1977 Aston Martin V8 Series 3

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. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £50,000, then £2,500 is added, making the total amount payable of £52,500.

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. The battery has been removed. The engine turns and is not seized. 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 1977 Series 3 V8 was first registered in 1978. It is variously described as ‘red’, ‘Madagascar brown’, ‘Rolls-Royce Nutmeg brown’ or ‘Dubonnet Rosso’ depending on which piece of history or documentation you look at. We would describe it as ‘Burgundy’.

The leather upholstery is ‘Fawn’ and the carpets are ‘Sandringham beige’.

This low mileage, highly original, dry-stored example appears to us to be in very good overall condition.

It presents well and is a handsome and, we believe, solid example of both the marque and the model.

In the main, the paintwork has held up reasonably well over the years and much of it still has a decent depth of shine and lustre to it.

The panels and shut lines are consistent. There are very few dinks, dimples or dents to speak of.

The chrome work, too, is good, as are the GKN wheels, which have only a few marks to show for their 45 years of life.

The badging is good – and correct.

The doors slam shut with a satisfyingly metallic ‘thunk’ that speaks to the car’s hand-built origins.

The bodywork has the presence of bubbling in a few areas. The most obvious areas are beneath the windscreen, by the rubber trim on the ‘A’ pillars and around the rear screen. No doubt the years of dry storage have helped to keep it in check.

There are also some stone chips, around the headlights and on the front valance.

There are scuffs and chips to the paintwork on the edge of the passenger door and the adjacent rear panel.

Some of the rubber trim around the windscreen is starting to show its age.

The interior condition is entirely consistent with its exterior counterpart. It is wonderfully original and promises to scrub up very well with the application of some soap, warm water and a little elbow grease.

The leather upholstery is in fine condition. The front seats are supportive and comfortable, with creasing that we think would quickly yield to some cleaning and feeding. The rear seats, too, are in very decent condition and might never have been sat on at all.

The headlining and door cards are good. The carpets look a little tired overall but, again, we’re of the opinion that what’s required is basically a good clean rather than repair or replacement. The fabric is basically sound and there’s no damage of any note.

The dashboard and instruments, all black, show few signs of wear.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of the electrics as we haven’t started the vehicle.

The boot (and the spare wheel) is in good condition, too. Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere on this car reveals a superficial bloom of rusty-coloured dust here and there, but nothing to prompt a frown or tut.

In general, the undersides seem to be well preserved, with all structural and mechanical parts apparently in possession of a decent amount of engineering integrity.

We’ve seen nothing more than standard superficial rust, which suggests that the wax/bitumen coating has done its job.

The engine bay is clean, dry and doesn’t look like it’s been in use for at least a decade.

The odometer shows just over 23,000 miles however, when advertised for sale by Bonhams in 2006 the auction write-up stated "We understand that the original milometer stuck at 50,000 miles and a new replacement unit was fitted." We have no further evidence to support this but it looks like this car could have done 73,000 miles from new.

In 2010, when it was exported to Switzerland shortly before being acquired by the vendor, the odometer showed 22,869 miles. Which means it's covered just 170 miles in the past decade.

The car doesn’t come with a service history but it does have comprehensive sheaf of invoices covering work up to its 2010 departure from these shores. These receipts include having the auto ‘box rebuilt by specialists in 2003.

It was up and running in 2010 when it last had an MoT certificate and it comes with a collection of old MoT certificates and bills to attest to the care taken of it by its short list of owners.

Currently, this car has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5 and is not currently registered in the UK. The winning bidder will receive a receipt for their purchase, and proof that HMRC is satisfied the import duty (aka bond) is paid. The winning bidder will need these documents, plus a fresh MoT, to apply for a V5C from the DVLA (unless they choose to ship it to another country of course).

The car is located with us at our HQ in Oxfordshire. 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 been able to start or drive the car so our understanding of it is somewhat limited, but the engine does turn. That said, we know it's been kept warm and dry for the last 10 years, we know it’s had money spent on it in the UK as and when needed, and we know what our eyes are telling us – that this is a solid, sound, original example of an iconic Aston Martin V8 muscle car.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £40,000 - £60,000, plus 5% Bonhams bond payment.

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’.