1977 Aston Martin V8 Saloon

According to Aston’s historic Newport Pagnell factory, production of these cars required upward of 1,200 hours of hand labor, amounting to roughly one year’s full-time worth of work for a single person. This process involved hand-forming body panels by wooden buck and hammer, the English wheel, and other traditional methods now largely lost to history.

Just 967 of these so-called Series 3 cars were made between 1973 and ‘78, and this example’s desirable LHD and 5-speed manual gearbox make it even more special than most.

Designer William Towns was not ashamed to admit the contemporary Ford Mustang’s influence on the shape of the DBS and its derivatives, and why should he have been? There’s arguably never been another car that so successfully blends tailored sophistication and blue collar gumption; if lieutenant Frank Bullitt was an aristocrat, he’d have hustled an AM V8.

This car’s rare but outstanding two-tone paintwork emphasizes its unique mercurial character, putting features like its factory power bulge, fastback roofline, and muscular, sinuous fenders in sharp focus. The deep factory chin spoiler, ducktail wing, and spectacular wheels/tires/stance interplay put things utterly over the top.

Note the dual fuel doors either side on either side of the rear deck, as well as the distinct, box-like bodywork protrusion forming a rear valance for sizable twin exhaust pipes to emerge through.

The car looks as if it could remain highly original inside as well, and may respond well to a deep leather treatment and careful, thorough detailing.

A large, deep dished, three spoke steering wheel and wide array of Smiths instruments invite the driver, who is flanked on the right by a dogleg pattern 5-speed shifter and a transmission tunnel-hugging parking brake lever. The early 1980s Alpine cassette deck deserves to stay.

As suggested by the exterior power bulge, this car’s engine has quite an elaborate intake setup. Though hidden under cover of a large factory plenum fed by dual fresh air intake ducts, a quartet of vertical, dual-choke Webers fuel the sophisticated V8 beneath, contributing to both an orchestral intake roar as well as roughly 305 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque.

These were lightning quick cars by contemporary standards, and even today, manual examples’ high five-second/low six-second range 60 mph sprints remain impressive.

This car is sold without known history.

We want to drive this car to a vintage drag event wearing a Savile Row suit with the a/c blasting and The Stooges’ Raw Power playing through the cassette deck. Anyone have a line on new old stock Pirelli Scorpion Zeros in 255/60-15?

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS

It should be noted that 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’.

Due to California emissions laws, please note that this vehicle may only be sold to an out-of-state resident for use outside of California or to a licensed automotive dealer.

Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.