You can now book a one to one appointment (up to one hour) to view this lot at our central location between the 16th and 30th July. Please contact Arwel Richards on 07434 960868 or [email protected] to secure your appointment or to discuss the car in more detail.The health and safety of both our customers and team remains the utmost priority, we are therefore operating to strict COVID-19 guidelines and full instructions for arrival and inspection protocols will be given when making your appointment.vOrdered new via Aston Martin Sales, Mayfair in December 1997 by the Brunei Royal family in UK right-hand drivespecificationSupplied in Pentland Green metallic with tan leather piped Forest Green, tan headlining and Fir Green carpetingThis Vantage had its pre-delivery inspection by Aston Martin Works on 31/03/1998 and was in Brunei until 2017UK registered in 2017by our vendor andrecommissioned with no expense sparedOnly4,468 miles (atoc) as theBrunei collection cars tend to be lightly usedJust 240 standard V550 Vantages were built for all markets and this car is among the bestIt is thought only some 240 of these rare and powerful cars were hand-built at the factory at Newport Pagnell allequipped with a 5.3-litreV8 sporting twin Eaton superchargers.Power output was around 550 bhp and torque was equally impressive at 550 ft/lbs and, at the time, this was the most powerful production engine in the world. Top speed was 191 mph, with a 0-60mph time of just 4.6 seconds an astonishing feat for such a large car with the comfortable cabin resplendent in Walnut and Connolly leather barely referencing the pace to the occupants.The Brunei Royal Family have long been fans of Aston Martin and in the 1980s and 90s were among their best customers, some say keeping the company solvent. The Sultan, his brother and other family members ordered many bespoke V8 coupes with one-off designs by Zagato and Pinninfarina. However, in 1997 the family weresatisfied with the factory design and brutish good looksof this Vantage V550 and took delivery in 1998. It's finished in arguably the best colour combination of Pentland Green with Tan leather piped Forest Green with Tan headlining and Fir Green carpeting. Naturally, the dashboard and doors are clad in the finest Walnut veneer, rivalling only Rolls-Royce for craftsmanship and interior refinement.Fitted with a rare automatic transmission, this Vantage had its pre-delivery inspection by Aston Martin Works on 31st March 1998 and was exported to Brunei shortly afterwards. As is common with virtually all cars owned by the Brunei royal family they are used for a short periodand then stored. To put into context why the cars are so little used, and to show why Aston Martins remain so popular with the family, some 39 Astons joined the Sultan of Bruneis collection during the 1990s.The car was acquired by our vendor and shipped from Brunei and registered with the DVLA in 2017. Due to little use and the fact Brunei does not have an official Aston Martin main dealer the only stamp in the service book is the cars PDI by Aston Martin Works in March 1998. Consequently,our vendor treated the car to an extensive, no expense spared re-commissioning programme of works including a full rebuild of the twin superchargers, cooling system, underbody heat shields, bushes and hoses and other works at a cost of 15,000. The bills for parts supplied by Aston Martin Works Newport Pagnell came to some 10,000, and various other invoices amounting to much more can be supplied via email and shows the commitment of our vendor to own the best V550 available in today's market.The odometer was reading 4,468 miles, at the time of cataloguing, and it must be noted that cars that have been owned by the Brunei Royal family have always shown low mileages. The history file includes an Aston Martin Heritage Certificate, the aforementioned invoices and service book. The car has a valid MOT until January 2021 and is supplied with a UK V5C.Few cars of the 1990s command such road presence as the V550 and whilst the turn of speed rivals its Italian contemporaries the luxurious interior and silky smooth automatic gearbox provides a uniquely British experience and suits the car's Grand Tourer status.Please note the private registration on the car is not included in the sale and the car will come with a year-appropriate registration.1997 Aston Martin Vantage V550https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWm3iZ12of4falseExterior photographs credit to Tim Scott.