Highlights

A highly original example of the 1973 only, standalone Vantage model
Number 56 of 70 of this model produced, presented in a charming condition
Complete with recent invoices totalling over £11,000 of maintenance spend

The Appeal

It is well documented that the muscular looking, William Towns designed, Aston Martin DBS was always slated to be powered by the 5.3L V8 engine. There was a delay, however, in the completion of Tadek Marek’s iconic V8 so the DBS was launched in 1967 with the DB6’s 4.0L six-cylinder engine under the shapely bonnet. The V8 had arrived, however, by 1969 but there was still pent-up demand for the six-cylinder car. As a result, the V8 and I6 DBSs sold alongside each other until the model was officially discontinued in 1972. Then something strange happened in 1973. A model named the Aston Martin Vantage, a name previously reserved for high-performance versions of existing models, appeared. Only 70 of these rare cars were built before the V8 finally became the sole choice in the long-lived Aston Martin V8.

This fine car is number 56 of that 70 and comes to market in a very original condition and with a sensible original mileage. It looks great in its very “of the period” colourway and sits on the original wire wheels. There is lots of documented maintenance spend in evidence and it ready to cherish and enjoy by its next owner.

The History and Paperwork

Records show that this car was first registered in August 1973
During its life the car has been owned and enjoyed by a former 7 keepers
Our current owner acquired the car in 2000 to become its eighth owner
The Vantage is thought to have covered around 84,000 miles in its 50 years
That equates to a mere 1,700 miles or so per year on average
The car comes with the current V5 in the name of the owner
The car holds a valid MOT, present in hard copy, until March 2024
Despite this the Vantage is registered as a historic vehicle
As such it is considered MOT and VED exempt in the UK
A number of invoices are on hand, detailing valuable work undertaken
These amount to over £11,000 worth in the last five years
A £7,000+ invoice is also on hand for a full bare metal respray

The Interior

A delightfully original cabin exhibiting just the right amount of patina
A 2+2 configured cabin finished in Olive coloured leather
Complete with an evocative dash full of white on black Smiths gauges

This is a lovely interior and presented in a thoroughly original condition. The overall ambiance is delightfully period-faithful in its olive and complementary brown hues. The front seats are generously shaped buckets, stitched into box pleats. A couple of rips to the nearside driver’s seat bolster were noted but condition is otherwise great.

These buckets fold forward to provide access to the individually shaped rear seats. These are surprisingly generous for this type of car with sufficient space for small adults. The condition of the seats is very good indeed and a useful fold down central arm rest is noted. There is a tear in the seam of the substrate of the nearside C pillar (pictured).

The dashboard is finished predominantly in black. The instrument nacelle is fronted with a crackle finished metal panel housing an array of classic Smiths gauges. These sit behind the familiar, three spoke black alloy steering wheel, rimmed in leather. The centre console houses the very analogue heating controls, a row of rocker switches and a more modern JVC head unit.

Door cards, carpets and headlining all appear suitably luxurious, original and in a good overall condition. The panelled headlining has lost definition in some of its front to back crease lines. The deep boot is trimmed in its original black carpet mat set. A large ring spanner for the wheel central spinners is noted.

The Exterior

Our example is finished in gleaming Cornish Gold paintwork
The paintwork has been professionally reapplied in a £7,000 bare metal respray
The car sits on 72-spoke wire wheels, the last Aston Martin model to wear these

The design for the replacement for the DB6 was originally outsourced to Touring of Milan who came up with two possible concepts before promptly going out of business. British designer William Towns was drafted in to speedily pick up the design baton. His design was a muscular affair with a fastback look much admired by American customers.

Our car looks stunning in its lustrous Cornish Gold paintwork. The design may have represented a departure for the Newport Pagnell firm but there were plenty of recognisable design cues in evidence. These include the big bonnet scoop, large wing vents centred with “Vantage” scripted chrome trims and the wire wheels with central spinner fixings.

There is a good amount of brightwork in evidence on the bumpers, chromed sill panels and cabin window surrounds. A black rear panel hoses the big twin tail pipes, and a pair of auxiliary driving lights accompany the headlights ahead of the black meshed open grill.

The 72-spoke, 15-inch chromed wire wheels round off the look and lend the Vantage a very traditional look. The wheels are in great shape with only the single, centre spinners seeming to have lost a little of their lustre. The wheels are shood in the period-faithful 205 sized Avon radial tyres.

The Mechanics

The Vantage is fitted with a higher performance version of the six-cylinder DB6 unit
This was originally ranted at around 325 bhp and 295 Ib-ft of torque
Power is fed to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox

Whilst the V8 equipped DBS was more of a headline grabber, purists rated the 3,996cc straight six equipped Vantage for its near 50:50 weight distribution. In reality there was not as much of a difference in performance between the two models as many expected. The Vantage was usefully lighter, and many sources put the high-output six-cylinder unit as more powerful than the V8. In any event, the Vantage was reported to be good for nearly 150mph and a 0-60 mph time of under 7 seconds.

The under-bonnet presentation of our car is very good with plenty of polished alloy in evidence. Highlights include the three Weber 45DCOFF carburettors and the twin alloy camshaft covers. All the correct data plates seem to be present including the brass item detailing this car as chassis number 6056. The underside of our car looks equally good for a fifty-year-old car. Plenty of preserving underseal appears to be present and nothing of concern was noted.

The Aston Martin Vantage is understood to drive very well and deliver an enthralling driving experience. No known faults have been reported and this car is ready to be driven away and enjoyed by its next lucky owner.

Summary

The 1973 Aston Martin Vantage is one of those rare “anomaly” cars. Built for just one year in tiny numbers. Beloved by the purists for its lighter, better-balanced demeanour and, as a result, achieving significant premiums over its V8 engined contemporaries. It is fair to assume that the values of these hand-full of remaining 1973 Vantages will ultimately head in the same direction as the earlier DB cars.

This example presents in a fine, and highly original condition. It has enjoyed a professional respray in its original colourway and boasts a delightfully patinaed cabin. Lots has been spent on this car in its 23-year current tenure. What a car and what a story, ready now for a lucky new owner to start the next chapter of its life.

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