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British Pair Drive Aston Martin into the Record Books - VIDEO FEATURE


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Drivers Phil Colley and Richard Meredith flank Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez

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LONDON - August 16, 2007:

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Bold Brits Richard Meredith and Phil Colley drove into the record books when they and their travel-stained Aston Martin V8 Vantage arrived at the InterContinental London Park Lane on August 14 at the end of an epic 10,000-mile journey from Tokyo to London along the new Asian Highway network of roads.

In doing so the pair have raised awareness of road safety issues across the world and raised money to aid UNICEF in providing road safety education for children in China. Entitled Driving Home Road Safety 2007, the drive had the support of the United Nations, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Foundation and UNICEF.

The duo have become the first people to traverse the full extent of the new Asian Highway road network during an incredible 49-day drive which saw them cross no fewer than 18 countries. In the same time it’s taken to complete the journey, an estimated 150,000 people will have been killed on the world’s roads – a figure which includes 25,000 children. Yet Richard, 58 and Phil, 42 who took on the drive to support the Make Roads Safe campaign, say that this death toll is largely preventable.

The trip saw them visit Japan – from where they set off on June 25 – crossing the East China Sea into South Korea and then encountering a lengthy border crossing into China. After 18 days traversing China, the duo entered Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, reaching the end of the Asian Highway in Istanbul, before completing their drive through Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, France and the UK.

In an impressive feat of reliability and endurance, the pair and their factory-prepared Aston Martin – which had already accrued 100,000 miles before departing – arrived at the InterContinental London Park Lane precisely on schedule, after defying some of the most demanding road conditions in the world. Extreme heat, bureaucracy and petrol supply problems made this trip a constant challenge.

Surrounded by family, friends, well-wishers, and members of the UK-based team which had tracked and supported them every inch of the way, the pair found it difficult to hide their relief that the journey was over, and their pride in what they and their car had achieved.

“This is a memorable moment,” said Richard, a 58-year-old teacher from Newport Pagnell, Bucks. “I had been planning this trip for nearly two years, and can hardly believe it is now over.”

Londoner Phil, a 42-year-old travel specialist, agreed. “It is incredible,” he said. “To have completed the journey is one thing, but to do so on schedule is something else. I will never forget it.”

Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Officer who was in London to welcome the duo, was equally enthusiastic.

“We have followed Richard’s and Phil’s ups and downs all the way, and admired their determination. The car, too, has been more than up to the demanding task they asked of it, and we are very proud of its unfailing reliability. This journey has been the V8 Vantage’s toughest test to date, and reiterates that the Vantage is a truly useable and durable sports car.”



As a gesture of Aston Martin’s commitment to this epic fundraising journey, Dr Bez announced that the car would be auctioned and all the proceeds would be donated to the UNICEF China fund that the drive has been supporting.

Richard and Phil have been using the drive to highlight the following statistics provided by the UN and World Bank:

At least 440,000 people are estimated to be killed and 30 million injured each year on Asian roads – including the Asia-Pacific Highway; By 2020 the UN estimates that two thirds of the world’s road deaths may occur on Asian roads, due to rapid motorisation; At least 1.2 million people worldwide are estimated to be killed each year on the roads – more than 3000 people every day; Road crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 10-24.

About Aston Martin
Aston Martin’s history dates back to 1914, establishing itself as a technical pioneer in the early days of motor racing. In the post-war era the company became famous for the 'DB' series of high performance saloons. Today, Aston Martin is a thoroughly modern manufacturer, with a range of the most technologically advanced performance cars currently available. From the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, introduced in 2005, to the V12-engined DB9 and DB9 Volante, Aston Martin continues to embody the values of power, beauty and soul. The company's established low-volume, high quality manufacturing tradition has been preserved and enhanced by the creation of a cutting edge manufacturing facility at Gaydon in Warwickshire, and the unique VH (Vertical/Horizontal) architecture that underpins the V8 Vantage and DB9 models provides a solid base upon which future models can be developed.