Monarch Charles III's Traditional Aston Martin DB6 Operates on Wine and Cheese

Monarch Charles III’s Traditional Aston Martin DB6 Operates on Wine and Cheese

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In every city, there’s that individual whose aromatic presence can be detected from afar due to their use of biodiesel to fuel their vehicle. Often derived from recycled cooking oil, it’s an economical way to refuel your tank and comes with the added benefit of emitting a food-like scent. There appears to be a similar practice among the elite, as evidenced by Monarch Charles III, who had his 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Volante converted to run on the byproducts of cheese and wine production.

“My trusty Aston Martin, which has been in my possession for 51 years, operates on—can you fathom this—excess English white wine, and whey from the cheese manufacturing process,” he disclosed to BBC in the lead-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (or COP26) in Glasgow. By referencing wine and whey, Monarch Charles is actually alluding to E85, which is produced with ethanol fermented from the remnants of cheese and winemaking.

Update: Sept. 15, 3:53 p.m. ET: This article has been revised subsequent to the coronation of Monarch Charles III, who was a prince during the initial publication.

Ethanol is the type of alcohol consumed by humans for intoxication and has been derived from grapes for over 8,000 years, as per Adventure, with whey-based alcohols seeing increased popularity in recent times. The fermented product is concentrated and refined through distillation, a process used in the production of spirits like vodka and brandy (a distilled spirit derived from wine).

Transforming Monarch Charles’ Aston to be powered by sophisticated fuel evidently presented its challenges, as Monarch Charles initially faced resistance from Aston Martin’s engineers when he inquired about adapting his DB6 to accept this unique blend of E85.

“They realized that they could operate it with surplus English white wine, but I was unaware of the inclusion of whey,” Monarch Charles shared with The Telegraph in 2018. “The engineers at Aston expressed concerns that it would compromise the entire system.”

“I responded, ‘well, then I won’t use it,’ prompting them to proceed, and now they acknowledge that the vehicle operates more efficiently and with greater power on that fuel than on petrol. Additionally, the fragrance as you drive is delightful,” he concluded.

In the near future, utilizing wine remnants to fuel vehicles won’t be solely reserved for the English elite. Wine-infused fuels are set to make their debut in the World Endurance Championship next year, including the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans. Hopefully, dairy-derived spirits find their way into the mix so that Le Mans carries the aroma of fondue—although dipping a baguette in this blend would not be advisable.

Have a lead or query for the author? They can be reached at: james@thedrive.com

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