2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante

First things first.

This car, complete with its fabulous 007 number plate, is in truly exceptional condition. There are pretty much no visual clues to alert you to the fact that it is 14 years old.

This is partly because it’s covered fewer than 8000 miles in its life. But mostly because it’s been really well looked after by people with the right attitude and properly padded wallets.

We know this car because we auctioned it about a year ago. Since then, it’s done hardly any mileage at all.

That’s it.

The current vendor, a surgeon with a stable of around a dozen classic cars, is only selling it because he hasn’t had time to use it much during lockdown.

We can attest that this car starts, goes and stops like it did when it left the factory. It feels tight, taut, and well screwed together.

The only creaks, groans, rumbles, sighs and whistles we heard were coming from the passenger.

Always garaged when not being used, it comes with a high-quality Aston Martin indoor car cover to protect it, along with a genuine OE battery charger to keep it keen and ready for action.

Having notched up roughly 500 miles per year since 2007, this car is your best chance of buying what is effectively still a new Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster for less than half of what it would have cost its first owner.

The Toro Red paintwork is in fine condition and makes this a particularly attractive car.

It’s in splendid condition too, with very good shutlines, mm-perfect panel alignment and a quality of finish that’s extraordinary even for the car’s mileage, let alone its age.

The badges, glass and trim are all in fine fettle, as is the folding black roof, which is in great shape and still fits tautly. It rises and falls quickly - Aston Martin says it takes just 18 seconds to raise or lower it, and that can be done at speeds of up to 30mph - and seals very effectively.

The seven-spoke 19-inch silver alloy wheels are immaculate with no marks or scuffs whatsoever. Open in their design, they afford an uninterrupted view of the red Aston Martin brake callipers.

Oh, and they’re shod with matching Bridgestone Potenza tyres too, all of which have decent tread.

There are no problems on the exterior that need resolving. This car just needs to be maintained and cared for in the future as well as it has been in the past.

The chrome work is all good, too, save for a slight tarnishing to the top 2 or 3 rungs of the grille. You’d have to look hard to see it. Frankly, we’re just being picky.

There are no dinks, scuffs, creases, ripples, bumps, lumps, cracks, holes, folds, indentations or other unsightly blemishes of note.

The lights and lenses are clear.

There are a few tiny stone chips on the protective film that covers the leading edge of the bonnet, but nothing else.

With acres of high-quality grey and cream leather, all of which is very neatly stitched with red thread, the Aston shows that a luxury sportscar doesn’t have to look like the smoking room at a gentleman’s club in order to make an impression.

And, as you’d expect given its mileage and carefully curated life, the interior is immaculate with barely a mark on it. The seats are as firm, comfortable, supportive and functional as the day they were fitted.

Yes, the driver’s seat has some very light creasing around the bolsters. But don’t we all?

The dials are clear, elegant and simple, happily drawing the driver’s eye to the 220mph speedometer and 8,000rpm tachometer.

The carpets, mats, door cards and roof lining are all in fine order, as are the dashboard, centre console and instruments. As far as we can tell, every toggle, switch, lever and button does what it’s meant to do.

The original sat-nav system still rises and falls from the top of the dashboard as it should.

The sill covers wear their ‘Hand built in England’ plaques with justifiable pride.

The interior of this car really is a very special place to spend some time.

It certainly has an underneath. No doubt about it. Not much to say really, as virtually all of it is covered by trays and protectors - which seem to have done a sterling job of, er, covering and protecting it. There is no rust of any note visible anywhere.

Everything is in its right and proper place and appears untroubled by time, mileage or mishap.

It’s a similar story in the very clean and tidy engine bay where, we’re confident, something hugely complicated and powerful is hiding under those cowls and covers.

Something that snorts and roars and pops with Wagnerian fury if you dare to prod it with your right foot.

The car comes with a service book that’s brimming with Aston Martin main dealer stamps.

The car’s last service was carried out by McGurk Performance Cars (a respected specialist and well-known in Aston owner circles) in April 2021 at a cost of nearly £1,000.

The car comes with very few bills, receipts and invoices. Why? Because it’s never had anything much wrong with it and has the mileage of a car that’s barely run in.

Well, what we think is…..wow.

What a car.

Short of placing it, from new, in a hermetically sealed tank in a museum, we don’t know how it could have been better protected from the ravages of time, weather and mishap.

We think this car may be keeping a portrait of some basket case V8 Vantage Roadster in a dusty attic somewhere.

While there’s obviously no such thing as a guaranteed trouble-free supercar, we’d have to say that this looks to be about as close as you could get get.

It has all the beauty, performance and integrity of what is effectively a new car – without the new car price tag.

Sounds like a very good deal to us.

We’re happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £40,000 - £55,000.

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’.