1997 Aston Martin Volante

This quite extraordinary car was sold to the current vendor by esteemed Aston Martin whisperers and aficionados, Nicholas Mee & Co, in 2022.

They described it at the time as being “…quite possibly the best preserved, maintained and cherished example of the Volante we have seen”.

Ladies and gentlemen – there can be no loftier accolade, and we entirely concur with their high opinion and fulsome praise.

The car is finished in ‘Porsche Midnight Blue’ with ‘Parchment’ Connolly hide, piped in ‘Navy Blue’.

It has just over 15,800 miles on the odometer and has been serviced, maintained and kept in the splendid condition you see today by Aston Martin Works and a selection of highly-respected Aston Martin specialists.

On the occasion of its 2013 MoT a decade ago, it had covered 12,938 miles.

So, as you can tell, the car has been used regularly, but sparingly, over the years, and has enjoyed a decidedly pampered and indulgent life as, primarily, a collectors’ car.

Its provenance and history are as impeccable as the rest of it.

We have driven this imposing hand-built mechanical powerhouse and can report that it drives very well indeed.

The engine is (deliberately) set to a fast tick-over and can be heard to ‘hunt’ around a little before it’s warmed up and settled down.

This can be adjusted differently if you so desire, we’re told.

It presses on with a degree of enthusiasm that befits its GT status (it’s not a sportscar), and it handles with surprising agility and deftness of touch for one so large and heavy.

Please be prepared for everyone to stop and stare – particularly when you have the roof down.

This is not a car for anyone who wants to stay under the radar and avoid attention.

The bodywork is in excellent condition and there are no dinks, dents, creases or ripples of any consequence to report.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are everything you would hope and expect to find on a hand-built car.

The blue metallic paintwork is equally untroubled by the vicissitudes of time or use and the finish fair pops and sings in the sunshine.

The powered, triple-layer fabric hood stows, fits and goes up and down as it should and is devoid of any defects that we can discern.

The cream tonneau cover is also in very fine fettle.

The wheels, we must point out, are truly something else.

The huge, gleaming 18” OZ rims make other ‘statement’ wheels look a bit shy and retiring.

Needless to say, they are in immaculate condition.

The amount of faint scratches, road rash or stone chips visible on this car – hardly any – is far more a reflection of its very low mileage than its age and speaks to a life lived carefully in the hands of diligent owners who spared no expense in the car’s upkeep and preservation.

The lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in fine fettle.

In summary, it’s all very impressive indeed.

The interior is every bit a match for its exterior counterpart in terms of the excellence of its condition.

The cream leather upholstery is pretty much immaculate, front and back, and the 8-way, heated, electric front seats are comfortable, supportive and, as far as we can ascertain, fully functional.

The door cards are similarly devoid of any signs of age or use, as are the carpets and mats.

Even the wood veneers are scratch free and the lacquer has resisted the usual temptation to crack, peel or lift.

We pressed a few buttons and flipped a few switches as we were driving around, and the vendor assures us that even the ones we didn’t press or flip will work as intended.

The only possible exception to this rule is the ‘Sport’ button, which didn’t illuminate when pressed and appeared to exert no influence on the car’s performance.

The boot looks very good and contains a custom-fit Aston Martin car cover.

The very full engine bay looks every bit as clean and dry and as you would hope to find in a car that’s yet to notch up 16,000 miles. Everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car seem to have plenty of structural integrity, unsurprisingly.

Accompanying the car is a highly detailed history file, containing factory build, service and maintenance records, MoT certificates and plenty of bills, receipts and invoices from Aston Martin Works, Chiltern Aston and Nicholas Mee & Co.

All original tools, jack and warning triangle are included, along with the original owner's handbook, stamped service voucher book and spare keys.

The car’s MoT certificate is valid until 16.8.24.

Please note that the private registration plate in the photos is being retained by the vendor, and it will revert to an age-related plate upon sale.

We think you’ll be a very long time waiting to find a better example of this vanishingly rare ‘Widebody’ Aston Martin V8 Volante.

It is in virtually concours condition.

It has all the right stamps, history and provenance.

It is barely run-in.

In short, it ticks every box and is a delight and privilege to see and experience.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £85,000 - £125,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|CarsOnline HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.