1973 Aston Martin Vantage

This car, first registered in October 1973, has been dormant and kept in the tender loving care of Aston Martin Storage in Newport Pagnell.

Consequently, (as you can see) it is something of a barn find and will need recommissioning and some project work to get it back on the road and capable of recapturing its former glory.

Chassis: AM/6041/ R.

Engine: 40049515VC.

The mileage today is 65,817 – just as it was in 1986.

We've sold this car before, in 2023, and the previous owner, who bought the car from a Cricklewood car dealer in 1985.

When the previous owner bought the car in 1985 it had just had the engine reconditioned. He promptly had the Winchester Blue paintwork resprayed, and this is the paint you see in the pictures today.

He also had the car converted to negative earth and all ancillary electrics aligned accordingly.

In more recent years the car was treated to new wire wheels – which have yet to experience any kind of road surface.

We're told that this matching numbers car is more than capable of being successfully recommissioned and is entirely viable as a restoration project.

The seller says: "I bought this with a view to restoring it, but I was restoring another Aston recently, and that has taken up all my time".

The bodywork is generally fairly decent, although clearly not perfect.

The vendor tells us that the driver’s door was sagging and had dropped a little.

He has had it welded back up so that it opens and closes properly, but the bottom of the door will need plating and welding.

There is some significant corrosion and flaking to be seen inside the wheel arches.

There are a few dents and scuffs on the driver’s door, largely caused by the door rubbing against the bodywork when it was sagging.

The paintwork, which dates from 1985/6, has survived reasonably well, but there are stone chips here, missing paint there, and scratches and scuffs elsewhere.

The wheels, which have never turned are, unsurprisingly, in very good order.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings have all held up pretty well.

The tan leather upholstery looks as if it’s been stored in boxes since 1986 – so it’s all rather dusty and a bit grubby.

But underneath the grime it’s actually serviceable and largely devoid of any holes, rips, tears or other meaningful damage.

The same applies to the door cards, although the carpeted sections at the base, like the rest of the carpets in this car, are beyond salvation.

Yes, there is plenty of corrosion visible in the floor pan.

There’s a hole in the driver’s door closure leading through to the rear wing.

The dashboard, steering wheel, dials and controls all look to be in good nick.

Clearly, we can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t started or driven the car.

We understand that the engine turns over and builds oil pressure well. We haven't been able to muster a spark, so far, which could be attributable to a number of factors.

We note that the outer sill on the driver’s side looks like it'll need replacing and that some welding will be necessary on the outriggers.

The car comes with a new V5C, some recent correspondence about the car between the previous owners, and a variety of bills and invoices for work carried out in the 1980s.

Yes, there’s work to be done, for sure.

But we think this low mileage car, which hasn’t covered an inch since 1986 and has had only two owners from then until now, has enough underlying quality, rarity and appeal to potentially make it a highly rewarding project.

Provided, of course, that the engine, powertrain and mechanicals are amenable to recommissioning.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £35,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with Aston Martin in the Midlands. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.