1997 Aston Martin Vantage V550 - 4500 miles from new

• Ordered new via Aston Martin Sales, Mayfair in December 1997 by the Brunei Royal family in UK right-hand drive specification
• Supplied in Pentland Green metallic with tan leather piped Forest Green, tan headlining and Fir Green carpeting
• This Vantage had its pre-delivery inspection by Aston Martin Works on 31/03/1998 and was in Brunei until 2017
• UK registered in 2017 by our vendor and recommissioned with no expense spared
• Only 4,468 miles (atoc) as the Brunei collection cars tend to be lightly used
• Just 240 standard V550 Vantages were built for all markets and this car is among the best

It is thought only some 240 of these rare and powerful cars were hand-built at the factory at Newport Pagnell all equipped with a 5.3-litre V8 sporting twin Eaton superchargers. Power output was around 550 bhp and torque was equally impressive at 550 ft/lbs and, at the time, this was the most powerful production engine in the world. Top speed was 191 mph, with a 0-60mph time of just 4.6 seconds an astonishing feat for such a large car with the comfortable cabin resplendent in Walnut and Connolly leather barely referencing the pace to the occupants.

The Brunei Royal Family have long been fans of Aston Martin and in the 1980s and '90s were among their best customers, some say keeping the company solvent. The Sultan, his brother and other family members ordered many bespoke V8 coupes with one-off designs by Zagato and Pinninfarina. However, in 1997 the family were satisfied with the factory design and brutish good looks of this Vantage V550 and took delivery in 1998. It's finished in arguably the best colour combination of Pentland Green with Tan leather piped Forest Green with Tan headlining and Fir Green carpeting. Naturally, the dashboard and doors are clad in the finest Walnut veneer, rivalling only Rolls-Royce for craftsmanship and interior refinement.

Fitted with a rare automatic transmission, this Vantage had its pre-delivery inspection by Aston Martin Works on 31st March 1998 and was exported to Brunei shortly afterwards. As is common with virtually all cars owned by the Brunei royal family they are used for a short period and then stored. To put into context why the cars are so little used, and to show why Aston Martins remain so popular with the family, some 39 Astons joined the Sultan of Brunei's collection during the 1990s.

The car was acquired by our vendor and shipped from Brunei and registered with the DVLA in 2017. Due to little use and the fact Brunei does not have an official Aston Martin main dealer the only stamp in the service book is the car's PDI by Aston Martin Works in March 1998. Consequently, our vendor treated the car to an extensive, no expense spared re-commissioning programme of works including a full rebuild of the twin superchargers, cooling system, underbody heat shields, bushes and hoses and other works at a cost of ú15,000. The bills for parts supplied by Aston Martin Works Newport Pagnell came to some ú10,000, and various other invoices amounting to much more can be supplied via email and shows the commitment of our vendor to own the best V550 available in today's market.

The odometer was reading 4,468 miles, at the time of cataloguing, and it must be noted that cars that have been owned by the Brunei Royal family have always shown low mileages. The history file includes an Aston Martin Heritage Certificate, the aforementioned invoices and service book. The car has a valid MOT until January 2021 and is supplied with a UK V5C.

Few cars of the 1990s command such road presence as the V550 and whilst the turn of speed rivals its Italian contemporaries the luxurious interior and silky smooth automatic gearbox provides a uniquely British experience and suits the car's Grand Tourer status.

Please note the private registration on the car is not included in the sale and the car will come with a year-appropriate registration.