1980 Aston Martin V8 'Oscar India'

This car is offered from outside of the European Union. It has been imported under temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to Dutch import tax (9%) on top of the winning bid price. Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% Dutch import tax plus 21% VAT on the hammer.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, as their proof of purchase.

This vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and the documented history available is limited to that displayed in our photography section.

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

As CARS Europe BV is the guarantor of all customs duties and taxes for vehicles within Dutch customs bond, the car cannot be released to the buyer or transporter immediately after the sale. For all enquiries relating to Customs, please contact CARS Europe BV.

Purchases will only be released once cleared funds are received. All vehicles must be collected after the payment of funds. All storage charges must be paid in full prior to the vehicle’s collection or onward transportation.

Storage charges payment must be arranged with the storage company. Collection is strictly by appointment only.

Please send a booking email to the storage centre to ensure vehicle(s) are ready at time of collection. Photographic ID will be required at time of collection. If a third party is collecting for you, then written authorisation is required in advance from you and photographic ID of the third party is required at the time of collection. Collection either by buyer or third party is only possible for vehicles within customs bond if applicable import taxes paid are paid to import into country of bonded storage location.

As soon as The Market by Bonhams receives your payment, the accounts department will send a release note to the manager of the storage facility where your car(s) is stored.

CARS Europe BV will contact you just after the sale to confirm onward transport requirements. Direct contact at CARS for enquiries is as follows; Joanna Herlihy, +31 (0) 252 682 526, +44 7483 433912, joanna@carseurope.net.

STORAGE CHARGES

€30 + local VAT per motor car per day commencing from the sixth day following the auction end.

CUSTOMS CHARGES

€500 per motor car (plus applicable permanent import taxes from bond).

This is a rare Aston Martin V8 V540 ‘Oscar India’.

In total, 134 V8 Vantage ‘Oscar Indias’ were built over 7.5 years of production. Of those, 40 were V540s and 94 were V580s.

The V540 engine employed upgraded Vantage-spec. pistons, before Aston Martin reverted to using standard-spec pistons for the V580.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, the car comes with no history or service records.

With the proviso that we haven’t tried to start or drive this vehicle and can therefore only comment on its cosmetic condition, we think it is in very good overall condition.

This 1980 LHD auto Aston Martin V8 Coupe entered the vendor’s collection of static display cars in 2013.

Odometer: 51,868 kms.

VIN: V8/J2254/L indicated it was for export to Japan.

Engine No: V/540/2254/LFA we believe indicates Vantage tune.

This really is a handsome brute of a car.

Despite one or two areas of ‘overspray’, the pale blue metallic paint (which looks to have been applied in relatively recent times) looks very good in general and the bodywork has no dents, dinks or creases of any significance that we can see.

The panel gaps and shut lines on this hand-built car are tight and consistent.

The GKN wheels are in good order and the car’s chrome work has held up well all round.

The lights, lights, lenses, badging and exterior trim are all generally excellent.

There are some cracks at either side of the front valance into which some rust has crept.

There is a small patch of bubbling visible at the base of the ‘A’ pillar on the driver’s side.

Also on the driver’s side, there are some scuffs and scratches on the rear wing, a few paint chips on the door, and some discoloured paint on the front wing.

There is a paint chip on the rear wing on the passenger side.

The good news continues on the inside, where the car has evidently been restored and refurbished at some point and, today, looks very good indeed.

The grey leather upholstery is in fine condition, front and back, and the seats are comfortable, supportive, functional and bear only the lightest creases here and there.

The headlining is good, as are the carpets and mats.

The door cards are also in good order, and the steering wheel, dashboard, gear selector and other interior fixtures and fittings are equally impressive.

There are one of two cracks in the lacquer on the burr walnut veneer inserts.

The boot is very good, although the rubber seal around the rim has come loose.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t tried to start or drive the car.

Everything in the engine bay is clean, dry and seems to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car appear to have a good deal of structural integrity.

This car doesn’t come with any history or service records.

Any paperwork shown in the gallery is a facsimile and in no way constitutes any kind of licensing or registration certification.

The documents in the photo gallery are photocopies.

This extraordinary car’s condition is a testament to the people who built it, the people who restored it, and the care it’s been given during its years on static display.

As a low-kilometres, good condition example of a highly desirable V8, this car is impressive enough.

Factor in its provenance as a V8 V540 ‘Oscar India’, and its rarity and condition put in into an altogether different league of desirability.

Provided, of course, that the engine and mechanicals are as impressive as the rest of this magnificent Aston Martin.

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 in a bonded warehouse in Amsterdam, 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’.