Over 40 cars are entered in this year’s all-Aston Martin sale, to be held at its traditional location of Works Service in Newport Pagnell. The DB4GT might be the day’s top seller but watch out for one of the many convertible Astons, all very sensibly estimated.
In 2007 Bonhams sold a Goodwood Green 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante, a car with an impeccable service history at Works Service, for £430,500, as well as a rarer 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible for £221,500. Very strong figures in a rising market. In today’s less certain economic times – but nonetheless firm ‘at the top’, according to most marque experts – the wide-ranging catalogue for 2008 has realistic estimates, with good opportunities for those wishing to acquire a top-level handmade Aston Martin.
The convertible cars are a case in point. There’s the Rolls-Royce Coffee Bean Brown 1968 Aston Martin DB6 Mk1 Volante, a previous concours winner, for £160,000 - 180,000, or a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante (in slightly more discreet Dubonnet Rosso) at £120,000 - 150,000. Enthusiasts for more recent cars will like the LHD 1989 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante ‘X Pack’ Convertible (£80,000 - 100,000), a car with just one owner from new and only 8200km ‘on the clock’.
There’s also an important Feltham open-top: the ex-Works demonstrator and Angela Brown class-winning 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupé, estimated at £130,000 - 160,000. Also on the Feltham front, Bonhams has an entry from the well-known British Le Mans winner, and Grand Prix driver, Richard Attwood. It’s a 1957 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkII Saloon restoration project, to be ‘sold strictly as viewed’, and likely to sell at £12,000 - 15,000.
 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Saloon - £15,000 - 20,000 |
 1996 Aston Martin Vantage Coupé - £50,000 - 70,000 |
These ‘barn finds’ always get the saleroom going (remember the 2006 event, with its dusty £78,500 DB4 that had come straight from a walled-up garage?). In addition to the DB2/4, there’s another car needing a complete rebuild. It’s a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV and is estimated at £15,000 - 20,000. Hold on to your hats on that one – who knows what will happen on the day?
The DB5 has been the most sought-after Aston in recent years. Three saloons are included in the sale, from the model’s short production span of two years, and generally estimated around the £120,000 - 160,000 mark.
 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Saloon - £140,000 - 160,000 |
 1989 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante ‘X Pack’ Convertible - £80,000 - 100,000 |
“Oh, this is all very good, but how about a useable car as an entry to Aston Martin ownership?” I hear you say. Well, the Works Service auction has been responsible for starting many a life-long addiction to the marque and several cars can genuinely be described as ‘entry-level’. Take the 5-speed manual, fuel-injected 1973 Aston Martin V8 Series 2 Saloon for £20,000 - 25,000, or the 1990 Aston Martin Virage Coupé at £19,000 - 22,000. Hand-built Newport Pagnell cars both, and ready to drive away that day, too.
The Aston Martin Lagonda Rapide saloon has its devotees, and there’s a 1963 example for £20,000 - 25,000. Only seven Lagonda V8 Series 1 Four-Door Saloons were built in period, and chassis L/12007/RCAC (‘007’ for short…) is entered in the sale, having benefited from a colossal amount of work by R.S. Williams Ltd. The specification of this car is too comprehensive to mention here, but will form the basis of an in-depth article shortly on Classic Driver. The car, carrying a 7-litre engine, is estimated at £140,000 - 180,000.
 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Saloon - £110,000 - 130,000 |
 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupé - 'Refer Dept.' |
 1990 Aston Martin Virage Coupé - £19,000 - 22,000 |
 The Phoenix Racing, Dubai Winning,2006 Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 - 'Refer Dept.' |
A few words on the headlining 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT. There’s no published estimate, so you will have to give Bonhams a call, but you can rely on a figure somewhat north of £500,000. Only 75 DB4GTs were built by Aston Martin (plus the 19 Zagatos, and a handful of ‘Development Project’ cars) so, if you compare this with the 200-or-so Ferrari 250GT SWBs produced (each of which would now achieve well over £1,000,000), the high value of these rare cars can be put in perspective.
Prior to the motor cars, Bonhams will hold its ever-popular sale of Aston Martin and related Automobilia. Interested parties should take their seats early for this, as, every year, vendors and buyers alike are rendered speechless by some of the figures achieved. Could anything beat 2007’s £41,100 for a gearlever knob that featured a hinged lid and red-painted ejector seat button?
Be there on May 17th and you will find out.
The sale takes place at Aston Martin Lagonda Works Service, Tickford St, Newport Pagnell, Bucks, with Automobilia starting at 10:30, Motor Cars at 15:30.
To see all Motor Car entries in the Classic Driver car database please CLICK HERE.
Please CLICK HERE to see the full lotlist.
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Bonhams Motor Cars Dept.
101 New Bond Street London W1S 1SR UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7468 5801 Fax: +44 (0)20 7468 5802 Email: [email protected] |
Text - Steve Wakefield
Photos - Bonhams/Classic Driver
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