2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S

Finished in Onyx Black with a Sandstorm and Phantom Grey leather interior, this Vanquish S boasts 514bhp, with the extra power being channeled by the now-standard Sports Dynamic Pack that tickles steering, suspension and brakes for an even more satisfying drive.

‘V12 ODT’ was with its last private owner for eight years, and still shows just 55,000 miles on the odometer, a mileage that’s supported by a good service history and corroborated by its MoT history.

It’s a good ‘un too as it’s been carefully fettled at a cost of more than £30,000 since 2018 including a restoration by Aston Martin Works. Almost completely standard too, with the only upgrade intermediate Larini exhaust pipes fitted a couple of years ago.

Onyx Black is a tough colour to pull off as there’s a very real risk that the dark hue, even with its subtle silver flecks, will highlight every flaw, no matter how minor.

And yet, when the car is as good as this one there’s nothing better, especially on an inter-continental bruiser like the Vanquish.

There’s no rust to worry about of course, just mm-perfect shutlines and flawless panel alignment, and while the seller tells us that the front has been repainted at some time, he believes this was to correct stonechips and nothing more; taken in conjunction with the clear HPI report, we’ve seen nothing to suggest that this is a car with a story to tell.

And everything else is just as impressive: lights, glazing, mirror caps, mesh grilles, and badges are all impeccable.

There’s jewellery too by way of an alloy fuel filler cap in addition to a set of 19-inch alloy wheels that were refurbished in November 2022.

Unutterably lovely, their eleven-spoke design allows you to admire the factory red brake calipers that lurk behind and clamp down on the huge, grooved AP Racing brake discs.

The tyres they’re fitted with are matching Pirelli P Zeros with the front 255/40R19 pair having been fitted in 2021 and the rear 285/40R19s in 2018. Nicholas Mee recently measured the read depth at 8mm across both front tyres, and 6mm across the rears as part of its nine-page condition report, which is available online to view.

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.

This theory stacks up here because there’s really very little to talk about in terms of flaws. There is a tiny area of bubbling at the bottom corner of the passenger door and another small area at the bottom of the offside rear wheelarch. A small amount of corrosion on the rear bottom of the driver’s door too, plus a small dent.

Even less of a worry are the couple of small chips to the nearside rear wheelarch and the few light scratches to the rear bumper that are joined by another couple of marks near the exhaust tailpipes.

The interior is a wonderful melange of complementary colours: Sandstorm and Phantom Grey leather with silver-toned inlays and a Sandstorm Alcantara headlining.

Wonderfully minimalist, it’s every inch the luxury Aston Martin you’d hope for while being a million miles away from the tired old wood ‘n’ leather cliché of yesteryear.

Take the heated and electrically adjustable front seats for example, which are gracefully sculpted to hold you firm while still being pleasing to the eye; the old engineering adage of “if it looks right then it probably is” has never been more apt.

The tiny rear seats look almost unused, and the door cards, headlining, and carpets are also all excellent.

The ivory-faced 210mph speedometer’s font is elegant, and the rev counter’s red-line is set at 7,000rpm; if you’re looking for a statement of intent then it’s staring right back at you.

Toys are comprehensive and include rear parking sensors, flappy paddles, a heated windscreen, a switchable sport mode, power folding exterior mirrors, and satellite navigation as part of the factory radio, cassette player, and CD-autochanger sound system.

The boot is impressively clean too, and plays host to the warning triangle, towing eye, tool kit, and tyre sealant.

As for blemishes, the driver’s seat shows the most wear but, as you can see, this really doesn’t amount to much other than some gentle cracks and creases.

The only real issue is the speaker cap on the driver’s door mirror which is loose “but does stay in place most of the time.”

As for the air-conditioning, it always blows cold in the end but it takes a while to get there, so may need recharging.

The Vanquish’s service and maintenance record is impressive:

• 26th July 2005 and 6,701 miles – service by Aston Martin HWM
• 30th December 2005 and 14,768 miles - service by Aston Martin HWM
• 31st May 2006 and 22,883 miles - service by Aston Martin HWM
• 30th November 2006 and 29,489 miles - service by Aston Martin Leeds
• 5th February 2007 and 31,866 miles - service by Aston Martin JCT600
• 6th September 2007 and 40,194 miles - service by Aston Martin Stratstone
• 13th September 2010 and 46,914 – service by Murray Motor Company
• 20th January 2015 and 49,351 miles - service by Aston Martin Leeds
• 31st January 2018 and 52,392 miles – service/restoration by Aston Martin Works that set the previous owner back the sum of £17,360, Mind you, that’s what you’re going to have to pay to have Aston Martin Works go through the car from stem to stern to bring it up to their standard. The invoice, which runs to 15 pages and details every little job, is in the history file
• 9th November 2020 and 52,409 miles - service by Aston Martin Works at a cost of £3,894
• 18th November 2022 and 54,948 miles - service by Aston Martin Works at a cost of £10,237

That’s a helluva record, especially the recent expenditure of well over £30,000 since 2018. (However, we note it is now due a service.)

And given the scale of expenditure, you don’t need us to tell you that the V12 engine starts, idles and revs as it should, and that it does so with no warning lights on the dashboard and while making all the right noises.

Speaking of which, the intermediate Larini exhaust pipes were worth every penny of the £859 they cost: crank your speakers up to eleven from four minutes and 20 seconds in and revel in one of the finest road-legal exhaust notes in the world.

Cosmetically, the engine, with its carbonfibre strut brace, is impressively clean and beautifully presented. Nothing needed here then.

Nor on the underside, which is also very good; Aston Martin Works doesn’t mess around and it spent a far chunk of its time fettling things like suspension bushes and dampers.

The Aston’s MoT certificate, which is valid until February 2026, was issued with no advisories thanks, in part, to an investment of £2,000 we are told Nicholas Mee made to prepare it.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and the Vanquish comes with two keys and fobs, a list of its factory build specification, a recent nine-page condition report by Nicholas Mee, a six-page print-out of the car’s service and maintenance history with Aston Martin, the book pack and wallet, and many old invoices including the 15-page one from Aston Martin Works.

With a guide price of between £40,000 and £50,000, we think this Vanquish would offer outstanding value for money even without the £30,000 investment with Aston Martin Works since 2018.

As it is the new owner has a solid base with which to build their relationship with their new Aston Martin – and with a car like this, confidence is everything.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays 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’.