The itinerary reads like the kind of stylish counterculture trip the Rolling Stones might have taken in the 1960s: London to Santander; down to Valencia, stopping off in the ancient Spanish cities of Cartagena and Granada; a ferry ride over to Tangier in Morocco, scoot down to Casablanca, before finally ending up in the magical city of Marrakech.
And while the journey was as stylish as they come, and the participants regard themselves as a band of brothers and sisters, that’s where the comparisons with debauched rock’n’roll behaviour end – although you can imagine Mick Jagger would relish such an adventure today.
That’s because this trip was undertaken by a group of Aston Martin devotees, united by their shared love of the iconic motor brand. Welcome to the world of Area 00.
“This is what the cars are designed for,” says Jason Karr when explaining the group’s recent jaunt – snappily titled Mayfair to Marrakech. “Not that many people use the cars for what they are capable of or intended for. It feels good to be using them for what they are intended.”
“We are all enthusiasts of the brand – in particular Aston Martin Lagonda,” Karr smiles, “but it’s more a social club, a community of friends. It’s almost the lifestyle that goes with the Aston Martin brand.”
As well as meeting up for drinks once a month at the Royal Automobile Club, hosting black tie dinners, attending all the major car events and embarking upon weekend tours in the UK, this community (there is no formal membership) likes to push things a little further.
“This is the essence of what we do,” says Karr. “It’s the things that you do with your car that money can’t buy. Creating lifetime memories. Unforgettable experiences. That’s what drives the trips.”
Hence this spring’s Mayfair to Marrakech adventure. After last year’s expedition to Porto, Karr wanted to be more ambitious. After speaking to Steve Waddingham, the eminent Aston Martin historian, he discovered that there was a dealership in Morocco. Suddenly this year’s trip took on a trans-continental venture – particularly when he contacted the Moroccan dealer, and they were willing to get involved in logistics and support. The group, not content with a one-way journey from Mayfair to Marrakech, even stretched their limits and adventurous minds further with a return journey via the sunny Algarve and Alentejo in Portugal.“After that, there was no reason not to go,” Karr laughs. “I’ve learned over the years that when you have a unique opportunity like that you need to grab it with both hands because that opportunity might not always be there.”
With a starting point and end destination established, Karr and his friend Steven G Ward began plotting other points of interest en route – and back again on the return leg. The invitation was then opened to all Area 00 members. Some would join at various points on the journey – with a particular emphasis on the long weekend in Marrakech. And so it came to pass that following a champagne reception at the Aston Martin Park Lane showroom – where some of the participating cars were displayed, much to the delight of Karr – a core group of seven cars (“Which was good, like 007,” Karr beams) set off on a bright Friday morning at the beginning of May. Among the primary Astons featured on the trip were a DB9 2005 in Aston Martin Racing green, DB7 1995 i6 in Cheviot Red, Vanquish Volante 2016 Carbon Black Edition and DBS Coupe Manual 2009 in Quantum Silver.
The escapade saw them re-enact a scene from Monty Python’s Life of Brian in Cartagena’s Roman Amphitheatre, visit Valencia’s famed seaside restaurant La Pepica (beloved of Hemingway), dine at a recreated Rick’s Café in Casablanca, wearing white dinner suits to emulate Humphrey Bogart, and buy ceremonial swords in the Spanish sword-making capital of Toledo. They also met up with friends on both legs. But clearly, Morocco was the highlight.
“Going to Marrakech, for the first time, everything was an assault on the senses,” Karr recalls. “The whole weekend felt like we were pioneers. We went out and drove to the edge of the desert. I don’t think we could have gone any further. This was where the single tarmac road stopped. That’s where we met the camels.”
The quest was also liberating too. It’s always said travel broadens the mind – and, in this case, it’s something Karr and his companions heartily endorse. Travelling by car only served to deepen such a sentiment.
“When you fly you don’t really notice the cultural differences,” he explains. “Cities these days are very similar. But when you drive through Europe you see the landscape, the architecture and the plants changing and it’s brilliant. You get a much better appreciation of where you are and the people that inhabit those places.”
And then there are the friendships made.
“It’s not just about what happened on the trip. It’s the people you shared those experiences with. A two-week adventure like this means that those people are now friends for life. And again, it’s what the cars were designed to do. To take you on these adventures. To take you on these journeys. The Aston Martin is a great facilitator.”
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Thanks to Hamza Benjelloun at Aston Martin Casablanca and David Bartlett at Aston Martin London for their support with the Area 00’s trans-continental Mayfair to Marrakech escapade
