1970 Aston Martin DBSV8

We know this car, because it’s been our way before.

We first encountered it when it came to us as part of an overseas collection in 2023.

The car had been in the collection since 2012, at which time the mileage was recorded as being 53,900 miles. 

It came to us then with very little history save for some notes gleaned from the auction at which it was purchased for the overseas collection.

Those notes had the following to say.

‘This Aston Martin DBSV8 was the fiftieth car manufactured and believed to have been supplied to the Channel Islands, first registered in the United Kingdom in June 1973, and is finished in silver with black leather interior and fitted with the iconic four head lights and large full-width grille.’

Aside from incorrectly stating that the interior colour was then black (it was, and is, clearly green), we have no reason to doubt the veracity of that description. 

The vendor bought the car through us in March 2024, at which time he had every intention of getting on with the job of restoring this project DBSV8.

As is often the way with even the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, his plans never quite got off the drawing board and he now finds himself selling it in the knowledge that, as he won’t have the time to finish the job, there’s not much point starting it.

So, the car has been kept safe, sound, warm and dry in storage ever since but its condition – aesthetically, mechanically and dynamically – remains unchanged from March 2024.

The car is a project waiting to be started…and deserving to be finished.

As we said in 2024, ‘The vehicle takes power to the dashboard but the engine doesn’t currently turn over or start. We've tried to hand turn it, and it does move several millimetres back and forth, but we haven't done anything further than that. So, as we haven’t driven the car, our appraisal of it is entirely based on its cosmetic appearance’. 

We haven’t tried to start or drive it this time, either, so we can’t add anything to our earlier observations.

This elegant, stylish car may be a project but the bodywork is actually in pretty good overall condition.

Aberrations of any real consequence are relatively few and far between, and the panels are not blighted by any major dents, creases, holes or folds. 

The panel gaps and shut-lines are consistent, too.

Obviously, it’s our job to point out things that deviate from the ideal, so here goes.

There’s a dent to the o/s/r of the roof; a dent close to the aerial on the o/s/r wing; some bubbling at the base of the o/s/f wheel arch and the base of the driver’s door;

a few bubbles and spots of blistering at the rear of the bonnet; and a few more beneath the windscreen and the rear screen.

The chrome work remains pretty decent and is largely free of any significant foxing, pitting or tarnishing.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings all look to be in reasonable order and perfectly serviceable.

The GKN wheels look to be in reasonable condition, missing centre caps aside, but the front valance has clearly taken a knock or two. 

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are in generally reasonable condition.

The interior is wearing its project status rather less lightly, and there is clearly some work to be done to get it back up to scratch.

The carpets have succumbed to the voracious appetites of some moths and their offspring and are clearly beyond redemption.

The green leather upholstery has seen better days, too, although the underlying seat structures, front and back, seem decent and we think a skilled leather whisperer possessed of the right skills, products and attitude could probably breathe some life and durability back into the upholstery.

As ever, the rear seats are showing fewer signs of wear than their counterparts in the front.

The headlining is OK and the leather aspects of the door cards are serviceable.

The gear selector, steering wheel and controls look to be in good order, although we can’t vouch for their efficacy as we haven’t started or driven the car.  

This car is fitted with the 5.4 litre, four overhead camshaft engine married to the Chrysler Torqueflite automatic gearbox.

The engine and engine bay look decidedly dry and dusty but everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car seem to have a good deal of structural integrity although, clearly, you’ll want to reach your own conclusion.

The car doesn’t come with any history or service records. 

When we last sold the car, the Aston Martin Heritage Trust (AMHT) told us that they had the original build sheet, and some service data from September '70 to April '72. 

They believed the original registration number to be DME 157J, and added "we think we have four previous owner names up to 2008". 

We understand that the winning bidder will be able to acquire this paperwork from AMHT for a modest fee.

The HPI report (published in the gallery) refers to a Cat C insurance notice against the car in 1996 but it was not recorded until October '21, which is confusing, as the car was in the Middle East in 2021. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself.

It does have an online MoT trail showing that it had registration number RBV 999J attached to it.

We can see online evidence that the car was on the road and running when it was MoT’d in March 2011 prior to being sold and exported a year later in March 2012. 

The car was also MoT’d in 2006 & 2007 and covered over one thousand six hundred miles in the five years leading up to 2011. 

The Aston Martin DBSV8 was the last of the David Brown-era cars and, for many marque purists, that makes it a particularly special model and one to be coveted.

We certainly see the appeal. 

This is an achingly stylish car and one that has a svelte aesthetic and simplicity of line that distinguish it from the more aggressively steroidal V8 brutes that followed it from the production line at Newport Pagnell.

This one needs some work, for sure, but we suspect it might need rather less than many others we’ve seen.

It seems to us to be basically solid and sound, from what we can see, and that decent platform gives you the luxury of choice: you can opt to restore some, most or all of its former glory - according to your tastes and the sturdiness of your wallet - knowing that whichever you choose, you’ll be the owner of a car that turns heads and wins hearts wherever you go.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £40,000 - £50,000. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.