aston Martin owners while supporting our expanding dealership network with competitive products such as Pre-Owned and Extended Warranty, completing the customer brand experience.”

James Bond screeches around hairpin bends in them with a beautiful woman at his side, while they are the car of choice for European royalty in which to parade themselves around the Continent’s more opulent capitals.

Now, at last, the opportunity to pop out to the supermarket behind the wheel of an Aston Martin will be opened to the more conventional motorist.

The Aston Martin Cygnet — a new “luxury commuter concept” car, according to its marketeers — is to be built on the base of Toyota’s existing iQ city car and is likely to be available for less than £20,000.

“Small is beautiful these days,” Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin’s chief executive, said yesterday. “We have to move on from the preconceived ideas regarding what Aston Martin is about.”

Source: Times Online

To read this article in full, visit http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article6605832.ece