I Want An Aston Martin

“Only the shrewdest, most pragmatic thinkers will qualify as successful emotion merchants.”

Ulrich Bez, CEO Aston Martin Motorcars, as quoted in the April 2012 issue of Automobile Magazine.

The engine turns over with a hollow whine and bursts into life, the intake and exhaust play in concert a raspy, sinister snarl. Yes, I am anthropomorphizing. The Zagato V12 wears a coat of bright claret paint with a black pearl. The car tears up the road, a deserted curvy two lane through snowy blue grey forest. The sky is overcast. The car sweeps across the landscape, the driver drifts it through a turn, the V12 soars and falls through its rev range, the exhaust howls. Even though the Aston Martin is far far away from any rank on my wish list, even though I am completely happy with my little Volkswagen GTI, desire stirs in me. Watching the video once is not enough. I am entranced a half dozen times.

The power of want is remarkable. Compared to a Honda Accord the Zagato is over twenty times the money, seats 2/5’s the people, gets half the fuel economy, and requires way more maintenance. With a network of about 25 dealers in the US, well, good luck if the thing craps out while you and your squeeze are road tripping it across South Dakota. Despite this, people actually buy them. Oh tut, tut, Mr. Spoilsport! Hit the replay button again. None of this really matters now does it?

While I appreciate Mr. Bez’s forthrightness about what constitutes effective leadership, his comment troubles me. We consumers apparently have signed over the satisfaction of our emotions - or some of them - to the decisions of thinkers, not feelers. And thinking has nothing to do with feeling, I think.

The thinkers are observant and methodical. They pay attention and take notes on our wants, and what it takes to get us to plunk down our cash for things we definitely do not need. It then becomes as easy as getting us to think about the peanut and we salivate. We are predictable in our aspirations, or at least I am as my response to the video indicates. And that’s what troubles me. I fancy myself a bit more complex, mysterious even. But I’m not. I’m a guy, and all it takes are a few images and sounds of a red car with a V12 ripping down a lonely back road, and they got me. Thank goodness the price of admission is beyond my means because damn it all, now I want an Aston Martin.

Gordon Bunker

Photo: Aston Martin Motorcars