1973 Aston Martin DBSV8

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £40,000, then £2,000 is added, making the total amount payable of £42,000.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

This is a RHD auto car and it came to us badged (and described) as a 1973 Aston Martin DBSV8.

The Aston Martin official website states that “..the DBSV8 was produced until May 1972”, at which point it was simply called the Aston Martin V8, a change signalled by the adoption of twin halogen headlights, a mesh grille and Bosch fuel-injection rather than the Weber carburettors of the DBSV8.

Aston Martin DBSV8 chassis numbers (April 1970 - May 1972) run from DBSV8/10001/R to DBSV8/10405/RCA.

Aston Martin V8 chassis numbers (April 1972 -July 1973) V8/10501/RCA to V8/10789/LCA (Bosch injection).

This car, which has the headlights and carburettors of a V8, but the badging of the earlier DBSV8, has the chassis number DBSV8/10605/RCA – which makes it something of a puzzle.

Wiser heads than ours may well know better.

We really don’t know much about this car.

We know that it comes to us from the vendor’s static display collection of cars and that it’s probably been in the collection for 10 years or so (but we don’t know for sure).

We also know that it’s spent some time in Japan, that it either entered or left the country via the port of Yokohama, and that at least one of its owners when in Japan was a member of the Japan Automobile Association.

And we know that the odometer, which is calibrated in km/kmh, reads 97,410.

With the proviso that we haven’t been able to start or drive the car, we can say that this vehicle appears to be reasonably solid and honest overall but has a lot of wear and tear to show for its age, needs a good deal of cosmetic attention and is falling prey to bubbling in one or two places.

The condition of the silver paintwork might best be described us ‘used’.

The panels are fairly free of dinks, dents, warps, folds or creases.

There are scuffs and stone chips in evidence in plenty of places. The nose section in front of the bonnet is covered in patches of flaked paint, spots, scratches and cracks.

The chrome at the front, however, is mostly good. Beneath the front bumper the front valance is looking rather battered and is split and cracked in several places.

There are spidery cracks to the paint on the boot lid.

The car’s flanks, while not dented or bumped to any major degree, have various nicks, scratches, flat spots and, here and there, evidence of bubbling.

The rubber trim and chrome surrounding the windscreen is variously perished, tarnished, missing or cracked depending on where you look. There is bubbling on the bodywork beneath the windscreen.

The wheels will need refurbishing but appear to be basically sound.

From what we can see, the sills – which are famously prone to rusting on these cars – seem fairly solid. This may be a reflection of a long life spent in Japan, where salt is thrown over the shoulders of Sumo wrestlers and not all over the roads.

Clearly, though, you’ll want to do your own inspection.

Like the outside, the interior is good in parts and pretty shabby in others.

The black leather seats seem pretty well preserved and just have the creasing you’d expect.

The same is true of the rear seats, with the obvious exception that the top of the section between the two seats has gone missing completely and there is a rip in the bolster on the n/s.

The carpets at the back are OK if a bit tired. In the front, they are largely missing in the driver’s footwell and appear to have been replaced by a bit of pub carpet in the passenger footwell.

The dashboard is intact and the steering wheel is in reasonable condition. We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t been able to start the vehicle.

The handbrake gaiter has gone missing. The black vinyl surround to the gear selector has come loose and lifted up.

The headlining is not too bad and the door card on the passenger side is in decent nick.

The top of door card/capping on the driver’s door, however, is severely damaged. It looks as if the damage may have been caused by prolonged exposure to sunshine (or some other heat source), but that’s just our best guess.

The rubber trim in many places is perished, cracked, crumbling or otherwise compromised.

The boot is pretty rough and ready but looks serviceable.

Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere in the car reveals a bloom of apparently superficial rust dust.

It’s difficult to assess the integrity of the undersides as they’ve been slathered in a thick and liberal coating of wax/bitumen at some point.

That said, there’s nothing obvious to worry about from what we can see, and this may reflect the car’s life on salt-free Japanese roads. You’ll want to see for yourself, of course.

The engine bay and engine are clean and dry. Everything appears to be in in order.

Although we haven’t started the engine, we have turned it by hand and can say that it isn’t seized.

The car doesn’t come with a service history or any record of work done.

Currently, it has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We haven’t tried to start or drive the car so our understanding of it is somewhat limited.

There is work to be done here, for sure, but it might well be worth the effort if the remedial costs aren’t too high and the car’s engine and mechanicals prove to be in good working order.

A thorough inspection should tell you all you need to know in order to make an informed decision.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £40,000 - £50,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.