2002 Aston Martin Vanquish

Having covered around 41,000 miles, and enjoyed by seven previous owners, this is an example that is in great condition and has had a money no object approach to the maintenance. Finished in Solway Grey with an Ivory/Navy interior it’s an example that exudes style without being anywhere near ostentatious – just what you’d expect from an Aston Martin.

Registered in early 2002, it has been serviced in near impeccable fashion and the current owner has spent thousands in their ownership of six years. The paperwork is extensive to say the least and the owner states it’s better than some concourse examples. The car comes with full contents in the glovebox – very rare, states the owner – which comprises of items such as owner’s folder (featuring Ian Callum’s signature), pen, torch and tyre pressure gauge.

This is an original example boasting features such as full leather interior, heated front seats, climate control, CD changer, navigation, 19” alloys and sporty double exhaust to name a few. This example also comes with original umbrella in the boot as well as original carpets and safety triangle.

If you think the Aston Martin Vanquish is rare then you’d be dead right as only 2,758 examples were produced according to Aston Martin specialists Nicholas Mee & Co Ltd. When you consider just over 1,000 of those were the more powerful Vanquish S, that makes it even rarer. For context, that’s around a third of DB7 production, and the DB9 production was around 16,000.

The Solway Grey paintwork is in great condition and the current owner has also had paint correction plus paint protection film applied to help that sleek yet aggressive body stand the test of time (and stonechips!). There are some small blemishes to the exterior (see the offside front bumper and some slight scuffing to the boot area, but overall the outside highlights just how good an example this is.

It's not just the paint that has been looked after, all four alloy wheels have been refurbished and are wrapped with high quality Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres. All the brightwork has been refreshed and it’s clear to see a lot of love (and money!) has been spent to make this a car fit for James Bond himself (albeit without the gadgets).

The instantly recognisable Aston Martin badges look as good as when the car left the old Newport Pagnell works – the last Aston Martin to do so. The exterior lighting is also in fantastic condition with no tarnishing, chips, cracks or any other damage. Overall, the exterior is an excellent state and requires very little attention – perfect for those who want an example that’s low maintenance aesthetically.

The inside is wonderfully treated with navy and ivory leather making it a pleasant place to be. The leather is in brilliant condition and is free of any scuffs or tears. There is a little bit of distress to the driver’s bolster but that’s simply age-related patina, which adds to the character of the car. There is some blemishing to the driver’s door card, which the owner believes is where a garage left the window open causing the leather to get damp and to swell/bubble.

There are also some marks to the back of the front passenger seat as well as some wear on the steering wheel (age related) but apart from these small areas of complaint, the interior is very well kept. Original carpets and mats are still in place along with the full contents in the glovebox. The switchgear is free from serious wear/scuffs and there is the prominent red engine start stop button that sits at the top of centre console as proudly as a trophy on a mantlepiece.

The boot carpet does have some staining to it, but is easily hidden with the original boot mat, which is in good condition. Under the boot carpet you’ll find a tyre repair kit as well as a towing eye and tyre pressure gauge. An umbrella is fitted to the boot lid along with safety triangle whilst the offside section of the boot features a leather satchel. The CD changer and the slot for the Navigation DVD are also to be found in the boot.

The focal point of the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is of course what is under the brutish bodywork – the 5.9 litre V12. Good for 466hp and 542Nm of torque. 60mph is dealt with in 5 seconds and the top speed is a heady 190mph. At the time of production this V12 (engine code AM 702) was the most powerful Aston Martin had ever made. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a 6-speed automated manual. Not only does the engine proudly bear the V12 and closer to the front bumper there’s a plaque highlighting that the car was hand built and the final inspection was carried out by Stuart Bull.

The engine bay is in fine condition and looks as good as the day it rolled of the production line with extensive maintenance being carried out over the last 20 years. Relevant recall/campaign work was carried out in 2002 and 2003, and the service book has a plethora of service stamps including main dealer and specialists. More recently the car has been looked after by David Such at V12 Vanquish.com, and as you can see by the paperwork, it’s looked after in a fastidious manner.

This model benefits from the clutch and magnetic sensor from the more powerful S model, meaning it’s less prone to problems. The rear subframe was also removed and zinc-coated to protect it (carried out by Bamford Rose) – the front subframe was treated with anti-corrosive spray (carried out V12 Vanquish.com).

