1976 Aston Martin V8

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 & purchased by a private individual. 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. Companies buying this car will pay duty + VAT and also VAT on the hammer.

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.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

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. 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.

In common with many cars from the vendor’s collection, this 1977 LHD auto Aston Martin V8 Series 3 (VIN: V8/J1612/L) comes to us with no service records or ownership history.

We believe it was imported new into Japan on 2.5.77, at which time it was described as having an ‘Ascot Grey’ exterior and a dark grey interior.

You may be wondering why someone in Japan (a RHD country) would import a new LHD Aston made in the UK (also a RHD country, obviously).

Well, it’s not unusual for Japanese buyers to specify their prestigious foreign imports in LHD configuration because it accentuates the exotic, rarefied, special status of their purchase and makes its ‘foreignness’ even more conspicuous.

At some point (probably about 10 years ago, judging by other comparable cars in the collection), this car entered the vendor’s collection of static display cars.

Today, this car is resplendent in its current light green metallic livery with two-tone green leather upholstery.

Clearly, it has been (extensively and, we’d guess, expensively) restored to a high standard in recent years, although we know not by whom, where or when.

It is in fabulous condition, inside, outside and underneath, as befits a car that’s spend a decade with its feet up on display in a warm, dry collection and has Japanese provenance before that.

Car owners in Japan - and particularly owners of expensive automotive exotica - tend to be fastidious in the care and attention they lavish upon their automotive pride and joy.

So much so that we now expect prestigious cars arriving at The Market’s HQ from the un-salted roads of Japan to be in very good condition.

And our expectations are usually met and often exceeded.

This car is no exception and has maintained our faith in the honesty, diligence and pride that typically characterizes the behaviour of dealers, buyers, owners and mechanics within the Japanese motor marketplace.

All of this comes with the proviso that we haven’t tried (and will not try) to start or drive the car (it will need properly recommissioning), and can therefore only concern ourselves with its cosmetic condition.

The paintwork is very good all over with only the odd stone chip here and there.

The badging, lights and lenses are all good.

The panels are straight, true and broadly free of dinks, dents and dimples.

The shut lines are consistent and tight.

Even the rubber trim around the widows is not too troubled by the cracking and perishing that normally blights it in cars this long in the tooth.

The doors open and close as they should and have the reassuringly weighty heft you’d expect of items hand-built in Newport Pagnell by earnest chaps (often called Geoff or Trevor) with lots of pens and micrometers sticking out of their shirt pockets.

The original GKN wheels could do with a spot of light cosmetic attention and may well request a refurb from their next owner.

The chrome is largely free of any foxing or pitting, save for some surrounding the rear light clusters, and it has a patina that suggests that most or all of it is original.

The chrome surround to the rear screen is loose and needs re-securing.

There is a chip to the lacquer on the n/s/f wing and, below it, the front valance has dropped away from the bodywork slightly.

Aside from a couple of things that suggest that the interior restoration may have been stopped before it was 100% complete, the inside of this car looks pretty much brand new.

The dark green/light green two-tone leather front seats are comfortable, supportive and functional. They’ve yet to see enough use to earn a crease.

The rear seats, we’re fairly confident, have yet to encounter a human posterior.

The carpets are pristine and look so showroom fresh we were quite surprised not to find a price tag attached to them.

Ditto the door cards.

Ditto the headlining, except where it’s loose and ‘unfinished’ (work in progress?) on the n/s ‘C’ pillar.

The panel beneath the glove compartment has detached itself on one side and will need to be gently shown the error of its ways.

The wood veneers on the dashboard, glove compartment and gear selector surround have a depth of shine and a richness of hue that wouldn’t disgrace a Sheraton side table.

Although we can’t vouch for the functionality of any knobs, dials, switches, levers or knobs, most of the fixtures and fittings - including the steering wheel and handbrake - are in first-class condition.

The boot is in equally fine fettle. Quite a lot of it – more than we’ve seen in V8 Series 3 cars of a similar vintage – seems to be taken up by the fuel tank.

Perhaps it’s a long-range tank, perhaps it’s some Health & Safety mandate peculiar to Japan.

Who knows (rhetorical)?

Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere on this car reveals little to worry about whatsoever as far as we can see.

This car spent most of its life in Japan.

So, it’s come from a country where salt is thrown over the shoulders of sumo wrestlers, not chucked all over the roads with reckless abandon like it is in the UK.

Ergo, Japanese imports almost always have undersides with less corrosion than their British counterparts. And that seems to be very much the case here.

In general, the undersides appear 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 on one or two components, which suggests that the wax/bitumen coating has done its job.

Clearly, though, you’ll want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusions.

The engine bay is clean, dry and everything appears to be in its designated place.

This car has no service history or record of ownership. It has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5. What we do have is displayed in the photo gallery and it should be noted that they are facsimiles.

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 tried to start or drive the car so our understanding of it is somewhat limited.

That said, we know it’s been kept warm and dry on static display for several years, we know it was in the care of Japanese owners for decades (which is usually a good thing, in our experience), and we know what the evidence before our eyes suggests: namely, that this is an exceptionally good example of an Aston Martin V8 Series 3.

If the engine and mechanicals prove to be as impressive as the car’s cosmetic condition (and we’ve no reason to doubt it), then this is a really a very special car indeed.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £50,000 - £70,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

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’.