2011 Aston Martin Rapide

First registered on the 17th of December 2011, this wonderful Aston Martin Rapide shows just three former keepers and comes with a full service history.

Most recently serviced in April 2020, it has been in the care of the vendor for only a few months but, far from triggering alarm bells you should be reassured; he’s working his way through his Bucket List and takes the time to find great examples of each model.

He’s thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Rapide but is keen to get it into the hands of the next enthusiast so he can carry on buying and driving the car’s he’s always dreamed of owning…

Finished in a metallic black rather than the more usual silver, this stunning Aston Martin Rapide presents itself very well indeed. The aluminium and composite bodywork might preclude the onset of rust but it can still suffer from corrosion and accident damage, neither of which appear to be the case here.

The panel alignment and shutlines, for example, look laser-etched and are sharp and consistent, and the panels themselves are straight and free of dents, dinks and other damage.

The metallic paintwork also has an unusual silver and red fleck to it in sunlight from certain angles, a lovely twist on a familiar theme that adds a depth that would otherwise be missing.

The ten-spoke, 20-inch alloy wheels are in fine shape, and their dark colour not only helps give this example an understated look that we love, it also highlights the red Aston Martin-branded brake calipers; after all, if you’ve got it, why not flaunt it?

Free of dents, scuffs and kerbing marks and showing only the odd minor spot of flaking paint, they’re shod with matching Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The light lenses – clear at the back to match the badging and discreet chrome trim – look terrific.

Concerns are few; there are a few minor stonechips to the car, the front nearside wheelarch has an area of peeling lacquer and a small scuff, and there is a piece of loose trim on the nearside rear door.

But, that that is all we have to point out after a decade is all you need to know about how well this car has been cared for.

The counter-rotating rev counter sits ahead of the driver, indicating the Rapide’s intent in the clearest possible way. It sits in a beautifully stitched leather-covered dashboard and joins a host of other understated controls that are a million miles from the traditional Aston Martin wood ‘n’ leather styling cues. And yet, their minimalist design and uber-modernity make the interior a very special place to be.

And no element is more important in creating that ambience that the four black leather seats, all of which are in great shape. Beautifully crafted and impeccably stitched, they wear the years lightly, showing only mild creasing to the outer edge of the base of the driver’s seat.

And while the front seats might be some of the nicest we’ve ever seen, the two rear seats are the Rapide’s raison d'être - and it’s a joy to be able to report that they’re genuinely useable and capable of seating two full-size adults in comfort. They are also equipped with the optional seat cooling.

Actually, scratch that; they’re capable of seating two full-size adults in considerable comfort, because the list of equipment back there – in addition to the rear’s considerable aesthetic appeal – is huge.

The seats themselves are beautifully designed and finished, and hugely comfortable and supportive. While many rear seat passengers are resigned to sliding from side-to-side when the driver gets frisky, these hold you as securely as do those in the front.

The massive centre console contains the controls, while the back-seat passengers can enjoy their very own TV shows, films and music courtesy of a pair of headrest-mounted screens and a set of high-end Rapide-branded headphones.

The rest of the car’s speakers are from Bang & Olufsen, and the pop-up sat-nav system works as it should, albeit with the usual cracks to a couple of corners to the wooden trim surrounding it. This is no way affects its operation, and it is far less obvious than most of the Aston Martins we see.

The luggage area is as beautifully appointed and presented as the rest of the interior. An utter joy to both look at and use, the rear seats can be folded flat to increase the Aston’s versatility.

We think we’ve managed to test everything (and that was a lot of work, albeit maybe not the most onerous talk we’ve ever had…) and it all works.

Oh, and the airbags were changed on the 22nd of November 2018 in line with Aston Martin’s 10-year policy.

And, as you can hear in the video, the engine is a muted whisper when you’re just ambling at low revs but yowls its way to the redline when you’re in the mood to play.

The engine bay is magnificent. Clean and well-maintained, it blends old school and Bauhaus-chic perfectly; few engine bays are capable of getting us excited, but this is one of them.

The underside is so straight and original that the rear anti-roll bar still has its factory barcode sticker on it.

Our drive showed no issues with the car, and how the gearbox has a much more refined operation than that fitted to the Vanquish and early DB9.

The vehicle has also had a full suite of Anti-Corrosion Inspections by Grange Aston Martin of Brentwood up to 2017.

The Aston’s MOT certificate expires in November 2020, and as might be expected given its history and mileage, every single one of its MOTs has been gained without a single advisory point bar a comment regarding its rear tyres during the last.

This means that the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s ultra-low mileage.

With eight service stamps in the booklet, all except this year’s were carried out by Grange Aston Martin of Brentwood. Not that you should worry about the latter not being an Aston Martin main dealer, because it was carried out by Vantage Engineering Limited, the well-known independent specialist, on the 27th of April 2020.

The Rapide also comes with two keys, one of which doesn’t look to have ever been used.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

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.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

Much better assembled than that of the early DB9, the Rapide’s interior is so sensational we’d buy one just to be able to enjoy the most glorious cabin of any three-mile-a-minute, four-seater supercar we can think of.

With a base price – a base price, mind you! – when it was new of £150,000 (or the equivalent of around £250,000 now…), this Rapide’s guide price of between £35,000 and £42,000 is astonishingly low; depreciation might be a royal pain when you buy new but boy does it open some doors (four, in this case…) in later years.

Barely run-in, well maintained, and in a fantastic condition, this is your opportunity to get your hands on one of the fastest and most beautifully appointed four-seater supercars in the world.

Of course, if you need an even more sensible four-seater car with a long warranty then may we suggest the Skoda Superb for the same money? It’s capacious, great to drive, and fairly cheap to run - or you could do the decent thing by cutting loose your sensible side and buying this instead.

After all, no-one ever went to their deathbed congratulating themselves on their parsimonious and level-headed approach to motoring, did they?

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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localized paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

 Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.