Where to buy and sell Aston Martins

[Rps1106]

So like many on here, I have dreamed since I was around 8 years old that I wanted to own an Aston Martin. I am now 64 and I think the dream might come to fruition.

I have seen a lot advertised and have visited a few to see. Nothing has hit the spot completely, but I think I am drawing closer.

My first question is to you guys is where did you buy your Aston from; Private, Dealer or Auction? My 2nd question is when you sold it, did you sell it Privately or put in part exchange at a dealer or just sold it to a dealer because you were unable to sell it privately? The reason I'm asking is that would you spend your money purchasing an Aston privately or only go to a dealer in order to get some sort of warranty. If you were selling your Aston, were you able to sell it privately?

Would value your thoughts.

Thanks guys.

Moderator edit: no advertising

[Rps1106]

David Ramsbotham said:

Frankly, at the price level you are talking about, I doubt you will find main dealers offering any for sale! Probably just not enough margin in it for them.

If you are mechanically proficient then best value will be to buy privately - as no warranty or finance usually then expect to pay less and have sufficient time to examine the car relatively thoroughly. I have done a list of things to look out for when buying a DB9 of that era, which I am happy to share.

If you are not mechanically minded then a recognised Aston specialist is the way to go. You don’t say where you are based but there are a handful of good companies through out the U.K.

Good luck with your search.

Thanks David. Would value your list on what to look for. I live in Cheam, which is around South London.

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BlackWidow13 said:

If you are spending what is a lot of money to you, then paying the premium that an AM dealer of one of the well recognised independents charges to get a good warranty is worthwhile. Likewise if you want the full experience.

If you’re reasonably familiar with the brand and know what you want, have an idea what to look for, and have a greater appetite for risk, then look at private sales. There are owners’ groups on FB where cars come up from time to time, and there is a fair chance that an owner on such a group has looked after their car.

If you’re in Cheam and looking for a DB9, and aren’t fazed by a higher mileage, there is one at Vantage Engineering. They are a garage which brokers private sales. I have zero connection with them - I stumbled across them looking for Vanquishes.

Also try Pugsley & Lewis in Beckenham. Similar set up. They don’t appear to have anything but if you tell them what you’re looking for they may be able to hook you up with a customer who is looking to sell.

Those are geographically convenient - don’t be reluctant to travel to the right person for the right car though.

Thanks Blackwidow13. I am happy to travel for the correct car. I'll keep a look out on the sites you suggested.

[Rps1106]

Thank you guys for your thoughts on this. This is very helpful and gives me something to think about.
I know compared to what you guys have probably spent on purchasing your AMs, my circa £30K seems cheap. I can only go with what I can afford to realise my dream. I have spent around 5 months so far searching out the right Aston for me. Not found it yet and if it takes me another 5 months or more, so be it. For me, this will be a once and only purchase, so I need to get it right as much as I can.

So, I really appreciate your input into this big decision.

Thank you.

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Agent57 said:

So it's DB7, DB9 or V8V then.

Buying from an Indi may give you some peace of mind and a warranty. - Read the small print - Mine only covered cars up to 10 years old and I was buying an 11 year old car at the time....

If you want a 'bargain', private seller of auction may be better. I also followed the market for nearly a year before taking the plunge and got to know who the players were and what the prices and specs were. Who knows where prices may go in the next six months. if you wait for the 'perfect' spec you may wait forever. Decide what you think is a deal-breaker and what is a 'nice to have' on your spec. Otherwise usual common sense and buying rules apply plus down to your personal preference and attitude to risk.

Yes, probably a DB9 or V8V. I think the improvements in the design of the DB9 outweigh purchasing a DB7 for me. Also, I don't think a DB7 is ULEZ compliant, but I could be wrong. I also prefer a coupe to a volante.

Edited by Rps1106 on Wednesday 18th May 16:51

Edited by Rps1106 on Wednesday 18th May 16:53

[Rps1106]

dkatwa said:

What is your ideal spec?

Ideally not grey, black or silver. Not more than 70K miles but hopefully less. No MOT advisories that haven't been dealt with. Interior looks smart and everything works. No rust (went to one that has rust on the seatbelt guide and the door catch - how do you get rust on the inside of a DB9?), Not a volante. Car has been used and not laid up (went to another one that had done 4,000 in 12 years). Has been regularly serviced (prepared to accept may not have been done by AM). Looks generally tidy. Probably 2004-2008 year. Hopefully, I am not asking too much for my budget!

Edited by Rps1106 on Wednesday 18th May 16:50

Edited by Rps1106 on Wednesday 18th May 16:52

[Rps1106]

David Ramsbotham said:

Rps1106, tried to reply to your email but just heard there have been problems with it getting to you!

Hi David - no idea why that is. I've sent you a message on here with my other email address.

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BlackWidow13 said:

I completely get the thing about colour. But my advice is not to get hung up on it.

I hunted for a particular car in a particular colour a few years ago. It took 2.5 years, and of course the stock I was looking at was on average 2.5 years older by the time I found what I wanted.

I swore off silver/black/white when buying my most recent car and yet the car that ticked every other box (and there were a lot of them, and almost no car I’ve seen has ticked all of them) was bloody silver!

It’s taken me a long time to get to grips with this, but you spend a lot longer driving a car than looking at it, so how it drives and how it looks inside ought to be more important than the exterior colour. It’s not entirely that simple, I know, but you get my drift.

Yes, I understand not to get too hung up on colour. I guess my main reason is that black and silver cars are very common and would like the AM to stand out a bit more. However, if I found one that ticked all the other boxes, I think I could be persuaded!

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Jon39 said:

In the Aston Martin world there are some very knowledgeable and skilled independent specialists for servicing, so don't be too concerned about main dealer stamps in the book. Not a general garage though. Having Aston Martin maintenace experience is important with these cars. Many also consider it acceptable with very modest annual mileages, to stretch the service intervals to 18 or 24 months, as long as all maintenance is attended to thoroughly. Maintaining can be expensive if something goes wrong, because many parts are priced in an upward direction by AML. At least with a DB9, you won't encounter single plate clutch troubles.

Many owners take their Aston Martins off the road during winter months. Using the recognised precautions, there do not seem to be problems doing that. Better kept away from the risk of salt too.

I don't have a garage, but I do have a driveway. It definitely won't get driven in snow or ice or salt on the road! It may still get used in the winter - after all, I want to use the advantage of heated seats and front windscreen!

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JaseB said:

Bamford Rose have a sales portal Facebook group, worth checking out, nice vouched for cars come up on there now and again as well as the main Vantage FB page.

Cheers. Thank you. I'll give them a look too.

[Rps1106]

Hi. I’m actually picking mine up this weekend

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ritch said:

Do tell more!

I'll post up a picture over the weekend!