AUTUMN / WINTER 2015 Nicholas Mee & Co’s world of Aston Martin • ISSUE 21

fullbore
“For those interested in recapturing the thrill and
adventure of driving, a classic Aston Martin is still a
quick car, but more to the point it really feels fast. And it
has that ‘I’ve got to have and drive one’ appeal.”
Which is time for Nick to talk about the enduring appeal
of ‘analogue cars’, those designed and built in the days
when the engineer and designer were king: Aston
Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati made exotic
motor cars in an era before Federal safety laws and
emissions regulations stifled creativity.
“They built the ones they wanted to build, each with
its own personality,” said Nick. “Those cars were the
ultimate expression of the manufacturers’ art, pre
legislation cars all simply gorgeous to look at and exciting
to drive. That does not happen today, although if you go
back only a few years you can see that ‘personality’, if
you like, coming through.
“I’m thinking of the limited-edition DB7 Vantages, the
GTs and of course the Zagato.”
“The word is certainly out on these,” chips in Ed, “It’s
hard to find a good ’7 Vantage, and I’d say with £35k cars
12 months ago now trading nearer £40k, it’s a 10 – 15%
increase over the year. A potential scenario we spoke
about 12 months ago.
“Buyers like the ‘classic’ appeal of an older car with the
conveniences of a new one. ABS, climate control etc.
Nothing demonstrates that better than the DB7 Zagato:
limited numbers [99], overt coachwork by a renowned
Italian styling House with long connections to Aston
and stunning performance. Prices for these are at
record levels.”
And looking at even more recent Astons, there’s the
V12-powered DBS, but Neal prefaces this subject with
some words on the original classic Vanquish:
“Owners love them. They look stylish, are modern and
are practical, yet are still 200mph cars. Prices are all over
the place because buyers want really good ones – and
will pay for that reassurance. It’s a 10-to-15-year-old car,
so always buy the best.
“The V12 DBS is interesting too as the values of these
overlap with some Vanquishes. It’s an ‘007’s car’ and
people want them in Bond colours, they’ve terrific road
presence and big performance. They only produced
around 3500, it’s well made and one of the last of the
manual V12 Astons That’s the one that to have, it’s
stunning to look at and a quick old car.”
Speaking of which… demand for the 1980s V8 Vantage is
as strong as ever. “Yes, as we predicted, and we’ve also
seen good V8 saloons and Volantes gain in value as a
result of this. The fact that 1960s DBs are now at such
heights, helps” said Nick.
“We are often asked about ‘originality’, and perhaps this
is a good time to say a few words on the subject. There
is a definite point around the time of the last boom in
prices, the mid-1980s, when V8s were bought to keep.
They were better made, buyers had paid a lot for them,
prices were strong and car collecting as a hobby that
made money had arrived. So, it was in the owner’s
interest to look after them well. Those cars today are
mostly original in content as they were never run on
a shoestring, they were powerful with good brakes,
working a/c and all the rest, in other words ticking all
the ‘buy’ boxes.
“Values of earlier V8s have increased to the point that it’s
now economic to restore some of the first cars. Which is
great, as they make exciting, practical and comfortable
classics, in the great tradition of Newport Pagnell
Astons. But buyers should not get hung up too much
about originality, They should want a car that’s great to
drive and look at, a proper ‘chrome bumper’ Aston.”
Warming to the subject, Nick continues: “And if one
were to ask our tech team, about ‘matching numbers’,
original colours and original interiors on the straightsixes,
without exception they’d say condition was far
more important, if enjoying the car is primary.
»
45 46