News Detail
More Than a Hobby
Brendan Colin '22 turns his enthusiasm for cars into a dream job.
Recent graduate and former president of Xaverian’s Car Club, Brendan Colin ’22, had an amazing summer. He combined his love of cars with his passion for photography as a photographer at Aston Martin of Boston. Brendan spends plenty of time around some of the most luxurious cars in the world, serving as one of Aston Martin’s marketing directors. He gets to drive their cars to the perfect locations to get just the right shot. How’d this recent high school graduate land such a prime gig? Persistence. Brendan’s enthusiasm for cars and photography brought him to local dealerships on a regular basis simply to look at the vehicles in stock and take photos of them. He saw a position posted for “inventory / social media photographer” at Aston Martin of Boston and he applied. Months went by without a word. Then suddenly he received a message from the dealership saying they wanted to speak with him. One thing led to another and Brendan got the job. Since then, his role has expanded and he also now manages marketing and events.
“I’ve been a car enthusiast for my entire life, and somehow I’m lucky enough to live out every enthusiast’s dream at 18 years old,” says Brendan. “I don’t know where this job will lead me, or what the future holds, but as my time at Xaverian ends, I can already see the next chapter in my life taking shape.”
Read more about Brendan's passion for cars in his reflection on the Car Club's trip to the Audrain Automobile Museum below.
All Revved Up
Read more about Brendan's passion for cars in his reflection on the Car Club's trip to the Audrain Automobile Museum below.
All Revved Up
by Brendan Colin ’22 #XBCorps
The word “exotic” within the term “exotic cars” gets its name because they are a completely alien phenomenon to most. But for a lucky few, the most exotic of cars, the ones that trump the performance and value of any other road-going vehicle, hit the heart in a special place. In March, Xaverian’s Car Club visited Audrain Automobile Museum in Newport with their moderator, Mr. Joe Sotelo, to feast their eyes on the museum’s recent exhibit, “What’s the Super in Supercars?”
The word “exotic” within the term “exotic cars” gets its name because they are a completely alien phenomenon to most. But for a lucky few, the most exotic of cars, the ones that trump the performance and value of any other road-going vehicle, hit the heart in a special place. In March, Xaverian’s Car Club visited Audrain Automobile Museum in Newport with their moderator, Mr. Joe Sotelo, to feast their eyes on the museum’s recent exhibit, “What’s the Super in Supercars?”
Whether it’s reviewing recent automotive developments, learning about the maintenance and mechanics of car modifications or ownership, or just debating the pros and cons of the most specific corners of the industry, Car Club is a place of conversation for Xaverian’s automotive enthusiasts. And for the dozen students who attended the trip to Audrain, it was our good fortune to experience some of history’s most fabled cars. From the $20+ million 1994 McLaren F1, a car whose owner has trekked the three-seated, 618 horsepower, 6-speed manual hypercar between Florida and Montana numerous times, to the Lamborghini Reventon Roadster, an ultra-rare (one of 12), carbon fiber bodied menace of a car owned by Ralph Lauren, the students in Car Club took in an array of machines that they will most likely never experience in the same place again. In all, the exhibit featured 16 cars and one bike, representing a variety of manufacturers and eras in automobile history from the 1960s to today—a collection worth more than $100 million. Getting up close and seeing these vehicles in the flesh is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people, and many of my fellow students were left speechless.
The stories behind each vehicle made for interesting conversation and it gave perspective to how these cars are maintained and owned. Take the black 2003 Ferrari Enzo for example. It's a car that is older than most of the Car Club’s members but still has less than 60 miles on the odometer. Shameful, I know. But that number is somewhat justified by its rarity, being just one of 12 black Enzo’s ever made and only one of the remaining six which haven’t been totaled. Or take the ultra-limited 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG. There’s a car where only 100 were ever produced, whose owners were on a VIP invite-only allocation list, paying roughly $300,000 for the original purchase. The CLK DTM packs a 5.5 liter supercharged V8 producing 574 horsepower through a five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. It’s electronically limited to a top speed of 200 mph, a number that could undoubtedly be much higher without the restriction, and a 0-60 mph time of just 3.9 seconds. Audrain also featured the infamous Porsche Carrera GT, the idolized Ferrari F40, a more modern McLaren, the 620 R, and of course a certain Xaverian-colored 2019 Bugatti Chiron Sky View.
In short, the exhibit was performance car nirvana, and I consider myself lucky to have seen it.
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Fax: 781-320-0458
Directions | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
EIN (Tax ID Number): 04-2314036
Xaverian is a Catholic, college-preparatory school for boys in grades 7-12. As an inclusive community, we embrace diverse experiences and perspectives, welcoming students and families from all faiths and backgrounds. Through exceptional academics, athletics, the arts, faith formation, and service opportunities, we help young men discover their unique gifts and talents so they can share them with a world in need.
