Meeting the maker: Barry Griffin

One cool thing I like about Aston Martins is the small plaque under the bonnet that says:

HAND BUILT IN ENGLAND
FINAL INSPECTION BY
followed by the name of the “final inspector.

My first Aston (a V8 Vantage Roadster) was inspected by SIMON WARD. The plaque in my current V8 Vantage S Roaster says PAUL GODDARD.

But the final inspector of my favorite car,
my V12 Vantage, is BARRY GRIFFIN.

In April, my wife, a couple of friends and I visited the Aston Martin factory in Gaydon.
I always love going there. This was my 3rd time there, but still I enjoyed the factory tour (got a glimpse of the new Vanquish!), the new merchandise shop and especially the warm welcome by the Gaydon people.

But the coolest thing about this trip was that I met the maker of my Fire Red V12 Vantage, Barry Griffin! Here’s a photo of Barry, my wife and I. How cool is that?

Yes, I know you are not supposed to take pictures inside the factory.
But Simon said it was okay ๐Ÿ™‚

So who’s the final inspector of your Aston?

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