Bamford Rose – another Aston Martin specialist – has also carried out extensive work on this fine example including removing the differential to be re-built by V12 Vanquish.com, refreshing the Solway Grey paint, re-building both driveshafts, and rear suspension arms to name a few repairs from what is a long list of maintenance records. At present, the owner states that the only component the car could do with is rear brake pads, which is the grand scheme of things is very little in the way of maintenance.

The current owner has owned the car since 2016 and is the eighth person to enjoy what many would deem is the last ‘true’ Aston Martin. No expense has been spared, which is easily visible from the long list of paperwork, and it’s not just the current owner that wasn’t afraid to open their wallet – the current owner states previous owners have also paid in the thousands to keep this V12 beast in fine fettle.

The service history, which is plentiful, has a mix of main dealer and specialist work, and it was only 2008 where the car did not have a service. The last service was carried out by V12 Vanquish.com at 40,689 miles, which consisted of an oil change, steering fluid re-fill as well as refreshing bolts and consumables. 2018 saw the car taken to Surrey Rolling Road in which it registered 484.2hp, making it the second most powerful naturally aspirated Aston Martin at the time. Thanks to an attention-to-detail maintenance ethos this example has had a clean MOT for the last six years, proof of the care that has gone in to this vehicle.

Please take time to go through the pictures of the paperwork as it really highlights the level of care that this 2002 example has had in its 20 years of existence. To make life easier, please see a snapshot below:

• Car registered early 2002

• July 2014: 7,500 mile service carried out by Stratstone for £899.29 in total.

• April 2015: Stratstone replaced a power control module following an engine management light - £2,813.28 in total.

• August 2015: Stratstone replaced ASM pump, relay and oil - £11627.17 in total

• September – December 2015: Car put in to storage

• July 2016: Bridge Mill Motors replaced spark plugs and ignition coils following a misfire and the radiator due to a leak - £1,977,37 in total.

• April 2017: Bamford Rose replaced rear suspension arms, new bushes for dampers, tyres, fuel filters, front bumper strip, diff mounting bushes, A/C water valve, drip rails, gearbox oil cooler return pipe and carried out repairs to the exhaust system - £7,957.12 in total.

• October 2017: Bamford Rose carried out oil and filter change along with brake fluid change, MOT, replacing trim pieces and paintwork carried out - £4,255.18 in total.

• June 2018: Bamford Rose carried out extensive maintenance work (please see invoice) for a total of £8,367.86

• September 2018: Differential re-built

• October 2018: Oil and filter change carried out along with brake fluid change and inspection and MOT by V12 Vanquish.com - £476.39 in total.

Later that month V12 Vanquish.com also fitted differential as well as other work – please see invoice - £809.07 in total

• January 2019: All four wheels removed to be powder coated, brake fluid changed carried out, oil and filter change carried out, power steering fluid refilled, ASM fluid refilled, and MOT carried out by V12 Vanquish.com - £941.50 in total.

• January 2019: A day after the service, the Auto Shift Manual (ASM) pump was not working correctly, which turned out to be the fuse, which was rectified - £45 in total, carried out by V12 Vanquish.com

• October 2021: Oil and filter changed carried by V12 Vanquish.com, front subframe sprayed with anti-corrosive spray, various bolts/screws replaced, steering fluid refilled, rear droplinks replaced, inoperative horn fixed, wishbone gaiter replaced, and the driver’s OBD port cover adjusted - £857.10 in total

• October 2021: Oil change service by V12 Vanquish.com along with steering fluid re-fill, various bolts/screws replaced and vehicle inspection carried out. Air con high pressure switch was replaced and handbrake was adjusted - £927.19 in total.

Given the fact the Vanquish was the last Aston Martin to come out of the old Newport Pagnell works, some may argue that this is the last ‘proper’ Aston Martin. It’s also the last model to be built extensively by hand which is bound to make the Vanquish even more desirable (as if that was even possible). Given the low production run, there won’t be too many examples up for grabs, especially in this condition, and it could be some time before we see an example like this, so don’t miss out.

This is a car that’s had thousands spent on it by previous owners and needs very little work done to it. It's a car that’s ready to be enjoyed for James Bond like fantasies, or for those that can appreciate what will be a classic model for the famous British marque. The service history and paperwork speaks for itself and is bound to give reassurance for any prospective buyer.

Our estimate for this car is £45,000 - £55,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with our vendor in Esher, Surrey; 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’.