Before the concours reports, some rather more important news. Long-standing Area 00 members Christian and Cherelyn were married in early September, and their getaway car from the church was a 1990s 6.3 wide-bodied Virage Volante. Not a bad way to leave a wedding, and a considerably better choice than the usual ribboned saloon. On behalf of everyone in Area 00, congratulations to you both. We wish you every happiness.
September then delivered exactly the pile-up of events that August's calendar promised, and for once the diary clash between Salon Privé and Hampton Court was resolved in the most Area 00 way possible: some of us went to both.
At the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court, Darryl was back on the lawn with his Graber-bodied 1952 DB2 Drophead Coupe. Sadly there was no repeat of last year's win, but the car looked every bit as good as it did when we were all raising a glass to it at the RAC back in March.
The marque did well overall. The 1960 DB4 GT Zagato, 1 VEV, had a very good afternoon indeed, taking both the 1960s Decade Award and the Finest Aston Martin title, with the 1955 DB3 S and a 1960 DB4 GT behind it. The DB4 GT went on to win Finest Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, while the 1966 DBSC Prototype picked up the Art of Bespoke Award and the 2012 One-77 won Future Classics ahead of a Veyron and a GMA T.50.
Over at Blenheim, Debbie was invited by Lockton and Salon Privé to judge at Supercar Saturday, which sounds like a considerably harder day's work than it looks from the outside. Choosing between that many very expensive cars in one afternoon requires either great discipline or a few glasses of champagne, and I suspect Debs managed both.
From the AGM, congratulations to Jason Karr, who by the time you read this should be the AMOC's new Chairman. Congratulations also to Debbie, re-elected for another term. Whether my entirely unofficial campaigning in prior months made any difference I couldn't say, but I shall be claiming credit regardless, and I look forward to seeing what progress is made on that Bolly sponsorship and sharing a glass with both of them at the next meeting.
At the time of writing we had yet to have our September drinks, the first back after the summer break and the usual closure of the Long Bar, so a report on that will have to wait until next month. Our October drinks are likely to be on Thursday 15th, and as ever we will send out confirmation by Club email shortly before.
And finally, in what may or may not be a first, the end of September sees a scouting party from Area 00 heading to Delhi - this time in a winged machine in the air rather than one on the ground. Is this the beginning of an international expansion? A reconnaissance mission for future touring possibilities? Or simply an excuse to help Kabir celebrate his birthday? I couldn't possibly say, though I know which explanation I'd put money on. Expect a brief report next month, assuming anyone can be persuaded to file one and if we have all survived.
All the best.