1972 Aston Martin DBS

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 £35,000, then £1,750 is added, making the total amount payable of £36,750.

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 £350 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.

Chassis No: DBS/5802/R

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s static display collection, this 1972 RHD auto Aston Martin DBS Saloon comes with very little paperwork beyond whatever photocopied documents are shown in the gallery section.

It does however, have a copy of an old V5, auction notes from its sale to the vendor in 2012, and a paper and online MoT trail running from 2008 to 2012.

We know that the car was living somewhere near Colchester during this period.

It has 77,146 miles on its odometer.

At the time of its 2012 sale to the current vendor, the then owner had the following to say of the car.

"This car is a very late 1972 model with an automatic gearbox and three SU carburettors. I have owned it for the last six years, during which time the petrol pumps, carburettors, suspension and braking system have been completely rebuilt.

The engine bay has received a lot of cosmetic attention. The engine itself has been checked over and found to be giving very satisfactory oil pressure (around 80psi) and burns no oil. It may well have been rebuilt at some stage but I cannot supply any evidence for this.

The car has had a recent service and oil change. The speedo indicates that it has covered just under 77,000 miles and I believe this to be genuine. We have converted the electrical system to negative earth, with a new alternator, and the electrics have been thoroughly checked. Four new chrome wire wheels and new Avon tyres were fitted by me less than 2,000 miles ago, costing some £2,000.

The bodywork was rust-proofed when the car was resprayed about eight years ago.

The sills have been checked and found to be free of corrosion and were probably replaced at the time of the repaint. New carpets have been fitted and the leather is in quite good condition although there is some wear to the front seats. The car is also fitted with an electric metal sunroof.

The car drives very well, is extremely comfortable and has recently completed two trips to France with no problems”.

We haven’t started or driven it, so our appraisal of it is entirely based on its cosmetic appearance.

The bodywork would appear to have fared fairly well over the years and is largely free of any dinks, dents or creases of note.

The panels, panel gaps and shut lines are reassuringly consistent and even.

The lights, lenses and wire wheels are decent as is most of the car’s chrome-work, although some of the chrome trim around the windows is scratched.

The blue paintwork has not endured quite so well.

There are some scuffs, scrapes and scratches on both rear wings, and some scratches and stone chips on the bonnet and around the o/s/f wheel arch.

Some bubbling has broken out beneath the rear screen, beneath the front window on the offside, and at the base of the door on the same side.

There’s also some bubbling in evidence at the base of the passenger door, at the base of the ‘A’ pillar and beneath the windscreen on the same side, and above the windscreen.

There are some scratches on the boot lid and some scuffs and stone chips on the n/s/f wing.

The rubber trim around the sunroof is missing in parts and is perished in various places elsewhere on the car.

The residue of some unknow substance is visible on the bonnet and there are some ripples and signs of over-spray in the paint on the roof.

The black upholstery has evidently deteriorated somewhat since 2012 and the leather on the front seats is cracked and split in numerous places.

There is dust on the floor, which we think is an indication of the state of the foam inside the seats.

It’s fared rather better in the rear of the car, but it’s by no means perfect.

The door cards, headlining, carpets and mats all seem decent enough, if a little tired and grubby.

The sunroof doesn’t appear to be closed flush with the surrounding bodywork.

The parcel shelf, which hosts a high-level brake light, hasn’t weathered the passage of time particularly stoically.

The driver’s sun visor is holed and stained and the padding on top of the dashboard seems to have turned rather ‘lumpy’ (for want of a more technical phrase).

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.

The dusty but dry engine and engine bay look to be in decent order.

There is some rust in evidence under the car and what appears to be an attempted patch to the floor pan using some ad-hoc metal someone happened to have lying around.

You’ll want to take a look for yourself and reach your own conclusions.

Unless otherwise stated, this car comes with no history or service records beyond whatever photocopied documents are shown in the gallery.

No documents shown in the gallery in any way constitute any kind of current licensing or registration certification.

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this.

This appears to be a decent DBS and we know for certain that just over a decade ago it was being driven and was pretty well thought of.

Provided, of course, that the engine, electrics and mechanicals are amenable to recommissioning, we think this car should have a good deal of potential and could reward its next owner with many years of classy (and rare) prestige motoring.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £30,000 -£50,000.

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’.