1999 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage

Description

Fantastic Mendip Blue V12; four owners, the current for 15 years; only 69k miles with 22 service stamps; recent £6k anti-rust treatment plus new set of tyres; advisory-free MOT; a pampered DB7 that was driven 120 miles to the sale

Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999, the Vantage finally gave the DB7 the pace to match its grace some five years after the original Ian Callum-designed inline-six version had made its debut.

“The V12 gives the DB7 the ferocious soul its gorgeous bodywork always deserved”, said Classic & Sportscar. “Plant your foot and that V12 just pulls and pulls with a majestic, uninterrupted surge of power”, wrote Evo, while Car summed it up as “a leather-bound continent crusher and a genuine 180mph monster”.

The Cosworth-developed 5.9-litre naturally aspirated V12 pumped out 420bhp and 400 lb-ft of torque which made the Vantage good for 0 – 60mph in 4.9 seconds on the way to an electronically limited top speed of 165mph for the auto version and 184mph for the six-speed manual. It was the first V12 engine ever installed in a production Aston Martin, establishing a powerplant tradition that continues to define the brand to this day.

Supplied new by Aston main agents Murray Motors of Edinburgh in November 1999, this Vantage V12 Auto is one of the earliest made and has been meticulously maintained throughout its life. It is finished in Mendip Blue with a complementary grey/blue leather interior and the options of a sports exhaust and premium Kenwood sound system with multi-disc CD changer.

It has covered only 69,437 miles from new and comes with an excellent service history including 22 service stamps, the first 11 at the supplying dealer and the rest by main agents or specialists (see photos). The last service was by Chiltern Aston Centre at 67,388 miles in February 2025. This equates to an average service interval of just 3,150 miles – pretty impressive by any standards.

It has had four owners to date, our vendor acquiring the car from Aston Martin specialist Derek Mowat of Edinburgh in January 2011 when it had 47k miles on the clock, the invoice showing that it cost him £24,750.

During his 15-year ownership, the Aston has always been kept garaged and has been used in the spring and summer months only, including several summer tours around France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

There are a large number of invoices to document the service record and other work and new parts fitted between services. Recent expenditure of note includes:

2016 – All four brake calipers refurbished and powder coated in red

2017 – New bonnet liner

2020 – New expansion tank assembly

2022 – Full underbody clean, repair and No Corrode rust-proof treatment by Chiltern Aston (including removal, repair and repainting of inner wings and front subframe plus new suspension bushes etc) which cost over £6,200, all the work being recorded in photos on a USB stick

2023 – New rear brake discs and pads and handbrake shoes

2024 – New set of Michelin Pilot Sport tyres at 66,490 miles plus new radiator, air con condenser and a/c regas

2025 – New starter motor; new fuel pumps and filters; new catalytic converters; new headlamp foams

2026 – New starter battery

As you can see in the photos, this pampered Aston Martin is in excellent condition for its year/mileage thanks to fastidious maintainenance by all four owners, with lovely paintwork and butter-soft leather upholstery. Driven 130 miles to the sale, we are told that it drives as well as it looks with no faults that the vendor is aware of. It has an MOT until March 2027 with no advisories recorded plus at least 20 old MOTs.

It has been starting promptly and running beautifully as we have moved it around on site, with healthy oil pressure, no warning lights and a thrilling bark from the sports exhaust. The throttle response is razor sharp and even at low speeds you can tell that this thing is a real monster that is straining to be let off the leash.

Every true petrolhead should own an Aston Martin at least once in their lives and when it has that majestic Cosworth-tuned V12 under the bonnet you really are entering the realms of motoring nirvana. Our vendor has enjoyed every second of his time with this blue beauty and he is only reluctantly selling it due to his advancing age and declining mobility which means he can no longer hop in and out as easily as he did before.

On offer here at a very tempting guide price, it now only needs a fortunate 5^th owner who can reap the rewards of all the meticulous servicing carried out over the life of the car. Given the professional rust-proofing so recently carried out, it should remain in good condition for many years to come.

As you can probably tell by now, we like this car a lot and we are sure that you will too, so make sure you come and see it!  

Consigned by James Dennison -  07970 309907 – [email protected]