2008 Aston Martin Vantage V8

First delivered in April 2008 to a customer at Harwoods Aston Martin in Chichester, it soon moved to Cardiff where Stratstone main dealer took over the servicing, and eventually being taken care of by McGurk, but the annual maintenance was down to time passed rather than distance travelled as the car still only has barely 54,000 miles on the clock.

A couple of years ago when V8 Vantage values were at the bottom of the curve the car was involved in a minor accident which due simply to the cost of repairs the car was listed as a Cat D, or uneconomical repair, likely for panel damage as parts and labour would not have been cost effective at full dealer prices a couple of years ago.

The car was repaired and there is no clue to hint at anything having happened in its past, and since then the previous owner spent £9000 on the car in 2019 replacing the clutch and various other issues that needed taking care of but didnt complete all the jobs, selling to the current owner, who had a specialist finish the work, including calibrating the semi-automatic gearbox after the clutch change.

It should be noted the personal plate on the car is not included, it will be returned to the number on the plates in the boot unless a buyer wants to change to their own plates.

The black paint has a beautiful gold and colourful metallic fleck which catches the sunlight giving an iridescent sheen as you move around the car, and the finish is stunning, its smooth and deeply glossy with almost no stone chips and just a small mark on the offside rear wheel arch, which we only saw after walking around the car for some time. Looking very closely (at the 15 year old paintwork) there are some swirls, but nothing a good 'mop' couldn't smooth out.

The panels are equally good, there are no dings or dents or signs of corrosion and it has has nice even panel gaps. The drivers side side-skirt has lost a clip at the rear, so is not flush fitting behind the door. The door handles are interesting, flush fitting and pivoted to pop out when the end is pushed.

It has 20” wheels, staggered wide at the rear with barely any marks and good tyres all round.

If the cabin of the Vantage does one thing, its make the occupants feel special. You sink low into the tight hugging leather seats, surrounded by more leather and piano black panels.

The leather dash is amazing, wrapping from glass to under the glovebox and the centre console in soft black leather with white contrast stitching, all in excellent condition, and the steering wheel is also beautiful.

The drivers seat shows a little wear on the bolsters and base, the surface isn’t damaged, just the colour worn so it could be recoloured easily.

The carpets are excellent with no marks or wear, and the headlining also spotless. On the doors there is more leather and white stitching, and has a black metal door pull and flush door handle integrated. The drivers side does have a few chips in the finish.

On the dashboard, driver's side, there is some leather beginning to lift due to sun and heat exposure. This is a common issue with the range and there is content on Google and YouTube with suggestions and tips on how to fix this.

Looking beneath the car as we walked around the floor pan appears original and undamaged from our viewpoint. The engine starts and idles with a delicious burble and revs with an incredible bark and growl, there is nothing quite like the sound from one of these V8s.

The automated gearbox changes as it should, and looking around the engine bay there are no signs of oil or coolant leaks.

The previous owner spent £9000 on the 8 year service (£922 + VAT), troubleshooting and maintenance in one hit during 2019. He had the front suspension springs and brake pads replaced, both window regulators, gearbox cool and ASM pipes, a new flywheel and sports shift clutch, all the belts and many other small niggles - the list of parts runs to a full page.

When the current owner bought the car in early 2021 some niggles remained, needing Aston Martin dealer specific software to calibrate the gearbox after the clutch and gear change, replaced an ABS sensor and fitted a new Varta battery, so the car now runs just as it should.

Its history shows it was listed as an insurance cat D uneconomical loss from when the values of these cars fell lower than the repair costs would have made minor damage fixable, but that was repaired and now you wouldn’t know anything had happened without looking at the history.

The Vantage remains one of the most elegant and attractive cars of recent years, a design classic which looks incredible from any angle, has a sound like no other, and has an incredible positive reaction wherever one goes.

On the outside the condition is superb, the paint is like a mirror and the panels excellent and the interior, aside from some drivers seat wear, is also beautiful.

Our estimate for this car is £20,000 - £26,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with the Seller in Rainham, Essex. 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’.