1971 Aston Martin DBSV8

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 £60,000, then £3,600 is added, making the total amount payable of £63,600. If buying in the name of a company then duty plus VAT and also VAT will be applicable.

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.

This is a LHD manual 1971 Aston Martin DBSV8 (VIN: DBSV8/10202/LC).

In keeping with many cars from the vendor’s static display collection, this vehicle comes to us with no service records or history to speak of.

Here’s what we think we know.

The scant documentation (all in German) with the car suggests that it started off in life painted white and without the flared wheel arches that currently adorn its flanks to, we think, good effect.

It appears that the car was delivered new, via an agent with the extraordinary name of F.X. Macho, to an owner in Austria in 1971. There are documents featuring what we take to be Austrian road tax stamps for ‘93, ’94, ’95, ’98, 2000 and 2006.

We can see that it lived for a while in Kitzbühel, which must have been very nice for it.

We know that it was sourced for and bought by the current vendor on 7.8.07, after which it has sat in his collection and not turned a wheel until now.

Today, the odometer reads 64,689 kms.

The car presents extremely well and, a few cosmetic issues aside, looks to be in very good overall condition – inside, outside and underneath.

We say this with the proviso that we haven’t tried to start or drive it and therefore cannot vouch for its engine or mechanicals.

We have been able to turn the engine over by hand and can therefore say that it isn’t seized.

The paint is a very attractive blue-grey shade (it looks like a slightly darker version of RAF blue) that seems to lend the car’s muscular profile even more gravitas than usual.

For the most part, the finish is bright, lustrous and relatively free from any dinks, dents, creases, scuffs or scrapes. The panels, too, are flush, straight and true in most places.

The notable exception is on the roof, where the car has various scuff marks and an shallow indentation. These suggest that something heavy may have been dragged off the roof or, perhaps, that it brushed against something while being transported.

We don’t know.

Otherwise, there are very few scratches, blemishes or marks to report aside for a few stone chips here and there.

The BBS wheels are in very good condition, as is the chrome work and badging.

The wing mirrors are wont to dangle loose unless propped up with rubber bungs, which we’ve done in the photographs you’re looking at.

Some of the rubber trim around the windows is cracked or perished in places. The rubber surrounds to the side indicators have hardened, discoloured and cracked.

There are no signs of bubbling or corrosion that we can see anywhere on the bodywork.

The inside of this car also presents very impressively, with the red leather upholstery contrasting well with the blue-grey exterior.

The leather upholstery is in fine condition, front and back, and shows few signs of age or wear. It could do with being introduced to some cleaning and feeding products, but that’s about it. The seats are comfortable, supportive and functional.

The red leather headlining is in fine fettle, as are the door cards. The wood veneers on the doors and on the dashboard have held up well, too.

The carpets, though a little dusty and in need of some TLC, are in reasonable shape.

The rubber trim around the windows has seen better days and has perished or cracked in places.

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.

Lifting up the carpets in the boot (which is in decent condition) or elsewhere on this car reveals a superficial bloom of rust dust here and there, but nothing to raise alarms as far as we can see.

In general, the undersides seem to be very solid, sound and well preserved, and there are no obvious signs of rust in the sills or any of other Aston Martin corrosion hot-spots. You’ll want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusion

The engine bay and engine are particularly impressive and look clean, dry and almost showroom-fresh.

The car doesn’t come with a service history or any record of work done.

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, from our observations, we can say that this appears to be a particularly strong, relatively low mileage example of both the marque and the model.

Provided that the car’s engine and mechanicals are as good as the rest of it, we think this promises to be a very rewarding car to own, drive and cherish.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £60,000 - £80,000, 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; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.