・Glorious V12 with sports exhaust

・Lovely condition

・Comprehensive Service History

As the car maker of choice for a certain secret agent on the big screen and with a long history of producing exclusive and desirable cars, it’s surprising to many that Aston Martin has often struggled to turn a profit. As such, there are numerous examples of ‘cars that saved Aston Martin’ when the company played a blinder at just the right time. One such car is the DB7 which arrived in 1994 to save the company’s bacon and drew on the extensive resources of then-parent Ford, who also owned Jaguar at the time.

Designed by Ian Callum, the elegant design was just the job to convince Ford to invest further in Aston Martin and laid the groundwork for the Gaydon factory and the modern era cars that followed. But the original DB7, with its supercharged straight six engine, had more potential and, in 1999, the DB7 Vantage was launched with a thumping 5.9 litre V12 engine and many detail tweaks that contemporary reviewers felt had made the DB7 the car it should have been.

With 420hp, the DB7 Vantage was no slouch and, with the introduction of a ‘Touchtronic’ automatic gearbox, it was the consummate grand tourer. Today it remains quick enough to hold its own and represents the most affordable entry point to the marque’s 12 cylinder back catalogue.

This example has been with the current owner in Surrey since 2017 and shows five previous owners on the log book, though this is inflated by the fact that the car was first registered to Aston Martin and the garage from whom it was bought in 2017 obviously took a shine to it and registered it to themselves to run around in for a few months. The previous owner before the garage kept the car for ten years and throughout its life the car has been regularly maintained, showing 17 stamps in the service book from a mix of main dealers and marque specialists. 

It’s always been garaged and has seen fairly light usage in the current ownership, largely being used for airport runs and, other than a new battery, boot struts and a refurbishment of the wheels, the only items over and above routine servicing that have been needed are rear suspension arms. These were replaced in 2019 and the other advisory items on the MOT dealt with by a clean up of the underside and the application of some underseal.

It was last serviced in July 2020 and since then, given the lack of air travel, it’s covered fewer than 300 miles and has recently had a fresh MOT which expires on 28 July 2022. The vendor is looking to raise funds for the purchase of a flat and, having treated the car to a full valet, is now ready to let it go to a new home where it may get used a little more.

Astons of this vintage thrive on regular maintenance and so it’s reassuring to see the full set of stamps in the back of the original owner’s guide. There is also a sheaf of invoices which includes those for the battery and wheel refurbishment, and both keys.

In order to justify the substantial price difference between the DB7 and Jaguar’s related XK8, the interior needed to impart a sense of luxury that was a cut above. As such, the materials and craftsmanship that went into the DB7 make the cabin a very special place to be and naturally it features all the mod cons including electrically adjustable heated front seats, air conditioning and an Alpine sound system, here enhanced by a Pioneer Bluetooth head unit and microphone that has been installed for hands free calling.

Beautifully complementing the silver exterior, the interior is furnished with Ivory and Charcoal leather and features walnut inlays. The Nappa leather is in fine condition with only a little wear showing to the driver’s seat, and a very small black mark on the driver’s side rear seat, likely as a result of the seats being used for luggage storage. The walnut has a deep shine and is free from scratches and, although there is a crack in the inlay behind the gearstick, it doesn’t detract from the overall ambience.

All of the buttons and switches function as they should with the exception of the remote boot release which has given up the ghost although, in an interesting piece of ergonomic design, it’s located in the glovebox which means that it’s generally easier just to use the key and so the owner has not had it attended to. The air conditioning was serviced last summer and is operating at full strength. The headlining is in Alcantara and is clean and taut, while in the boot the original tool kit and warning triangle are safely stashed and the lid stays firmly aloft due to recently replaced struts.

Finished in Stornoway Silver, the outward appearance of the car reflects the care with which it has obviously been treated as the paintwork retains a deep lustre and the panels are all straight with tight and consistent gaps. That’s not to say that it’s completely blemish-free with some small marks which are shown in the photos: a stone chip above the grille, a couple of marks that have been touched in on the bumper below the rear number plate and one mark on each of the doors and the driver’s door pillar.  There has also been some lacquer lift on the headlights which doesn’t affect their performance and so has been left untreated. 

The tyres all have good tread remaining with the rears having covered fewer than five thousand miles. Underneath, there appears only to be some surface rust and there is no sign of any corrosion to any of the body panels. In summary, you have to be looking to spot the imperfections and, with the recently refurbished wheels, it still looks very sharp.

Lifting the bonnet reveals what is, by any metric, a considerable amount of engine. Thanks to the renewed battery, it starts for the first time every time, hot or cold. It pulls hard with a fabulous V12 soundtrack from the sports exhaust under load but then cruises almost silently, fulfilling its GT role to a tee. The gearbox changes smoothly up and down the box and can be controlled via the touchtronic buttons though the current owner finds that automatic mode is well matched to his driving style.

There are no misfires from the engine, no untoward noises from either the suspension or drivetrain while the brakes are powerful and squeal-free, not always a given on modern Astons. This car is ready to be enjoyed.

The design of the DB7 was hailed as one of the most beautiful in the world at the time and has continued to age very well. With the gorgeous V12 engine and a hand-crafted interior, there’s a lot to love here. And yet they remain very affordable. As the V12’s disappear from the world of new cars, you’ve got to wonder whether that will remain the case.

This example is everything that the buyer’s guides recommend you look for: regularly used but low mileage, properly maintained and in lovely condition. In all, it would be a great way to be able to utter the very satisfying words “darling, shall we take the Aston?”

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