DB9 'opens' for business

ASTON MARTIN'S eagerly awaited DB9 Volante has been showing its inner strengths. Launched at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2005, the drop-top version gives away nothing of the athletic visual drama of the coupe while offering customers quick access to the elements, courtesy of an ingenious roof arrangement.

When down, it reveals a sumptuous, sporting `Luxmill` super-soft Bridge of Weir Scottish leather interior. The leather selection, developed exclusively for Aston Martin, reflects the standards of quality and 20- colour palette available in the coupe. Ten top quality northern European cattle hides are used in the process.

Bridge of Weir Sales Manager, Dale Wallace commented: "We've been making leather for automotive purposes since 1905. We have never been more thrilled to supply a great marque. Many of the team at Bridge of Weir are long-time car enthusiasts. And of course, there is the additional satisfaction in knowing that with the DB9 Volante our skills and technology are as much in evidence to passing admirers as Aston Martin's - at least when the sun shines!"

Bridge of Weir became Aston Martin's supplier for leather on the DB7 and the flagship Vanquish model. Its super-soft aniline leather was also used in the limited run DB7 Zagato Coupe and DB AR1. The company's tannery and finishing facilities - based in the Renfrewshire countryside close to Glasgow International Airport - have the benefit of being on the doorstep of some of the best cattle hides available. Pure Scottish water is another advantage - particularly for soft leathers such as those used by Aston Martin. Bridge of Weir's adherence to excellence in environmental management, and strict regulation by Scotland's environmental protection agencies, means water-based processes are used in finishing both to preserve the environment and to offer a more pleasing look and feel.