........let me throw this out there for discussion.............I don't know about the Vantage series but I do know that on the vast majority of DB series that the door tops are capped in wood. I'm just not diggin' it for a couple of reasons.......first.....as good as AM attn to detail is.....I just don't think it looks good..........secondly, Sometimes I try to put my arm up there and it just hurts my elbow to be there! Talk amongst yourselves......I'm too verklempt................

 

Can't speak to your complaint b/c both the AMs I've owned have had leather door caps.... Always thought that wood would be quite uncomfortable on the elbows. Looks good but.... My issue with the leather door caps is the ends have a small piece of trim that comes off quite easily (my Virage was missing the one on the right door) b/c it's held in place with a Velcro type fastener. Why AM didn't make the. Cap one piece I'm not quite sure....

 

I've had wood, leather, and piano finish on mine...currently back to wood. Putting your elbow on the cap, leather or wood, is still uncomfortable.

 

After owning three Lagonda's (ok stop laughing) I fell for the Aston smell of Connley hides and wood. Unfortunately the hides are no longer available, and the wood is merely a veneer however a very good veneer. My first new Aston Vantage thus I wanted spec'd with wood door caps and dash. At the time I requested from Aston Works Bamboo which they said was not possible, but after a week I got a phone call from them that said they could make burr walnut work on the door caps because of the sharp bend as opposed to the DB9 which has a smooth bend at the top. Total cost? Only $2500 (or about the cost of two replacement keys programmed for my 09 Vantage). I have a request from the factory to provide the same for my new 09 Vantage.

Below are pictures

 

I broke the code about making those little end pieces stay put.....during the door re-assembly after the stereo upgrade I made sure the bracket that holds the thing in place is properly aligned for full bonding contact and I scraped all the old adhesive from the factory off and I used a little square of that thick, dual sided adhesive tape like is used for body side molding. One square on the bracket and one piece on the end cap itself. It comes apart just fine if you have to go back in there but it will NOT fall off.

 

Looks good to me...but then I do like wood.