Zagato Values

[jonby]

At RM last night, DB7 Zagato coupe sold for just shy of 400k euros and V12 Vantage Zagato for 750,000 euros

Obviously current exchange rates mean for those of us in the UK, the prices look that much higher but still, some very strong prices

Doesn't seem that long ago you could buy a DB7 Zag coupe for well under £200k

I guess given the current broader car market right now (i.e. not just for Astons), the fact that Astons ltd eds are so much smaller in number (99 or 100 of the DB7 coupe and c. 55-60 of the V12V) than many other brands together with something of a recent renaissance for Aston with their ltd editions (vanquish zag coupe & roadster selling out so quickly at £500k a pop, GT8, GT12, RB001, etc) it's not a surprise values are going up - by contrast, they made close to 1,000 of the Porsche 911R which is selling at something like 3 times it's launch cost last year - there are many more serious Porsche & Ferrari collectors than there are Aston collectors, but I think more serious collectors are starting to look at Astons - maybe to look for 'value' compared to other marques ?

[FFM]

jonby said:

At RM last night, DB7 Zagato coupe sold for just shy of 400k euros and V12 Vantage Zagato for 750,000 euros

Obviously current exchange rates mean for those of us in the UK, the prices look that much higher but still, some very strong prices

Doesn't seem that long ago you could buy a DB7 Zag coupe for well under £200k

I guess given the current broader car market right now (i.e. not just for Astons), the fact that Astons ltd eds are so much smaller in number (99 or 100 of the DB7 coupe and c. 55-60 of the V12V) than many other brands together with something of a recent renaissance for Aston with their ltd editions (vanquish zag coupe & roadster selling out so quickly at £500k a pop, GT8, GT12, RB001, etc) it's not a surprise values are going up - by contrast, they made close to 1,000 of the Porsche 911R which is selling at something like 3 times it's launch cost last year - there are many more serious Porsche & Ferrari collectors than there are Aston collectors, but I think more serious collectors are starting to look at Astons - maybe to look for 'value' compared to other marques ?

I agree, I think there are several key factors connected together than may explain recent relative strength in the Astons Ltd edition:

1) it starts with "Awareness": as a Brand you need to constantly remind people about your Special Products (Ferrari and Porsche more established on that front, Astons on the up, Mclaren moving up fast from a lower base)

2) then you (may) have "Positive Hype" for a particular car that brings a positive effect to the Brand (911R is the case in point for Porsche)

3) and, as you pointed out, "perceived rarity" (Astons wins by far looking at the figures)

Without Awareness and Hype, "rarity" by itself cannot bring $-valuations to the moon. On the other hand, with all the 3 combined (i.e. when people are "aware" of it, hence, "perceived rarity" is achieved to some degree), you can have a very strong driver for further growing $-values. That's why, I believe, Awareness plays a pivotal role.

Aston, I believe, is starting to benefit from having recently launched a GT12 creating buzz, a very well praised GT8 (bringing AM back on ECOTY after a long-time), a beautiful Vanquish Zagato, the-modern-era-MclarenF1's AM-RB001, a Vulcan on worldwide TV-screens

These products haven't just managed to create brand-awareness and reiterate Aston's ability to create "Beautiful to look at"-products.
They also expanded their target audience by developing some of the aforementioned models which are there to remind people about Aston's strong GT-Racing Heritage and its ability to create dynamically valid (and, more importantly, pure) cars (see https://drivetribe.com/p/B2yw2YpPRGaAPcsb0hrBhA/HF...

[jonby]

Absolutely

When V12V Zag launched, I was patently not the only one that found the price of £400k absurd as they had it on sale for 3 times as long as they planned, they dropped the number from 150 to 100 and they still didn't sell them all

Whilst there were other factors too regarding why it didn't sell, there hadn't really been a successful limited edition Aston for some time then. Don't forget ONE 77 took a while to sell. They would be sold out before made public today, even if they launched the identical car.

But as you say, they have the hype and awareness through being on a roll with these specials and they are keeping the production numbers sensibly low

Will be interesting to see whether eventually it follows through to the values of regular production Astons in the way it has for Ferrari & Porsche, where people who have given up on being able to buy the real specials start buying 5-15 year old regular production cars and those values have therefore started to really move

[vanquish spirit]

No doubt I will be shot down in flames. I own a new Vanquish Volante, a DB5, several E types and other assorted classics. I have owned DB4GT and DB4 series 2 , DBSV8, 2 x Vanquish S.....you perhaps get the picture. I am an old school collector and I just do not get the modern car boom in prices. I get the fact they are limited edition and desirable,,,,,boy some of these are are desirable...But doubling ones money on a brand new car? no no no. This is an accident waiting to happen. I have made a lot of money from cars so don't think I am against the concept, but this whole thing is a car crash , literally. Same with Fezzas F12 TDF....I mean its a brand new car for Gods sake I think the world has gone a bit bonkers on low interest rates searching for an investment. But at the end of the day, cars are non yielding trophy purchases and won't pay your bills. Bonkers on the new stuff. I feel sure it will end in tears, but still happy to own rare and old motors.