MotorMartin has long desired an Aston Martin which means that interest in the marque is permanently high over here at the Towers and any Aston Martin news often takes precedence over some of the lesser known brands. Bearing that in mind, news that the the 18th annual Aston Martin Sale was being held by International auction house Bonhams today, Saturday 13 May 2017 was met by great sadness as the MotorMartin Aston Fund still only stands at £17.42, not quite enough for that pristine DB9 I fear.
The sale took take place at the spiritual home of Aston Martin’s heritage, Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, where many of this year’s lots were originally built.
The 2017 sale, MotorMartin has been told, is a celebration of old and new Aston Martins, with cars ranging from 1953 through to 2016. superb.
Aston Martin President and CEO, Dr Andy Palmer shared with MotorMartin recently that: “This year’s Aston Martin Sale features some great examples of our cars from the last sixty years, from a stylish 1953 DB2 Drophead Coupé to the potent and uncompromising Vantage GT12. The offering from Bonhams is typically diverse, and showcases the immense variety of models which Aston Martin has offered over the years.”
The most modern car in the sale was a special edition 2016 Vantage GT12 Coupé. Only 100 performance-focused road-going Vantage GT12s were made and this is the only example in the striking Viridian Green paint, a special colour created by Aston Martin’s bespoke service, Q by Aston Martin. The 600PS car sold out shortly after being revealed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and this Vantage GT12 has an estimate of £350,000 – £450,000.
A highlight of the sale will most certainly be one of the rarest post-war Aston Martins: a 1968 DB6 ‘Mark I’ Volante. Extensively refurbished by Aston Martin Works in 2012, the car has only covered 1,000 miles since then, and is estimated between £700,000 – £900,000. The convertible DB6 premiered at the 1965 London Motor Show, marking the first time the ‘Volante’ name was applied to a soft top Aston Martin. Only 140 ‘Mark I’ DB6 Volantes were made, making this a highly sought-after collectors model. Yes please.
A beautiful DB5, a number of elegant DB6s from the 1960s, a very rare V8 Sportsman estate car (one of only three created) from the nineties and many more exciting lots awaited bidders, including a wide range of Aston Martin related memorabilia.
Paul Spires, Commercial Director at Aston Martin Works explained to MotorMartin that: “The Bonhams Aston Martin Sale is always a delight as it gives us a lot of pleasure to handle cars that have been so beautifully cared for over the years. It takes a lot for Aston Martin owners to part with their cars so our buyers know they are always getting something very special.”
Tim Schofield, Head of Bonhams Motoring Department added: ‘We are thrilled to be returning once more to Aston Martin Works with such a wide range of examples from the legendary British marque. Returning to Works is always a pleasure, and we are looking forward to offering some of the world’s most iconic motor cars to our International audience of bidders at our Sale on the 13th.’
To view the full catalogue, MotorMartin certainly recommends that you visit the auction web page at www.bonhams.com/auctions/24119/ and just stare. Beautiful.
Where will you go?