Workers follow the same...

Workers follow the same meticulous quality control as in the UK - it takes a month to painstakingly hand-build each Rapide

Meet the first Aston Martin to be built outside the UK тЂ“ and itтЂ™s hand-finished by Auto Express!

We joined the famous British car maker in Austria to help put the final touches to the stunning new Rapide. But why is the gorgeous new four-door saloon being manufactured in Graz instead of at the firmтЂ™s state-of-the-art headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire?

When the Rapide was first planned, there was no sign of a global recession. And with Gaydon working at full capacity, the factory simply didnтЂ™t have the capacity to build it.

So Aston chose Magna Steyr тЂ“ a specialist car plant in Graz that already makes models for BMW and Mercedes. Its 240 Austrian workers are preparing to build up to 2,000 Rapides a year from early 2010.

Aston has spent the past 16 months replicating its UK production operation at the new dedicated factory, with a small team of its specialists training Magna staff тЂ“ some of whom have travelled to Gaydon for first-hand experience.

The irony is that the firm has been hit by the recession, and production at Gaydon has now been cut back. So the Rapide could have been built in the UK тЂ“ but bosses had already invested heavily in setting up the Austrian operation.

Having spent a day on the production lines at Graz, Auto Express can confirm that, even though the factory is in Austria, itтЂ™s an identical replica to how Astons are made in the UK. Workers follow the same meticulous quality control and attention to detail that means it takes a month to painstakingly hand-build each Rapide.

In all, 40 man-hours go into producing the leather trim for each car, and it takes nearly 50 hours to apply the nine coats of paint. Helmut Wagner is in charge of Rapide production, and says that the model has added some тЂњglamour and excitementтЂќ to the production lines and the local community.

He added: тЂњGetting the Rapide has been great for Graz. There is a lot of excitement in the factory. And now we are testing the car on local roads, itтЂ™s also causing a stir in the city.тЂќ The first customers have started flying in to the factoryтЂ™s special showroom to order and personalise their car. And when you see a row of Rapides on the production lines, itтЂ™s one of the best sights in motoring. Hearing the incredible note created when the 6.0-litre V12 starts up is enough to make you wish you had the ТЈ150,000 to buy one!

We helped build one of the first cars, by fitting a section of the all-important new rear seat and rear door, and attaching the final inspection badge that nestles next to the engine of every Aston Martin.

But what really made our day was when we got to ride in the back of one of the first Rapides тЂ“ because wherever the saloon is built, it is one of the most glamorous four-door cars in the world.