1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage

“I purchased the car in 1972 and have owned it since then – 51 years!” explains the vendor. “I believe that I am the second owner since new. During the Seventies I used it as an occasional work car and in the following years purely for pleasure, with sporadic long distance runs thrown in”. 

With just over a half century on the clock, this partnership between man and machine is certainly quite a thing. In terms of tracing a classic car’s back story it doesn’t get a lot better than this.

“It’s difficult to estimate how much I’ve spent over fifty years, but it has to be in the region of £50,000 or more… There are many bills in the DB6’s history file, although not all of them as a lot of work was carried out but not recorded”.

The vendor says that the general condition of the car is good although some small things, such as the trim in the boot, will require attention. It will also require a gentle re-commissioning, as its last general use came pre-pandemic. “It was driving very well at that time with good brakes and steering”. Post-pandemic, the DB6 still saw some action on the road so was running relatively recently. 

“Unfortunately, my rapidly advancing years mean that its manual gearbox requires more effort than I can supply, so, sadly, it’s time to sell”. For our vendor, alas, it’s a real shame that time has come calling and this particular partnership has to come to an end.

However, the door is now open for someone else to pick up the keys to a startlingly original, manual gearbox-endowed, Aston Martin DB6 Vantage.

Presented with vibrant Red coachwork, this DB6 Vantage is a striking looking car – from a distance this particular hue shows off its lines wonderfully. 

Get a little closer though and it’s clear that the paint is showing its age. There’s nothing particularly frightening, it’s just apparent that the car may benefit from a re-spray. That said if you’re not a concours fiend, then get it back up and running and it should be perfectly serviceable for another decade or two, as is.

It wears its years honestly, with the odd scrape and chip here and there. A touch of bubbling is also present at the base of the nearside A-pillar and again at the top corner around the rear quarter glass. Shut lines are good but the doors are a little sticky; on some panels the paint has a good lustre, although on others it’s a tad flat. The Webasto sunroof is a nice period touch and opens and closes smoothly.   

Brightwork is generally a little bit pitted and dull, except for the chrome wire wheels and spinners – new in May 2012, at a cost of £2400 including fresh tyres – which, as you would expect, retain a smarter appearance. The front windscreen is also delaminating on the near side upper corner.

The cabin evokes an instant, evocative old-world Aston feel. It’s bearing up quite nicely and wearing its age well. Carpets and the headlining were replaced in 2011/12, when the DB6 received a circa £11k refresh. As such, they’re still in good nick. 

The leather seats are aged, but comfy in extremis. Again, they may benefit from a good feed and perhaps some colour TLC; you can apply that thought process to the door cards and door handles too, which are a bit scuffed in places. The 2+2 seats in the rear look as if they’ve barely ever seen any action. 

You will find period non-inertia reel Britax seatbelts fitted. Popping the boot reveals an immediate need for a re-trim, as it’s a bit grubby with loose and torn material. 

It’s a bit of an interior conundrum: restore it to the nth degree and you have a new cabin, but you lose its undoubted charm. For us, it’s symbiotically linked to the next owner’s exterior decision… if they go to town out there, then a cabin restoration will surely follow. 

Having sat for a while, the DB6 does start but is in need of a proper tune-up and recommissioning before being driven. It will also need a new battery.

The chassis and engine plates confirm the DB6 as a Vantage model. The long straight six engine sits in a fairly tidy, but relatively well travelled looking engine bay.     

The underside looks to be well protected with plenty of rustproofing product applied, although it may be worth topping-up a couple of areas where it has chipped. The stainless steel exhaust system remains in rude health. 

The DB6’s history file includes a variety of invoices from a cross-section of years in the vendor's ownership. This includes some from 1975, back when VAT sat at just 8% - heady days!

Over the years parts have been sourced from numerous suppliers (including Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, itself). 

Other documents show that the car had a comprehensive refresh during the years 2011/12, with some replacement interior (including carpets, headlining and sound deadening, fitted), electrical (ignition components and wiring), suspension and exterior parts (fresh wire wheels with chrome spinners, with new tyres all round) fitted. The grand total spent came in at circa £11k. 

It’s certainly worth taking your time to acquaint yourself with the car’s history file, as they demonstrate regular attention and fiscal outlay where necessary. 

There is even an invoice from its time pre-current-ownership, including a visit to the mother ship at Newport Pagnell, itself, on the 3rd of November 1971 for its 10,000-mile service. 

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos to support our claim that this car has been well maintained all its life. 

This is a well-used and well-maintained example of a manual Aston Martin DB6 Vantage that hasn’t seen much recent action due to its owner’s advancing years. Prior to that, the vendor enjoyed the car for over five decades.

As such there’s a lot of honesty at play here, in terms of how the exterior, interior, engine bay and underside all present. As we’ve intimated above, this car could quite easily be re-commissioned and used as is to provide a charmingly original DB experience.

Of course, the second option is go all-in, restore it fully, and return it to a factory-perfect example. What would we do? Well, that’s perhaps not for us to say. What we can state is that around £200k-£250k should secure the ability to make that decision. 

Hold the press, there is a third way! How about a full re-spray and a touch of cabin titillation? 

There’s no doubt the decision poser is a first world problem but the journey, no matter what route is undertaken, should be a six-cylindered joy.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars 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’.