Aston Martin could be in a James Bond-like amount of danger soon. That depends on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s reaction to a petition drafted by James Walker, the chairman of the British automaker’s U.S. dealer advisory panel. It asks that two of the manufacturer’s vehicles be exempt from a regulation known as FMVSS 214.
Starting in September, cars will be tested for how well they protect occupants in the event of a sideways collision with thin, stationary objects such as trees and poles. The current DB9 and Vantage models don’t comply with the standards of the new procedure.
In the petition, Walker states, “Loss of [the ability to sell] V8/V12 Coupe and DB9 Coupe would reduce new car gross profit by approximately 25%, which would drive the average dealership to negative profitability.”
Drop-top Astons won’t meet the criteria by September 2015. Walker writes, “Loss of convertibles would reduce new car gross profit by approximately 40%, all dealers would be in the red.”
This all makes me wonder what ranking the DBS would receive in this situation:
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
