1971 Aston Martin DBS V8 Saloon

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £40,000, then £2,000 is added, making the total amount payable of £42,000.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

With the proviso that we haven’t been able to start or drive this car and can therefore only attest to its cosmetic condition, we think this 1971 Aston Martin DBSV8

is a particularly honest, original and well-preserved example of both the marque and the model.

Today, the odometer reads 53,976 miles.

We know that this car was sold to the current vendor by Bonhams at a Goodwood Festival of Speed auction in July 2009.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, the car currently has no history or service records.

But it does have Bonhams auction notes from 2009 and, bearing in mind that the car has barely turned a wheel since then, these notes should still have a good deal of pertinence, relevance and value.

The notes are as follows:

‘Purchased by the [then] vendor in July 1994, this automatic transmission DBSV8…spent much of the 1980s laid up and the odometer currently displays a total of only 53,000-or-so miles, which is confirmed as genuine by 18 expired MoTs on file.

In addition, the car comes with a full service history for the period 1994 to the present, all maintenance and servicing from 1996 onwards having been carried out by Aston Engineering in Derby. Work undertaken has included a major engine rebuild, brakes/driveline overhaul, bodywork renovation and a repaint (see invoices on file).

Finished in Midnight Blue with tan leather interior, the car is described by the vendor as in generally very good condition and offered with the aforementioned service invoices, 12 old tax discs, current road fund licence, Swansea V5 and fresh MoT.’

The car was first registered in the UK on 21.9.71.

This is a very attractive and eye-catching example of a DBSV8.

We’re of the opinion that the combination of a Midnight Blue exterior with a Tan interior is a particularly attractive one.

Either way, it’s in very good condition overall and presents extremely handsomely.

The paintwork has held up very well and has an impressive lustre and depth of shine to it.

The shut lines are consistent and even and, aside for one or two barely perceptible micro-dinks, there are no dents, bumps, cracks, scuffs or creases of any real consequence to report anywhere on the bodywork.

There is a short length of worn away paint on the edge of the n/s/f wing where it meets the door. There is also the first sign of some minor bubbling just below the windscreen.

The chrome work is very good, as are the wheels, badging and most exterior trim.

The most notable visible defect on this car is the split to the front valance under the o/s/f bumper.

The rubber trim around the windows is cracked and perished in quite a few places.

These minor issues aside, we think this car is in very strong cosmetic condition.

The interior is equally impressive – and authentic.

The leather seats are supportive, comfortable and function as they should.

Yes, there is some creasing to the bolsters, and the seats would thank their next owner for some cleaning, feeding and elbow grease, but there are no rips or tears and the overall patina is entirely consistent with the car’s age and mileage.

The dashboard, instruments, gear selector, centre console (with its 8-track player) and steering wheel are in good condition.

The handbrake gaiter is a little scuffed and baggy. The carpet behind the gear selector has come loose and unravelled in one small area.

The door cards are largely good. The cigarette lighters are missing from both armrests. The armrest on the driver’s door is split at one end.

The carpets and headlining are good.

The foam in the sun visors has turned a little crispy.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t been able to start the vehicle.

The boot looks good and is home to a spare wheel and a box containing the car’s fog lights. Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere in the car reveals nothing more alarming than an entirely standard bloom of superficial rust dust.

Again, there’s some superficial rust dust visible but nothing that looks as if it might compromise the integrity of the vehicle or otherwise start ringing alarm bells.

It all looks pretty sound and honest to us.

The engine bay and engine are clean and dry. Everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

Although we haven’t started the engine, we have turned it by hand and can say that it isn’t seized.

The car doesn’t come with a service history or any record of work done, other than the anecdotal information referenced in the 2009 auction listing above.

Currently, it has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We haven’t been able to start or drive the car so our understanding of it is somewhat limited.

That said, provided the car’s engine and mechanicals prove to be in proper working order, we think this could well be a particularly good example.

We take confidence from the car’s obviously strong cosmetic condition and from the evidence in the 2009 auction notes stating that it had been the recent recipient of some serious and diligent spending when it was last on the road.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £40,000 - £50,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.