1973 Aston Martin Vantage Automatic

After Sir David Brown's departure, DBS production continued under new owners Company Developments, the car being re-styled with a two-headlamp front end but mechanically remaining much as before. The 4-litre, six-cylinder model was re-named "Vantage", a departure from accepted practice, as the term had hitherto been used to denote the high-performance engine option. To further confuse matters, all but two Vantages ("6067" and "6068") had the 'SVC' Vantage high-performance engine. A mere 70 of these six-cylinder Vantages were produced between May 1972 and July 1973.

This right-hand drive example is one of these rare cars and was fitted from new with the Borg-Warner automatic transmission option. First owned by Richard Ellis of Cornhill, London EC3 and registered "TGO 309M", the car comes with a substantial history file containing copies of all previous owner registration documents, a number of older MOT Certificates, numerous service invoices, and the car's Heritage Certificate. Whilst in the ownership (from 1980 to 1986) of one Richard Bass of London EC1 it was registered "RBA 55", then subsequently "DBY 217M", "BOO 4" and (presently) "DBY 453M". Accompanying documentation records a speedometer change in June 1995 at 104,410 miles and there is a mileage record in the file between March 1980 and May 1996. The odometer currently reads 42,395 miles. Service bills on file indicate regular maintenance carried out by recognised specialists such as RS Williams, Ian Mason, Promech Automotive, Goodwood Green, and Aston Service Dorset. We understand that the engine was rebuilt in 2007 and the gearbox in 2011. It was retrimmed in 1989, carpets included, at a cost of £4,300 and the details are in the file.

"DBY 453M" possesses the desirable attributes of 72-spoke chromed wire wheels and a factory-fitted Webasto sunroof and was finished from new in Dubonnet Rosso with a tan leather interior, the latter featuring a period 8-track radio/cassette stereo system. It has been SORN'd for the past few years but, as you can see from the photographs, remains in excellent order, and will come to auction with its Swansea V5 and a fresh MOT.

As one of only seventy made and built for one year only, this is the one to have, and this particular car was even rarer in Dubonnet with a sunroof and, at number 53, was one of the last few six-cylinder DBS Astons ever made.