Comments, Views and Reviews
Ref: DBR1 Replica designed and built by Andrew Soar of AS Motorsport
I first saw ASM’s replica at Goodwood Revival in 2008. Love at first sight. A good look around and many questions, and finally “How much?”
A good deal of soul searching ensued, with encouraging noises coming from my wife Fran (who really isn’t interested in cars other than as a means of transport). I met Andrew at his works in Norfolk and it really is a farm. I took my son to stop me doing something stupid, if he thought I was just carried away by its sheer beauty. I took the plunge and ordered one, sorting out an aff specification. One of the things that impressed me was there was so much available above the basic spec. Finance was my limiter not having a bottomless pit and now being more or less retired.
Andy answered my almost ceaseless emails of questions without hesitation and was always up front if there was any delays. The only one being the engine stuck at VSE being re-built which was not his fault. On collection I drove it home without missing a beat, I think I was grinning all the way. Andy had modified slightly the front and rear suspensions. He didn’t need to tell me and I would never have known, but he did. He has a great pride in his product and quite right too.
Over the years I have built and owned a 289 Hawk Cobra, a Proteus C Type and a Suffolk SS100 amongst Tr’s, a GT6, and when I was young, E types and one Lotus Cortina (new, which gives a clue to my age). They have all given me pleasure and Andy’s Aston is right up there at the front. Three years on from my drive home I am still in love with it and I count Andy as a friend not just a man I bought a car from.
Rodney Bolwell, Surrey
From the age of 13, and a day at Silverstone Classic Car Race, my dream was to own a DBR2. So 40 years on while trawling through Aston Martin sites, I was drawn to the ASM site. Phone call was made. On a sunny Saturday morning in July I drove to the small village of Bressingham, in Norfolk. On my arrival, Andrew was reversing a ASM R1 out of his workshop. The decision was made there and then. I was going to order one. Andrew Soar is polite, full of information and has a passion for his work. He will answer all my questions even the stupid ones we don’t mean to ask. There is no hard sell and all costs are laid out for you to see. From start to finish I’ve been kept up to date with all progress and pictures, and made welcome to visit at any time. The car is a first class build and finish ( mine is all aluminium build ). It’s been a pleasure to do business with Andrew and his family who we have got to know as friends now… A big thank you to Andrew’s Mum and Dad for teas and coffee and food … THANK YOU.
I love classic cars and I am a regular visitor to the Goodwood Revival. It was here that I met Andrew Soar from AS Motorsport for the first time. I own an Eagle Engineered E Type but wanted to extend my collection - one candidate was the ‘57 DBR1/2 but since only two were made the price tag is hefty (one was just sold for £20 million). But there is an alternative, a hand built replica. I wanted a car that drove like the original, was not going to breakdown all the time and was road legal. I got all this in bucketfuls! I chose a 4.2 race tuned straight six Jaguar engine and what a buzz this gives you, 0-60 in under six seconds and 400 lbs of torque at 3000 revs. The car is more powerful than the one that won Le Mans in ’59. When I signed the contract with Andrew the fun began. Andrew, an understated character with a wicked sense of humour, made me feel very much part of the process. The updates and pictures of the build are regular and informative. Andrew is a perfectionist, always looking for improvements to the design. To get a truly hand built car for these prices is a steal. When I collected the car I drove to France (Ilive in Cannes), a real test. This trip was fantastic and covered by both Aston Martin Magazine and Classic Car. I had never experienced such motoring joy. Not just bringing pleasure to me and my son, who escorted me, but also the public at large, the car caused a great deal of head turning. Since then I have been to Mille Miglia three times, Goodwood Revival three times, Le mans Classic and Monte Carlo Historique. In all I have covered as I write 18,000 kms of trouble free motoring. Most importantly when you buy a car from Andrew you buy into a small club of owners, he continues to provide great after sales service and is very interested in any little niggles, can advise and get parts to you quickly, even to France. I would recommend you buy one for yourself.
Elite Racing Transmissions have been dealing with Andrew Soar of AS Motorsport for some 2 years now, providing our specialist transmission parts in both standard format and modified versions for AS Motorsport projects. In our dealings with Andrew, we have always found him to be very professional, logical and mechanically minded. We are very happy for our classic range of products to be utilised by Andrew and showcased in the beautiful cars that ASM produce. An understanding of engineering constraints, both timescale and manufacturing related is a big attribute of Andrews. This allows him to plan job timescales accurately and makes our interactions east due to his comprehension of the challenges we face in manufacturing and prototype work. We hope to grow our relationship further with AS Motorsport and continue to be one of their major suppliers in the future.
I first met Andrew Soar at the Revival in 2009. I was hugely impressed by these beautiful cars and not only the attention to detail but also his enthusiasm for seeking to combine the period feel with the benefits of contemporary engineering. I went away trying to find a way of justifying to myself the cost of commissioning a build. I left it for a couple of years but saw the cars again at the Revival last year and this time thought “What the hell – get on with it!” From the moment that I handed over the initial deposit, I have been impressed by the professional manner which Andrew brings to the whole exercise. The options list can seem a little daunting at first but Andrew shows great patience in going through each item, even being perfectly willing to incorporate new ideas or take a new slant on things. Having been able to make a few visits to the workshops, I have found the construction process not only highly interesting but also that it leads to increased confidence in what is being built. Andrew has been very good in discussing various aspects at each stage and emailing tantalizing glimpses of the progress. I am looking forward to the complete photographic record of the build. On the financial side, Andrew has always been most efficient in handling requests for stage payments and acknowledging same with formal statements. The test drive that was arranged would be the first hook for anyone found wavering and, having taken my Caterham around the Nurburg ring this year, leaves me chomping at the bit to repeat the exercise in the ASM R1. One word of warning. Trying not to wish one’s life away whilst waiting for the delivery day is a fairly tall order. Here again, Andrew is pretty skilled at managing expectations. Ask him “When?” and he gives such a wonderfully non-committal reply that it really doesn’t hurt at all!
Andrew, from AS Motorsport has the rare quality of being organised and therefore he is able to order exactly what his customer wants and needs, which greatly enhances the customer/supplier relationship. We supply remanufactured engines, fitted by Andrew, and a good, easy working relationship is essential to the high quality finished product.
My dealings with Andrew Soar and ASM are always a pleasure. Being the main man, he ensures everything gets done in a quiet but determined way. That, as a supplier to his firm, is good as it means we can go the extra mile ensuring the client gets what he requires without compromise. This is coupled with a superb business ethic that ensures that we get paid on time every time. Crucial and surprisingly rare these days. The above qualities have benefited the ASM project, along with keeping suppliers happy and untold hours of research conducted by the ASM team, the end product is a credit to them, looks great and drives well.
