1995 Aston Martin DB7

Finished in maroon with a parchment and maroon hide interior, this stunning 1995 Aston Martin DB7 is very well-preserved considering it’s almost 30 years old.

Yup, that sportscar you lusted after when you were starting out in life has matured into something you can actually afford to buy and run.

Brilliantly, the seller has been running this as his only car since January 2009, something that marks him out as being uncommonly cool. “I buy them to drive,” he told us, “and this one’s been very reliable.”

Fitted with the manual gearbox, this supercharged DB7 is capable of passing 62mph in 5.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 165mph. That’s quite the daily driver, eh?

But, all good things must come to an end and he feels the time has come to pass it on. Clearly a reluctant sale, his loss could be your gain.

With straight, ripple-free flanks and very good shutlines, first impressions are positive, especially as this is the polar opposite of a pampered man cave ornament.

The four corners are free of the sort of parking-by-touch marks that are becoming increasingly common too, and he’s clearly gone to some effort to keep his beloved Aston away from the sort of Neanderthals that open their car doors without checking to see how close they are to the car beside them.

There is some chrome but only a little and what’s there is good and the absence of any other decoration allows the DB7’s timeless lines to shine.

Which brings us neatly to the maroon paintwork, a colour that suits it very well and makes for a much more interesting shade than the silver everyone else seems to have spec’d back in the day.

The 12-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels have been recently refurbished. That’s good news, news that’s only bettered by the sight of a set of matching Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres – and you all know how we feel about matching tyres by now, surely?

They’ve got lockable centre caps too, plus Aston Martin valve caps. Small things, for sure, but important indicators that hint at the owner’s attitude towards his car.

The years might have been gently led but they have left their mark. There is a stonechip on offside front wing and a small bit of plastic is broken on the radiator grille. The headlamps are a bit milky too, so could do with being polished and refurbished.

Not exactly an earth-shatteringly awful To Do list, is it?

With fewer than 65,000 under its belt, you’d have every right to expect the interior to still be in a good condition – and yet again, we’re going to exceed even those lofty expectations because this cabin is a bit of a peach.

For a start the maroon and parchment hide interior is as tastefully executed as it was boldly chosen; we doubt many of you would have picked this combination but it looks absolutely brilliant, doesn’t it?

It’s survived the passage of 28 years better than you might think, too. Daily driver or not, the seller has clearly pampered and treasured it because no-one can treat a car roughly for 14 straight years without consequence.

You’ll note that the electrically adjustable and heated seats are in fine fettle; sure, the leather facing on the driver’s seat is a little cracked but that that’s the extent of the visible wear you might like to address is remarkable.

The door cards, dashboard and carpets are all remarkably well preserved, as is the wooden trim, which is undamaged and glossy, and the lettering on the switchgear, which is still bright and vivid. All play testament to the effort he’s put in to maintaining this iconic supercar.

The rear seats are like Tom Cruise, being small, perfectly formed and incredibly good for their age.

The boot plays home to the space saver spare wheel, tool kit, warning triangle, battery, and Sony 10-disc CD changer.

There’s even a 12-volt power supply in the boot plus, just to balance things out, a little surface rust on a couple of metal plates.

The service history booklet shows the following:

• 17.01.1995 and 65 miles – pre-delivery inspection by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 23.02.1995 and 1,200 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 19.03.1996 and 6,739 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 10.02.1997 and 12,938 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 23.12.1997 and 14,584 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 26.02.1999 and 15,995 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 28.02.2001 and 22,933 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 19.10.2001 and 25,272 miles – service by True Spirit Motor Engineers Ltd
• 25.04.2002 and 26,862 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow
• 25.09.2003 and 35,170 miles – service by P.J. Evans of Birmingham
• 16.11.2007 and 42,555 miles – service by Stratstone of Wilmslow

It moved into the seller’s hands shortly thereafter, at which point he stopped having the books stamped, relying on keeping invoices instead. “If it needed anything, it got it”, he said explaining he tried to tie in servicing with the annual MoT.

Our tame photographer has shot some of the paperwork but he tells us there is a file “full of receipts” from folk like The Aston Workshop. He can remember having HT leads and fuel injectors replaced plus radius arms and a header tank in addition to the usual oil and filters but for the full history he’d encourage potential bidders to get in touch with him to make an appointment to pop up and see the history file for themselves.

The underside is the one place the car shows its age and use. With surface rust to the suspension components and brackets, we can see the new owner might want to invest some time under there with a wire brush and some rust killer.

There’s the odd spot of corrosion on the floor pan too, which would repay closer inspection as the last MoT tester commented: “Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive chassis”.

The DB7’s MoT certificate is valid until January 2024 and the car comes with the Aston Martin book pack plus the wad of invoices we mentioned.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and the cherished registration number of ‘WOW 95T’ is staying with the car.

Modern classics like this offer a beguiling combination of iconic looks allied to modern mechanicals, which means you don’t have to sacrifice the sort of driver aids and creature comforts you’ve got used to in order to drive a legend.

And the DB7 is a legend. Its blend of stunning looks and a supercharged engine are an unrivalled combination and this particular model also has a proven history as a reliable daily driver.

And how much do we think you’re going to have to part with to make it yours?

Well, we think the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £18,000 and £22,000. Depreciation shouldn’t be too much of an issue either, which raises its desirability even further.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Sunderland. 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’.