“My mother said I would sit out on the front porch at the age of three and watch the cars go by for hours – I guess I was just born that way,” says Aston Martin owner Vernon Cooley, reflecting on his early fascination with cars.
The sports medicine doctor has treated some of the most famous athletes in the world, including Tiger Woods, but off the clock, he has spent the past 26 years curating his dream car collection. “I really look for three things when purchasing a car: rare, numbered, manual (when possible), and not electric.”
His first Aston Martin, Valour, ticked all the boxes. A retro-inspired special edition created to celebrate 110 years of Aston Martin, and limited to just 110 examples, it first caught his eye as a prototype in 2023 at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, during Monterey Car Week. “It was a beautiful design paying homage to the 1977 V8 Vantage, plus it had a manual transmission and a V12 – all things that I love,” he says.
Monterey Car Week remains his favourite fixture on the automotive calendar, and 2025 was another memorable occasion. “I am fortunate to be invited to events with other car brands, and they are all great, but the House of Aston Martin was especially well done this year,” he says. “Exposure to the new cars and unparalleled access to the Aston Martin executives is very special. The house was beautiful, and it was amazing how the cars were presented.”
Among the cars on display was the Vanquish Volante, which Vernon purchased in Ultramarine Black with a Poppy interior, and Valhalla, which he says he’s keen to add to his collection next. As a collector, Vernon has a scientific take on his passion. “I love all cars,” he explains, “but especially high-performance cars that are capable of producing large amounts of dopamine when driven well.”
That passion found its ultimate outlet earlier this year when UNLEASHED, Aston Martin’s most exclusive series of high-performance track experiences for Valkyrie and Special Edition owners, took over California’s Sonoma Raceway. “UNLEASHED was fabulous. Riding in amazing AMR Valkyrie Pros,driving other Aston Martins and meeting incredible car lovers. I took my son Henry, who is also an absolute car nut, and he definitely shares my passion for Aston Martin.” He admits he can be “very competitive, but I really love it when others win as well. I love sharing great experiences with others.”
Lately, Vernon has been supporting the US Ski and Snowboard teams as a knee specialist, ensuring athletes can perform at the highest level. “It is moderately stressful dealing with all patients in surgery since they have entrusted me with so much,” he says. “There is a slightly higher anxiety with elite athletes since I know they will be testing my work in a significant way, much like I like to test the Aston Martin cars!” Vernon says the best thing about the job is meeting new and interesting people and giving them something that they can’t provide for themselves.
Similarly, one of the things he loves about Aston Martin is building connections. “I have grown to value the amazing people that work for the brand. They provide a very personal experience, given that they are an international company. Much of what I love about the car community is the relationships and friends I have developed over my lifetime.”
And he has no plans to stop buying cars – he even has spousal approval. “I only had one prenuptial agreement before I got married,” he says, smiling. “I told my wife that my only caveat was automobiles, and that I wasn’t going to stop buying fun cars. I am quite sure she had no idea what she was agreeing to.”
