2009 Aston Martin DB9 Volante

With one owner from new, this gorgeous Aston Martin DB9 Volante is for sale after a 13-year love affair – and a love affair it was; maintained regardless of cost by Aston Martin throughout, it is still showing only 19,000 miles on the odometer.

Finished in black over black leather, it’s been used across the UK and Europe including a road trip to Italy and back, a journey the seller remembers with great fondness, even now.

A main dealer service in August 2022 rated it as being ‘green’ in all areas, which means it’s ready to thrill and delight its lucky new owner.

The DB9 is one of the all-time great designs and black suits it very well. Of course, black is also the most unforgiving of all colours, mercilessly highlighting every dink, scratch and flaw, so the fact this one looks as good as it does says all you need to know about its condition.

As you can see, the folding roof does a carefully coordinated dance to furl and unfurl, adding a touch of theatre to a car that’s not exactly lacking dramatic impact in the first place.

It seals well, and is so well engineered it turns the Volante into a very effect coupé, making the DB9 a peerless all-season, all-weather grand touring sportscar. The condition is good too, including the light grey headlining.

The huge 19-inch alloy wheels are fitted with matching Bridgestone Potenza tyres on all four corners, all of which have good tread left on them, measured at between 6-7mm only a month ago.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Faults are few. There is the usual smattering of stonechips that every car collects over the years, and the front alloy wheels could do with refurbishing as they’ve collected some scuffs in addition to the odd patch of lifting lacquer (i.e. #221).

The front seats are in fine shape. Still as supportive and comfortable as they were the day they were installed, they perfectly blend luxury and athleticism and only very light creasing gives their age away.

The rear seats are very usable, something the seller often put to the test during weekend sailing trips on the south coast with his two children. He admits they did begin to grumble a bit when they reached double digits, leaving him to choose between leaving them behind or taking a different car: “it was a close-run decision!” he admits.

The carpets, door cards, and dashboard all reflect the DB9’s low mileage and careful curation and have almost no signs of wear.

The instrument cluster is a thing of beauty; minimalist in design, we especially enjoyed watching the counter-rotating rev counter. It’s little touches like this that make the DB9 (and indeed any modern Aston Martin) such a lovely car to own.

The original Smartire tyre pressure monitoring system is still in place, as is the factory wind diffuser which makes for ruffle-free motoring at surprisingly high speeds.

The boot, which is clean and well-organised, is home to the warning triangle, umbrella, tool kit, and emergency tyre inflation kit.

Of course, this isn’t a brand-new car so the interior does have the odd mark here and there but there’s no damage and it presents very well.

The V12 fires into life with alacrity, and revs and ticks over as it should. Of course, it also sounds wonderful and the seller sums it up very well: “The car is a wonderful grand tourer. Our best trip was to Venice and back via the Italian lakes and Villa D’Este. What can beat mountain roads with the hood down and the wonderful growl of the V12?”

As for the DB9’s mechanical condition, please see the health check that Aston Martin undertook in August 2022 (#272-274) when it last serviced it; as you can see, it passed with flying colours.

As far as art goes, we think this engine bay has got to be one of the nicest of any modern car. Beautifully designed and as contemporary as the rest of the Aston’s construction, details like the gorgeous oil filler cap lie at the heart of how special the DB9 is and the care with which it was (hand) built.

Both the engine bay and underside are very well presented and a credit to the craftsmen and women who’ve looked after it so diligently.

The DB9 comes with a thick file of invoices demonstrating its money-no-object maintenance since day one, largely by Aston Martin Works with only the odd service being completed by an AM main dealer.

MoT’d until September 2023, it won’t come as any surprise to learn that it gained its latest ticket without drawing a single adverse comment from the tester. It also comes with a number of expired MoT certificates.

The original Aston Martin book pack is present and the recent Vehicle History Check is clean.

The service history for this Aston Martin DB9 is as follows:

• 08/9/10 - Serviced at 4,075 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 23/09/11 - Serviced at 7,996 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 22/08/12 - Serviced at 10,125 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 27/08/13 - Serviced at 11,883 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 26/04/14 - Serviced at 13,601 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 02/10/15 - Serviced at 14,697 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 03/08/17 - Serviced at 16,286 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 08/10/18 - Serviced at 17,285 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 09/10/19 - Anti-cororosion inspection
• 27/05/21- Serviced at 17,987 miles with anti-cororosion inspection
• 30/08/2022 - Serviced at 18,975 miles with anti-cororosion inspection

The DB9 is every inch the modern Aston Martin. Beautifully built and utterly gorgeous, its cutting-edge engineering and design is wrapped round one of the best engines in the business.

And yet, for all its many attractions its price remains stubbornly constant, something that surely can’t continue for much longer. This is, after all, a hand-built British convertible with a V12 under the bonnet and supercar performance…

With a guide price of between £35,000 and £45,000, this example has an awful lot to commend it; finished in a wonderfully discreet colour combination and boasting an impressively OTT service history, we can’t think of a single reason not to buy it.

If you’ve ever fancied having a DB9 in your garage - and if you haven’t then you might like to get someone to check for a pulse - we don’t think you’ll do better than this.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at BonhamsICars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.