2003 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Keswick Special Commission Auto

At the Geneva Motor Show in 1999, Aston Martin introduced the long-awaited Vantage version of their successful DB7. Sporting a Cosworth designed, 5.9-litre V12 producing a creamy 420bhp, the car was super-quick and was electronically limited to 185mph. Changes included chassis and braking upgrades, to cope with the increased performance and Ian Callum enlarged the grill, added fog lamps and re-styled the valances to give the car a more purposeful look. The Vantage interior leather trim was cut and sewn at a special trim shop at Newport Pagnell, where the carpet and wood veneers were also prepared. The V12 Vantage Volante, costing over £100,000 at its launch, remained in production until 2004.

Throughout production of the DB7 V12 Vantage, a number of limited edition models were released, one being the "Keswick', produced for the Lancaster Group who have two Aston Martin dealerships. Only 10 cars were made in total, 5 Coupé, and 5 Volante models. The specification included; Ferrari Nero Daytona Black coachwork, upper and lower mesh grilles, lower interior and seats in Charcoal hide with DB7 logo embossed in seats, smoke headlining, white-faced instruments, 19" wheels, black brake calipers, and metallic finishes in the cabin to replace wood veneers.

This particular UK right-hand drive 'Keswick' was supplied new to its first owner, a Mr. R.Whiffin, by Lancaster Sevenoaks on 5th May 2003. The car is finished in the bespoke "Keswick' colour combination of Nero Daytona Metallic with a charcoal interior and black mohair hood and has a Touchtronic transmission. The service records show 9 stamps in total, all but one being from Aston Martin main dealers, with the last service being carried out at Aston Martin Chichester on 18th August '17 for which there is a £2,953 bill included in the file.

Now showing a mere 20,622 miles on the odometer the Aston is supplied with its UK V5c, driver's manuals, and service records and is MOT tested until 20th August 2018. V12 DB7s are undoubtedly special motor cars, but this very rare, one of only 5, Keswick Volante is really special and represents a great opportunity to own a well-cared for modern classic which ticks all the boxes for any serious car collector.