2005 Aston Martin DB9

Our example rolled out of the new Aston Martin factory in Gaydon at the very start of 2005. The DB9 was supplied to its first owner by Harwoods of Chichester. The DB9 was specified in Titanium Silver with a Moon Shadow leather and Phantom Grey carpet interior. A number of valuable extras were ordered too, including heated windscreen, powerfold mirrors, heated front seats and cruise control.

The first owner retained the car for a shade under two years covering around 14,000 miles in their ownership. The second owner acquired the car in November 2006, and it was during this period that the DB9 was returned to Harwoods for the fitment of a factory produced Sports Pack. This consisted of a raft of improvements including new, lightweight alloy wheels and considerably stiffer spring rates and damper characteristics.

In the ownership of the fifth owner the car was taken to Spain in around 2011. The car was lightly used and enjoyed in the sunny climes of Malaga before returning to the UK full time in September 2022. Since then, the DB9 has been fully checked and Gold serviced by marque specialists Chicane and is ready to relish and enjoy by its next privileged owner.

Despite this DB9 now being a surprising 18 years old, the car’s exterior presentation is seemingly very good indeed. Presenting in the popular Titanium Silver paintwork the Callum/Fisker design is a delight to behold and seems to have aged very well indeed. The design features familiar Aston design cues, such as the metal side strakes and distinctively shaped front grill.

Our DB9 rides on the retrofitted optional 19-inch Sports Pack five-double-spoke Aston Martin alloy wheels. These were fitted with the suspension upgrades in 2007 and were reported to be a little over 1kg lighter each than the original DB9 wheels. The condition of the wheels is generally good. Some minor kerb-rash was noted and there is some deterioration to the finish of a couple of the centre caps. A set of Bridgestone Potenza tyres in a 235/40 configuration at the front and a 275/35 profile at the rear are fitted. The open spoke design of the wheels allows a view of the Aston Martin monogrammed brake callipers which are finished in grey.

All cabin glass and light lenses appear to be in excellent order throughout with no areas of defect or concern noted. The plexiglass headlight cowls apparent “rainbow finish” is believed to just be a trick of our photographer’s polarising filter rather than an unusual design flourish.

The DB9’s cabin was definitely a quantum leap forward over its predecessors. There was the seemingly more use of wood, the extensive utilisation of Bridge of Weir cow hides and, for the first time, a central starter button made of glass with the Aston Martin logo sand etched into it.

The sublime interior of this DB9 is no exception, of course. Our car’s cabin is generously finished in Moon Shadow hued hides with Phantom Grey carpets and a biscuit-coloured suede headlining. Interiors always tend to age quicker than exteriors thanks to the relentless development of digital interfaces. That aside, everything in here seems surprisingly contemporary, pristine and luxurious.

The high-backed sports seats exhibit just the right level of enjoyment-derived patina. As you would expect from such a premium offering the seats are electrically adjusted, and heated. The rear seats are distinctly of the “token” variety and perhaps best suited for additional luggage space when required. They are, of course, equally pristine and every bit as exquisitely trimmed as the fronts.

The “Touchtronic 2” automatic transmission is operated by a series of buttons mounted on the centre console. The, now signature, etched glass start button sits at the centre of this array. Magnesium steering wheel mounted gear change paddles provide manual control of the six-speed transmission if required.

A reasonably sized boot – for this type of car – is present and is nicely fitted with obligatory warning triangle and finished in black, edge bound carpet. A boxed Aston Martin battery conditioner is also included.

Our DB9 is fitted with the muscular 5.9 litre V12 AM11 engine, a third generation of the Vanquish engine and originally rated at 450 bhp in this configuration. Perhaps more significant was the 420 lb-ft of torque with over 80% of it available from just a leisurely 1,500 rpm. This output served to give the DB9 around a 263 bhp/tonne power to weight ratio, good for a 0-60 mph time in the high fours and an 180+ mph top speed. The power is delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox which is engaged via dash buttons but can be manually overridden if required via steering wheel mounted paddles.

As already mentioned, this example benefits from the retro-fitment of a factory supplied Sports Pack in 2007. The bits you can see are the aforementioned lighter alloy wheels. The bits you can’t consist of spring rates that were increased by 68 per cent at the front and 64 per cent at the rear. The front anti-roll bar was modified, and the dampers were revised to support the new spring and anti-roll bar characteristics. Together, the changes optimise body control and front-end grip without compromising ride quality or adding weight. The ride height was reduced by 6mm, lowering the car’s centre of gravity and further reducing body roll while leaving ample ground clearance and augmented with modified bump stops. The composite undertray was also replaced by a load-bearing aluminium panel that performs the same function in managing underbody airflow while adding further structural stiffness, to resist larger lateral loads fed into the front of the car by the uprated front springs and anti-roll bar.

This is a low mileage car with a full and generous service history including a recent service and heath check on its return from Spain in 2022. Add to this its long advisory free MoT, immaculate engine bay and well-presented underside, and it seems clear that this is a mechanically well sorted example.

This DB9 comes complete with all the key elements of a good paperwork archive. This includes the current V5 registration document and long, advisory free current MoT. This is valid until May 2024. The original book pack is on hand. This includes the service book laying out the diligent service history.

Up until July 2010, this DB9 was serviced by Aston Martin main dealers Harwoods of Chichester, Lancaster of Cambridge and Stratstone of Wilmslow. After that point the DB9 was mainly used in Spain and serviced by the Aston Martin main dealer in Malaga. On the car’s full-time return to the UK in late 2022, the DB9 enjoyed a Gold service and full health check at marque specialists, Chicane.

The DB9 carries its age impressively well and is, considered by many, the first truly modern Aston Martin. This impression is greatly aided by a pure design, unencumbered by superfluous detail which remains crisp and fresh a full twenty years on from its launch.

This example is a great exemplar of the breed, too. Its original mileage equates to around 2,800 miles a year on average and the service history is extensive and regular. Add into the mix the factory supplied Sports Pack and you have an exciting and appealing ownership opportunity. After all, who doesn’t want to be able to tell their grandchildren about the time you owned a six-litre, V12 Aston Martin? We are confident to offer this DB9 with an estimate of £25,000-£30,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.