1995 Aston Martin DB7

With just two former keepers, ‘N811 BTF’ is an attractively guided Aston Martin DB7.

First registered in August 1995, it has racked up just 13,500 miles in its thirty-year life.

Finished in a metallic maroon and boasting an excellent burgundy and cream leather interior, it’s been the subject of a good deal of expenditure in recent years, including a recent £3,700 recommissioning by Pugsley & Lewis.

The metallic maroon coachwork has some issues that we’ll come to later, but it’s important to note that it presents well from a distance and what flaws it has could certainly be put off for a while.

Because the rest is in the sort of condition you’d expect of a car with a clear HPI report and such a low mileage. This means excellent panel alignment, some very good shutlines, and a general air of well-being about it. In short, there’s nothing here that would stop the DB7 drawing the usual admiring glances as you waft by.

This impression is helped by the details, like rear lamps lenses that are still bright and free of cracks and chips.

And the chromework, which might be limited in scope but whose condition is still good.

The badges are respectable too, and new numberplates have been fitted.

Nor does the good news end there because the deeply dished, 12-spoke alloy wheels might have some light kerbing scuffs to them, but the damage is light and the tyres that are fitted to them are matching and good Bridgestone Potenzas – and y’all know how we feel about matching tyres by now.

As for the work you’ll need to do on the coachwork, there is bubbling around both door windows as well as the rear window. There are also scratches and paint defects on most panels, issues with the lacquer on both wing mirrors, heavy scratches down the nearside front wing, bonnet and window pillar as well as on the rear bumper. It also has substantial stonechips to the bonnet and both front wings, and the paint is peeling off the front bumper.

In other words, it’s going to need a full respray, but a good machine polish would probably improve it immeasurably in the meantime.

Other flaws include faded headlamps that have trapped moisture behind them.

The burgundy and cream interior has fared better than the exterior, shrugging off the passage of thirty years with impressive aplomb.

The leather seats are incredibly well preserved with barely a crease on them much less any significant wear if you ignore a small patch of colour loss to the piping on the outer edge of the driver’s seat.

Heavily bolstered, electrically adjustable, heated, and trimmed in burgundy piping, the front seats are supportive, comfortable, and attractive, therefore possessing the trifecta of attributes.

Slightly less impressive are the cocoon-like rear seats, which have a noticeable stain on the base of the nearside. But the rest leather back there is as impressively preserved as the seats in front of them, so you may be able to get that one area professionally cleaned or recoloured.

The burgundy carpets are no less impressive, showing virtually no wear at all. It’s the same with the door cards, headlining, dashboard and transmission tunnel; all look like they’ve teleported from 1995 to today.

This includes the leather and wooden veneer, both of which are vulnerable to sun-fading and cracking; that they are all in such a good condition speaks of only very gentle use over the years – and careful storage in between.

The boot is just as clean. Nicely presented and featuring good carpet trimming it, it even boasts a hard-wired battery conditioner to keep it on the button and ready for use.

The space-saver spare wheel, warning triangle, and tools live under the false floor, as does a recent new battery.

As for faults, the speaker cover on the parcel shelf is slightly scruffy. More serious is the heating and air-conditioning system, which doesn’t work and may be contributing to the cabin’s musty smell.

This DB7 was recommissioned by Pugsley & Lewis in September 2024. The work, which set the seller back just over £3,700, included a full service plus fresh gearbox and axle oil, having the brake fluid flushed and replaced, new drivebelts fitted, fresh coolant put in, the wheel bearings adjusted, a new battery and boot struts installed, and an MoT put on it. It was also treated to a full valet.

Our assessor reports that the “engine starts and idles fine” and that it “drives very well”, so that not insignificant investment has paid off. You can also check his assessment of how well it starts and ticks over by watching the video; please note the oil pressure and the good rate of charge to the recent battery.

It is also worth noting the quality of the engine and exhaust notes, which are suitably subdued and appropriately fruity respectively.

The engine bay is tidy bar the damaged paint on the underside of the bonnet. Yes, there might be further cleaning and detailing in its future if that sort of thing makes you happy, but we can see that most owners would be very happy to just maintain it as it is.

As for the underside, it looks good and solid, and no MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion. That said, the underseal is coming away in places, leaving nooks and crannies for rust to take hold, so you’d be as well to nip that in the bud.

The DB7’s MoT certificate, which is free of advisories, is valid until September 2025 – and that advisory-free pass was no fluke, as it’s been racking ‘em up since 2011.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file contains the invoice for the recent recommissioning we mentioned plus a couple from 2002 and 2003 for servicing. It also contains some expired MoT certificates and tax discs as well as the DB7 wallet.

NB: The V5 registration document incorrectly reports it as using “heavy oil”.

With a guide price of between £15,000 and £20,000, we’re reminded (again!) of just how cheap Aston Martin DB7s are now – and we surely can’t be alone in wondering how long this can go on for.

Yes, it needs a bit of TLC, but it has an amazing interior as well as freshly recommissioned mechanicals – and given our estimate takes the need for that work into account, this example offers the enthusiast the chance to buy a guaranteed future classic at a very attractive price.

And if you’ve ever fancied setting up a YouTube channel documenting your skills as a keen automotive DIYer, this would be social media gold.

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’.