1997 Aston Martin V8 Coupe

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. Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% duty + VAT as well as VAT (a company buying the car will always have to pay VAT on the hammer price, as well as duty + VAT).

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.

The car will require recommissioning prior to full road use and is sold ‘as seen’. We cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality.

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.

This car’s chassis number is SCFDAM256VBR79024.

The engine number is 95/79024/A.

It is RHD with an auto gearbox and comes with an ‘Aston Martin Works Prepared’ sticker affixed to the windscreen.

It was bought for the vendor’s collection at a Bonhams auction in 2012.

Today, the car’s mileage is 11,915.

In common with many cars from the vendor’s collection, it comes with very little in the way of history or service records.

What we do have, however, are the Bonhams auction notes from 2012 (since when the car has barely turned a wheel).

Those notes are as follows.

‘Finished in blue with dark blue-piped cream leather interior, this V8 Coupé was purchased by its late owner in April 2005 and since acquisition has been kept in a purpose-built heated garage. Started regularly, it has been used sparingly but not at all for the last six months.

Maintained regardless of cost and presented in generally very good condition, 'P993 KEC' comes with an extensive history file containing bills and MoT certificates dating back to 2000 when the recorded mileage was 3,715 (currently 11,656). A very clean example, the car is offered with old-style logbook, MoT to August 2012 and Swansea V5.

Some re-commissioning may be required before it returns to the road.’

With the proviso that we haven’t tried to start or drive it, we’re of the opinion that the description of this V8 Coupé’s condition holds true today.

And, if the car was sent off to earn its Newport Pagnell ‘Works Prepared’ sticker by the current vendor after the auction (as has been the case with a number of cars in his collection), then it will be in even better condition although, of course, still in need of basic recommissioning.

Either way, it looks to be in excellent order inside, outside and underneath, and presents very handsomely from every angle.

The bodywork is free of any dinks, dents, ripples, folds or creases of note.

The dark blue paintwork is in excellent condition, as are the lights and badging.

The shut lines are consistent, even and tight. The doors slam home with plenty of hand-built weight and authority.

Even the external rubber trim around the windows has survived with admirable fortitude.

There are just one or two paint chips in the usual places: on the front valance, the wheels arches and the leading edges of the doors and bonnet.

The wheels appear to be very good.

There is a patch of delamination at the base of the rear screen.

The interior is every bit as impressive as the exterior and the car is in more or less time-warp condition.

The cream leather Connolly hide with blue piping has held up very well, both front and back, and all the seats are comfortable and supportive.

There are some marks on the bolster of the driver’s seat and at the top of the door card on the same side, but they have the look of marks that would throw their hands in the air and surrender if threatened with some soapy water and a chamois.

Everything else really does look pretty much entirely untroubled by the vicissitudes of time or use.

The carpets and mats appear virtually as good as new, ditto the sumptuous suede headlining, glossy wooden veneers, and the dashboard, steering wheel and instruments.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of the knobs, switches, dials, buttons, levers or other electrics as we haven’t tried to start the vehicle.

The boot is in good condition, too.

In general, the undersides seem to be very well preserved and everything visible seems to us to have a good deal of structural integrity.

Clearly, you will want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusion.

The engine (built by Ron Russell) and engine bay are clean, dry and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

While there is no service history to go with the car and very few bits of paper attesting to the car’s history, it does have some previous MoTs and old V5s.

The car doesn’t come with a current MoT certificate or V5.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

With the proviso that we can’t vouch for the car’s mechanical and electrical status, we can provide a very positive report on what we’ve seen of the vehicle cosmetically.

We think this is a particularly good example of both the marque and the model – and one that appears to have been afforded diligent and expert care throughout its long life.

If this car proves to be dynamically and functionally as strong as it is aesthetically, then it has the potential to be a very desirable Aston Martin V8 Coupé indeed.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £35,000 - £50,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £350 NOVA fee.

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’.