1977 Aston Martin V8 Series 3 S

UK-supplied on the 1st November 1977 with factory 'S' specification engine

Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox fitted during the extensive mechanical overhaul

Invoices from Chris Shenton Engineering and CMC totalling some £70,000 from 2013 to 2015

Recent service at 108,128 miles and a refreshed interior by Oselli at a cost of £5,500 in October

Superb history file showing service records from 1979, old MoTs and the substantial invoices

Known ownership from new, with maintenance bills recorded for each owner

Introduced in 1973, the 'Series 3' employed a quartet of Weber 42 DCNF carburettors instead of the previous Bosch mechanical fuel injection, the change bringing with it increased torque and necessitating a larger bonnet bulge. Although not quoted, the power output of the standard car was around 300bhp and even in automatic transmission form, the V8 could reach 100mph in around 15 seconds and better 145mph flat-out. Summarising its 1973 road test of a V8 automatic, Autocar magazine revealed that the new version of the V8 Aston engine with four Weber carburettors and automatic transmission had proved nearly as quick as its manual-transmission fuel-injected predecessor and fractionally more economical, concluding that it was: "A well-equipped car with magnificent stride for long journeys."

Later Series 3 cars were fitted with 'S' specification engines, as was this car when it was first registered to a Robin Hamilton on the 1st November 1977, keeping it for under a year before selling it to John Ward. Mr Ward was to keep the car until 1993 with regular servicing and maintenance by Aston specialists Four Ashes Garage of Stratford-upon-Avon. On the 1st May 1995, the car was purchased by a Mr Cavanagh and three years later Adam Van Straten, a leading London lawyer took over ownership until 2005 whereupon a Mr Adam Blaker bought it, servicing it at cost of £2,163 at Newlands Motors in 2007. A year later a Mr Riyad Hehio bought the car maintaining it a cost of some £9,617 in the two years he owned it. The car then caught the attention of Lord Burnett, who purchased it for £25,500 on the 8th August 2010. Lord Burnett sold the car in 2011 to a Simon Instance who serviced the car at Simon Furlonger on the 2nd August 2011 at a cost of £944.

On the 11th June 2013, when it was purchased by Peter Ainsley that the car got the restoration and mechanical overhaul that it was, no doubt, due. Some work was undertaken by Chris Shenton but the majority was by Classic Motor Cars, otherwise known as Aston specialists CMC of Wolverhampton. The total cost of these works carried out between 2013 and 2015 was to amount to over £70,000. This included structural works to the sills, jacking points and outriggers, an engine rebuild, fitting of a Tremec 6-speed gearbox, and a bare metal respray. Our vendor took the car as part exchange against his own V8 Volante in September this year and has spent some £5,500 at marque specialists Oselli on new carpets, an engine tune, and a service.

Presented to auction with an incredibly detailed leather-bound history file that includes twenty-one past MoT Certificates, old tax discs, previous ownership details, reams and reams of past invoices, and the largely immaterial mileage of some 108,000 miles.