About Us
About Us

About Us

This website is the main knowledge base for all information regarding Aston Martin cars and recognise that some words, model names, logos and designations used within these web pages are the property of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. I have used them for identification purposes only. This is not an official web site and has no formal connection with Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, the Aston Martin Owners Club or the Aston Martin Heritage Trust. All photographs and text are the copyright of Tim Cottingham 1986-2015 unless it is started otherwise. Please do not reproduce any images on these pages without my express permission. The information within this site is true and complete to the best of my knowledge but I do occasionally make mistakes.    
About Us

How did the site come about?

I started working on this website at the start of 1998 just for a bit of fun really although some of the images date back to the mid 1980’s. The very first pages appeared on the 11th February 1998 . But I didn’t expect that it would be anything like as popular as it has become. I really wanted to create something to celebrate my favourite marque – just for myself – the fact that other people enjoy it too is just a bonus. Its really helped me to understand this famous company so much better; it’s history, ethos and standards of quality. I have tried very hard to demystify the many models and variants of the cars to make the history of the marque as straightforward as possible. Despite my general interest in cars, computers and photography, they are nothing to do with my work. Neither have I ever received any formal training in the workings of the automotive industry, IT or photography. But whatever, I hope that my enthusiasm for Aston Martins shines through. By writing this site, I continue to enlarge my personal knowledge of the marque; I hope that it may have informed and inspired you too.

Where do all the photographs come from?

This site is a little different from most other car websites. Instead of ‘borrowing’ photographs from books, magazines and other websites, I have taken almost every picture myself. And I’m very proud of that achievement. In a few instances, I have been forced to use AML press pictures to show cars that I have not had the opportunity to photograph for myself. I thus hold the copyright for almost every picture. I would therefore appreciate it if you only copied the photographs to your computer for your own personal use. Please, please do not take these photographs for use on any other website or similar publication without my express permission. If you have a legitimate commercial use for any of my photographs, I will sell you a license for the specific use you require. High resolution images are available. I’m afraid that due to time pressure, I’m not able to sell prints for private use.

What Photographic Equipment is used on the site?

I got my first SLR Nikon in the early 1980’s and use Nikon equipment exclusively. Prior to going digital, I used an FA and F3 with negatives scanned with a Nikon CoolScan. When changing over to digital, I first experimented with an inexpensive Nikon Coolpix, then moved onto a better bridge camera. My first D-SLR was a D70S. Until recently I was using Nikon D200 and D300 bodies with a variety of Nikkor zoom lenses from 12mm to 400mm. I have recently added to my kit list a Coolpix P7100 and a Nikon D800. Some images were also taken on an iPhone

How is the site Financed?

This site was initially funded from my own pocket. Thankfully I now sell images for editorial and advertising uses. Please contact me if you need to purchase photographs for commercial use. Also the site is also funded by banner advertising from companies offering services to Aston Martin owners and enthusiasts. If you are a dealer in Astons, service Astons or have a product that would be of special interest to enthusiasts, please consider an inexpensive series of banners on this site.

How do you know so much about Aston Martins?

I really do have a large collection of Aston Martin books – almost every title and started reading them from the late 1970’s. And I consult them regularly when writing the pages for this site. My most commonly used resource is the Aston Martin Register – without this one book the website wouldn’t be really possible. Odd then that for the next edition of the register in late 2015, it’ll be me that has written it.

There are also some excellent Aston Martin websites that are more specialised than mine. V8vantage.com covers the high performance Aston Martin variants. It especially is good for news items and developments of the marque. Kean Rogers has assisted with the V8 Vantage and Zagato pages. LagondaNet covers the Towns Lagonda and is written by Lagonda enthusiast, Roger Ivett. Roger has thankfully proof read the Lagonda pages.

Do you work for Aston Martin? Is this site recognised by the factory?

I do not work for Aston Martin at all but I currently hold the position as Registrar of Cars at the Aston Martin Heritage Trust. This website is not officially sanctioned by the factory but I receive some assistance from AML and Aston Martin Works which I am very grateful for. I must add that this website is also totally independent of the Aston Martin Owners Club and Aston Martin Heritage Trust. Whilst it is not recognised officially by AML, people who work for the company are known to use it as a reference source.

Do you own an Aston Martin?

If you are a member of the Aston Martin Owners Club, then you can look me up in the members list. Otherwise, if you meet me face to face, you can ask me.