To Sell or not to sell, that is the question
Discussion
I'm feeling guilty that my V12 Vantage is just sitting in the garage as it's not used much. It's become an A to A car and life is getting in the way of actually enjoying it. Should i give somebody else the opportunity to use it as having it sitting around won't be good for it long term. What are the forum's thoughts?
kev1966900 said:
I'm feeling guilty that my V12 Vantage is just sitting in the garage as it's not used much. It's become an A to A car and life is getting in the way of actually enjoying it. Should i give somebody else the opportunity to use it as having it sitting around won't be good for it long term. What are the forum's thoughts?
Exactly the position I found myself in, except it was a V8 Vantage rather than a V12. Anyway, like you, I just wasn't using my car; it was sat in the garage going nowhere. It was, however, costing money. An annual service at a specialist is £1000 plus since there's always bits that need doing. VED is £630 per year, plus insurance. The VED can be mitigated by SORN during the winter, but still.One thing I will say is that values are much, much lower than I'd thought (V12's might not be I suppose). I see V8 cars from 2013 onwards on Auto Trader with asking prices of £50k plus. My recent experience is that 1) a private sale at that price is very difficult - people want finance or p/ex or want a car in literally perfect condition, and 2) dealers will offer nearer to £40k (again, that's for a V8 Vantage).
In summary: yes, sell if you really aren't using it, but it's a soft market at the moment. That's my opinion, anyhow.
I don’t think you should feel guilty but simply decide what’s the best option for you.
If you need / can do something else with the money then yes sell irrespective of the market softening because it will continue to soften ( maybe ) and will just cost you money anyway.
I’m not sure it’s rare enough to warrant keeping as an investment and will still need money spent.
Other option is to sell then buy another toy for say x 50% and see if you rediscover fun driving.
Better to have had then sold then never had.
Good luck in your dilemma.
If you need / can do something else with the money then yes sell irrespective of the market softening because it will continue to soften ( maybe ) and will just cost you money anyway.
I’m not sure it’s rare enough to warrant keeping as an investment and will still need money spent.
Other option is to sell then buy another toy for say x 50% and see if you rediscover fun driving.
Better to have had then sold then never had.
Good luck in your dilemma.
kev1966900 said:
I'm feeling guilty that my V12 Vantage is just sitting in the garage as it's not used much. It's become an A to A car and life is getting in the way of actually enjoying it. Should i give somebody else the opportunity to use it as having it sitting around won't be good for it long term. What are the forum's thoughts?
You seem to be in a similar position to me.
Hopefully finance does not influence any line of thought. Certainly no need for you to feel guilty, because that somebody else can buy their own V12V. There are quite a few around.
If limited use is the only issue, then think how you will feel in 10 years time. You are in your generic electric box (probably the car is doing most of the driving). You look at the empty space in your garage thinking, one of the most beautiful exciting cars ever, used to be there. I drove it just when I wanted to and it was, "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful". Oh, how I miss owning that car now. There will never be another like that.
I have a low miles manual DBS that lives in a bubble in one of the garages.
Keep saying I’ll sell as it doesn’t get used much but I think I may regret it.
Actually sold it once but changed my mind as this is as near as damn it the closest you will get to the one used in Quantum of Solice.
Keep your car unless you need the money - you only live once…….or was it twice
Keep saying I’ll sell as it doesn’t get used much but I think I may regret it.
Actually sold it once but changed my mind as this is as near as damn it the closest you will get to the one used in Quantum of Solice.
Keep your car unless you need the money - you only live once…….or was it twice
kev1966900 said:
I'm feeling guilty that my V12 Vantage is just sitting in the garage as it's not used much. It's become an A to A car and life is getting in the way of actually enjoying it. Should i give somebody else the opportunity to use it as having it sitting around won't be good for it long term. What are the forum's thoughts?
If you do decide to sell it, could you DM me the details as I might be interested…..Panda nero said:
Organise a road trip for early next summer to Switzerland ,Italy wherever and fall in love with driving it again .
This , exactly.My V12S roadster got very little use last year.
This year however we did Classic le Mans and a trip to the Picos mountains in northern Spain.
