1972 Aston Martin V8 Series 2 'Vantage'

This exceptional vehicle comes to us courtesy of a vendor who has bought, owned, sold and driven more classic Astons than most people could ever hope to shake a stick at.

He bought this one because he thought it was a particularly good example.

And he should know.

He’s selling it because it’s newly whetted his appetite for the car’s full-fat, hairy chested, no-holds-barred big brother, the V8 Vantage.

Simply stunning in its richly glossy black livery, this car turns heads wherever it goes.

If, for reasons that quite escape up, the aggressive silhouette of an ordinary Aston Martin V8 isn’t quite enough to send a frisson of fear running down your spine, take a peek at this very special jet black example. It’s as powerfully menacing and sinister as a particularly feared mafioso in his sharpest suit and fedora.

Frankly, you don’t want to catch its eye – just in case it decides it doesn’t like the look of you.

Keen-eyed observers among you will have spotted that this car isn’t quite like the other 287 V8 Series 2 cars that emerged from the factory.

That’s because it was the beneficiary of a very high-quality cosmetic upgrade to ‘Vantage’ spec in 1984, at which time the car underwent a thorough restoration.

There is a hand written note in the history that refers to Hyde Vale cams, valves, ‘special’ steel head bolts and compression ratios uprated to Vantage spec. Together with RS Williams, Hyde Vale were the acknowledged master fettlers, tweakers and whisperers of all things Aston.

Neither we nor the vendor can be sure if this note refers to work done, work partly done or work never done, as there are no corresponding invoices.

That said, there is recent written proof that the engine still has very impressive compression ratios across all eight cylinders. Oil pressure, too, is excellent.

More to the point, perhaps, we can attest to the vigour and alacrity with which the car sets about its existential task of beating the road into whimpering submission.

The car pulls like the Flying Scotsman and makes a grin-inducing noise while doing so – a noise full of suitably Wagnerian power and glory.

It also handles far better than a car of this size and weight has any real right to.

This is at least in part attributable to a Harvey Bailey handling kit and Koni shocks. Unlike its American muscle car relatives, this British bruiser goes round corners and inspires ever-higher levels of confidence with its grip, poise and balance.

The car starts on the button and goes, handles and stops precisely as it should. It feels very well screwed together and is a fitting testament to the care, money and time that have been invested in it over the years.

The vendor spent £8,500 on a service and odd jobs with the Classic Project Shop in Bicester in early September this year. While driving the car to us he noticed that the viscous coupling fan was stuck permanently ‘on’.

This is one of those faults that would fall into the ‘feel free to ignore it’ category for most people.

Our vendor is not ‘most people’. He drove the car back to Bicester and spent a further £773 rectifying the problem.

In our opinion, this car is every bit as good as it looks.

And to say it looks good is something of an understatement.

This car was repainted to an exceptionally high standard in 2009.

We can only assume that the painters were Royal Academicians of some repute - we can’t over-emphasise the quality of their art.

Black is notoriously hard to get right, but there’s a depth of lustre and shine to this that puts most other paint finishes we’ve seen to shame.

And it’s as black as black can get – possibly blacker.

The deep, sumptuous, velvety black finish accentuates the car’s lines and shows off its svelte, muscular lines and Vantage styling to optimum effect.

The panels are free of any ripples, creases, dinks, dents, folds, lumps, bumps or dimples to speak of. The doors slam shut with a deeply satisfying metallic clunk that unmistakably says, ‘handbuilt’.

The beautiful GKN wheels are free of any significant marks or blemishes. So, too, are the lights, lenses and indicators, the badging and the grille. The tyres have plenty of life left in them.

The chrome work and rubber trim, some of which was replaced very recently, is in excellent condition.

The only minor issues we’ve encountered are on the roof, where there are two short, thin, cuts or splits to the lacquer/paintwork. You’ll have to inspect the roof fairly forensically just to find them.

It’s a beautiful thing to behold.

The interior condition is entirely consistent with its exterior counterpart. In fact, it’s really in very good condition indeed, particularly when you consider that this car first put its rubber on the road in 1972, when Don McLean was driving his Chevy to the levee, Nixon was visiting China, and some unspeakable things were happening in the woods in Deliverance.

The interior of this V8 Vantage is a fine place to be. The black leather upholstery is supportive, comfortable and has recently been fed, fettled and repaired. Yes, there’s some light creasing around the bolsters, but who among us could claim otherwise aged 49?

The rear seats are also in very good condition, as you might expect of seats that have probably rarely encountered the weight of a passing posterior.

The carpets, mats and headlining are all very good. So, too, are the dashboard and instruments, all of which are black. There are no wood veneers reminiscent of a Sheraton sideboard in here – this is purposeful, no-frills 1970’s machismo writ large.

As far as we’re aware, all switches, levers, toggles, buttons, dials and gauges do more or less what they’re supposed to do.

The boot is in excellent condition, too. Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere on this car reveals the odd superficial bloom of rust dust here and there, but nothing much to speak of.

In general, the undersides seem to be very well preserved, with all mechanical parts apparently in good working order and well protected from the elements by a good coating of bitumen wax/bitumen.

The engine bay is a gloriously clean, dry and shiny place, with the magnificent, gleaming V8 as the centrepiece. Again, everything seems to be in its right and proper place.

As you’ll see from the photographs, not everything is perfect on the car’s undersides. Some corrosion is in evidence in and under the sills, and there are a couple of sizeable holes in evidence. It should be noted, though, that none of the visible corrosion affects structural parts in any meaningful way – a fact supported by the car’s current MoT certificate.

This car has got more history than the Ashmolean Museum.

We had to take a series of breaks while reading through it in order to reduce the risk of inducing a migraine attack.

It’s got letters, bills, invoices, receipts and estimates covering every owner and documenting pretty much every penny it’s ever had spent on it.

And it’s had lots and lots of pennies spent on it.

There are many, many before-and-after photographs of it pre- and post its 1984 restoration.

It has had 12 owners over the years. One had the car for 23 years. Another was the Chief Engineer of Tata Industries.

It was driven 3,300 miles in 5 days in the 2001 Gumball Rally to Russia. It was as fresh at the end as it was at the beginning, apparently. It must have been driven to Russia with love. Sorry.

The car comes with a typed-up list detailing every service it’s ever had and letters from previous owners describing work done and the car’s history under their stewardship. It also has an Aston Martin Heritage Certificate of authenticity.

It was last serviced in September 2021 and has done relatively few miles over the last 15 or so years.

This car has an MoT certificate valid until 17.6.22.

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 a very good standard.

We note that the aircon does not blow. 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.

This very special car is mechanically, dynamically and aesthetically in a very good place.

It drives superbly, better than most others of its ilk that we’ve encountered, and it has been properly looked after and maintained throughout its life to date.

It comes to us courtesy of a vendor we know – an Aston Martin cognoscente who only buys the best cars – and he is only selling in order to upgrade to a Vantage.

Certainly, there are some corrosion issues to address on non-structural areas of the car’s undersides.

But, in general, it’s clear that other people with deep pockets have already done most of the heavy lifting needed to keep this vehicle in such fabulous condition.

The result is a truly stunning example of a deservedly iconic car and one that could, perhaps should, be driven enthusiastically every day.

It is, in every logical, emotional and visceral way, a splendid thing.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £75,000 - £110,000.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and 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’.