1973 Aston Martin V8

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. If exporting immediately to another country, then tax/duty will only be paid in that country.

The winning bidder will pay €500 customs charge on top of the ‘hammer’ price.

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

This vehicle has been on static display in the Middle East for a number of years and the only history or paperwork available is displayed in the photo gallery. In all cases the papers shown are photocopies unless otherwise stated. We do not have the original paperwork.

Unless otherwise stated, we have not tried to start or drive the car and cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. The car is not registered anywhere.

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 until full payment received.

All storage charges (€30 + local VAT per day commencing from the sixth day following the auction end) must be paid in full prior to the vehicle’s collection or onward transportation. Collection and viewings are strictly by appointment only.

Please send an 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.

CARS Europe BV will contact you after the balance payment is received to confirm onward transport requirements. For enquiries about import tax and shipping contact Madam Joanna Herlihy, +31 (0) 252 682 526, +44 7483 433912, joanna@carseurope.net.

VIN: DBSV8/10740/LCA.

Engine No: V540/068/EE.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, this 1973 LHD auto Aston Martin V8 comes with little paperwork beyond whatever photocopied documents are shown in the gallery section – none of which constitutes any kind of licensing or registration documentation.

We understand from AMOC records that the car was exported new to Japan in 1973, at which time it had a ‘Cricket White’ exterior and a black interior.

It was exported to Germany in 2009 and, we think, purchased for the vendor’s collection of static display vehicles in 2010.

It comes with a copy of a Japanese export document, a proof of purchase letter from one of the vendor’s European agents, and various AMOC records.

It has 68,690 kms on its odometer.

We haven’t tried to start or drive the car, so our appraisal of it is limited to its cosmetic appearance.

Today, the car is dark blue with blue leather upholstery.

In common with many cars that have spent most of their lives on the salt-free roads of Japan, it appears to be in very good overall condition.

The bodywork is very decent and the panels, panel gaps and shut lines are consistent, even and devoid of any significant dinks, dents, creases or scrapes.

The headlamps and wheels are good, as are the badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings. The chrome-work is largely fine.

The sliding electric sunroof (factory fitted) doesn’t look as if it currently fits properly, although it seems OK from the inside.

The paintwork is in reasonable overall condition.

There is some swirly paint on the roof and a little paint missing from the rear edge of the driver’s door.

There are some scuffs and scratches on the rear wing on the driver’s side.

There are also some paint chips on the boot lid, a few scuffs and scratches on the passenger-side rear wing, and some paint chips on the door on the same side.

There are some areas of scuffed, chipped and missing paint where the front of the bonnet meets the bodywork on the ‘nose’ of the car.

The bonnet has one or two paint chips in evidence and there’s a little bit of bubbling visible at the base of the driver’s side ‘A’ pillar.

Some of the external rubber trim has perished or cracked in places.

The blue leather upholstery is excellent, front and back, and looks to have been refurbished or reconditioned at some point in the not-too-distant past.

The black carpets are excellent and also look somewhat younger than the car’s 50 years of life.

The headlining, mats and door cards are all in very presentable condition.

The sun visors are decidedly ‘crispy’ to the touch.

There’s a small patch of dashboard padding that looks as if it’s been subjected to some heat source that’s slightly melted it.

The wooden steering wheel looks fine.

There are a couple of scuffs to the leather on the gear selector surround and a small split in the vinyl surrounding the dashboard clock.

The chromed cover for the driver’s seat hinge mechanism has detached.

The boot looks to be in pretty good order.

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

The dusty but dry engine and engine bay look to be in good order and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car seem to have a good deal of structural integrity, although there is some apparently superficial rust to be seen here and there.

Unless otherwise stated, this car comes with no history or service records beyond whatever photocopied documents are shown in the gallery.

No documents shown in the gallery in any way constitute any kind of licensing or registration certification.

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this.

This car has the look of a vehicle that’s spent most of its life on the salt-free roads of Japan (under the curation of a typically diligent and thorough Japanese owner) and the rest of it in a warm, dry private collection.

Provided, of course, that the engine, electrics and mechanicals prove to be amenable to recommissioning and as good as the rest of it, we think it should provide its next owner with many years of very fine and classy motoring enjoyment.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located in a bonded warehouse near 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’.