Rekindled my love affair with the car - definitely a keeper.
It’s a really tricky dilemma to have I guess. No right or wrong answer and it all depends on your personal circumstances. I do know how you feel though. I am waiting to take delivery of a new SUV (not an Aston Martin) for Mrs Minglar within the next six months or so, and when it finally turns up I think I’ll probably use my V12V even less than I already do. I have tinkered with the idea of selling it, but I really do think I’ll miss it, and although there are a few for sale at the moment, it’s quite clear to me that cars of this ilk are never going to be made again. A naturally aspirated six litre (well maybe 5.9) V12 with a manual gearbox? They are dinosaurs really, of a totally different age to where we are now, and where we are heading. But every time I drive mine it puts a huge smile on my face, even if it’s an A to A drive just to clear the cobwebs off it. My personal view is if you don’t need the money for anything specific you may as well keep hold of it. That’s where I am leaning at the moment too, although I do worry that it may get banned for road use in the future. Or perhaps taxed so hard it will make it difficult to keep hold of, and probably impossible to sell! Oh well.
I hope you manage to reach an acceptable conclusion.
Best Regards
Minglar
I hope you manage to reach an acceptable conclusion.
Best Regards
Minglar
Think HMG have got a few more things to worry about than whether to ban V engines or not although you may have a point about tax albeit can’t see that for a good few years.
I definitely miss my V12S which I sold a few months prior to the lockdown etc of Covid but then I would have sold it anyway as simply wouldn’t have used it - I do have other nice things to drive although going back to the tax with a V8 , V10 and soon to be new car for my wife (V6 ) I might just end up with only an old Defender !
I definitely miss my V12S which I sold a few months prior to the lockdown etc of Covid but then I would have sold it anyway as simply wouldn’t have used it - I do have other nice things to drive although going back to the tax with a V8 , V10 and soon to be new car for my wife (V6 ) I might just end up with only an old Defender !
LordBretSinclair said:
This , exactly.
My V12S roadster got very little use last year.
This year however we did Classic le Mans and a trip to the Picos mountains in northern Spain.
Rekindled my love affair with the car - definitely a keeper.
How were the Picos hoping to get down there next year. As regards the OP hold it if you can they ain’t making em like that any more that’s for sure. My V12S roadster got very little use last year.
This year however we did Classic le Mans and a trip to the Picos mountains in northern Spain.
Rekindled my love affair with the car - definitely a keeper.
The Picos are fantastic. We were there with LBS and the tunnels, the roads, the scenery is just wonderful. Mind you for tunnel fun it helps to have a couple of V12’s with you 
And then, if you are near Oviedo there is the Fernando Alonso Museum which is one of the best I have visited.
And then, if you are near Oviedo there is the Fernando Alonso Museum which is one of the best I have visited.OP - I am in the same position as you with my V12V. It mostly sits in the garage with occasional use. However I don't need to sell it and know I would regret it if I did. I would say you may get that feeling of regret if you sell it just because you feel you should drive it more. I generally only sell cars when I have a definite reason to. Which is usually because I want to buy the next one!
I'll chuck in another option..... what's actually stopping you for using it? Use it and keep it.
I use my rapide as my daily driver, short school runs, long commutes and weekends away. I've done nearly 11k miles since April and loved every minute of it. My wife has a very nice discovery sport that sits on the drive unused mossy of the time.
If you service it annually anyway it's not really going to cost you much more to actually do some miles and enjoy it. You can't take it with you, you're a looong time dead, f
k depreciation etc etc
I use my rapide as my daily driver, short school runs, long commutes and weekends away. I've done nearly 11k miles since April and loved every minute of it. My wife has a very nice discovery sport that sits on the drive unused mossy of the time.
If you service it annually anyway it's not really going to cost you much more to actually do some miles and enjoy it. You can't take it with you, you're a looong time dead, f
k depreciation etc etcOnly some cars are wanted for display, by the top art galleries of the world.
We are all fortunate in that respect.
As you rightly say (above), we can still admire our works of art, when they are not being driven.
What have you decided OP? We have tried our best to help with opinions, as requested.
Edited by Dewi 2 on Saturday 29th October 11:55
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff