1970 Aston Martin DBSV8

This motor car is being sold as part of a private overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams’ temporary admission customs bond. In addition to the ‘hammer’ price, the winning bidder must pay a bond release fee (£350) and also import tax/duty.

In the UK, cars over 30 years old are subject to the lower rate of 5% import tax on the final selling price if purchased by a private individual. Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% duty + VAT as well as VAT. A company buying this car will always pay 10% duty + VAT as well as VAT on the ‘hammer’ price.

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 upon proof of customs/tax payment in the other country.

The bond release fee (£350 payable direct, post-auction, to the CARS shipping company) will produce a NOVA from HMRC, this document is formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK. The vehicle is not registered anywhere. You must register the vehicle with the DVLA. Upon request, The Market can suggest some companies who can help with this process.

This vehicle has been on static display in the Middle East for a number of years, and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section. In all cases, the documents shown are photocopies, unless otherwise stated. We do not have the originals.

Unless otherwise stated, we have not tried to start or drive the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is strictly sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for viewing by appointment weekdays 9am-5pm, and we advise you (or your appointed engineer) to inspect it at our HQ near Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

VIN: DBSV8/10123/R.

Engine No: V/540/098.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, this 1970 RHD manual Aston Martin DBSV8 comes with no paperwork beyond whatever photocopied documents are shown in the gallery section.

It does, however, come with a copy of an old UK registration document, its original spec sheet, an old MoT certificate and some UK tax discs spanning a period from 1999 to 2010.

Today the odometer is showing 99,147 miles.

When new the car was ‘Celeste Blue’ in colour (we’re not entirely sure what shade of blue that might be – wiser heads will no doubt advise) with a dark blue interior, grey headlining and blue carpets.

Today, the car is blue (‘Celeste’?) with a blue interior.

The car takes power to the dashboard and the engine turns over.

We haven’t tried to drive the car, so our appraisal of it is limited to its cosmetic appearance.

The bodywork is in broadly decent condition, but there are a few exceptions to that and a question mark over a couple of areas.

The question marks concern the front valance (which looks to be an aftermarket item designed to emulate the designs of later V8 variants), and a ‘duck tail’ Kamm-style rear spoiler after the fashion of the much later ‘Oscar India’ V8s.

Either way, there are chunks missing from the front valance and the rear spoiler has some cracked and lifting paint in places.

There is a small, shallow dent on the driver’s door and a crack in the n/s/f wheel arch.

The wheels, badging (including some Union Jack badges) and chrome-work are all decent, although the centre caps are missing from the wheels.

From a few metres away the paintwork looks pretty decent.

Move closer and you’ll see that much of it is covered in micro-blistering and few, if any, panels are free from scratches, scrapes, scuffs, paint chips or other blemishes of an indeterminate nature.

There is some bubbling to be found both beneath and above the windscreen, at the base of the nearside ‘A’ pillar, at the base of the n/s/f wing just ahead of the wheel arch, and on the o/s/f wing and the edge of the door behind it.

The glass is missing from the passenger-side wing mirror and the windscreen has a patch of delamination near the tax disc holder.

The exterior rubber trim has perished and cracked in numerous places.

The car’s interior has survived the passage of time with notable fortitude and stoicism.

The leather upholstery, although dirty and very much in need of being introduced to some proper cleaning and feeding products, is fundamentally sound.

It is creased and has patina, but it isn’t ripped, torn or otherwise irreparably damaged.

The carpets, mats, door cards and headlining are all serviceable, if a little tired.

The padding above the dashboard is attempting to escape from the structure beneath it, and the carpet in the driver’s footwell is making a similarly plucky, if ultimately futile, bid for freedom.

There is a spare wheel in the boot, which seems to be in decent condition.

The engine and engine bay seem dry and intact if decidedly dusty.

The undersides appear to have a decent amount of structural integrity - but you’ll want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusion.

Unless otherwise stated, this car comes with no history or service records beyond whatever photocopied documents are shown in the gallery.

No documents shown in the gallery in any way constitute any kind of current licensing or registration certification.

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this.

While there may be no history in the usual sense of the word, we do have an intriguing hint of a story told by the various stickers adorning the car.

On the rear screen you’ll find a sticker declaring that, at one time, a previous owner was a member of the ‘Old Wheelers Club’ of Windhoek, Namibia.

We can’t be sure, but we don’t imagine that Namibia was over-populated with Aston Martin DBSV8s at the time.

Another sticker strongly suggests that the car completed some or all of the 1988 London to Cape Town rally.

And a further sticker, affixed to the underside of the boot lid, attests to the car’s participation in at least one day of the Sealink Stena Line ‘Les Circuits’ 1,800 mile tour of European race tracks (7 circuits in 7 days) in 1992.

If that’s not enough history for you, check out the glove compartment, inside which you will find a splendid selection of 8 track cassettes by such musical luminaries of the day as Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass, James Last, Val Doonican, Mantovani and, perhaps inevitably, the sound track to ‘Love Story’.

This fine, hand-built car seems to us to be in decent order and an admirable representative of both the model and the marque – provided, of course, that the engine, electrics and mechanicals are amenable to recommissioning.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £60,000 - £90,000.

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’.