Corrosion can be an issue but it’s crash damage you need to be on the look-out for

If it hadn’t been for the DB7, Aston Martin would almost certainly be nothing more than a footnote in the motoring hall of fame by now. With just a handful of cars trickling out of the Newport Pagnell gates by the early 1990s, Aston Martin was a basket case that needed some serious investment: something new owner Ford was able to provide. Okay, so there were plenty of XJ-S parts under the DB7’s skin, but when the outer wrapping was as good as this, did anybody care? It didn’t seem so; the DB7 stole the show at the 1993 Geneva Salon.

The lithe, muscular shape was universally admired but, while everyone was rooting for Ford’s latest offshoot, those who tested the first cars felt the beauty was merely skin deep. It may have been an Aston but the ergonomics, build quality and braking all needed work.

As a result, the series 2 cars, unveiled for the 1997 model year in 1996, were a big improvement. However, while the firm created a car that was more worthy of the badge, it wasn’t until the V12-engined Vantage of 1999 that the DB7 finally came of age. Even then, it was only with the final incarnation, the GT, that the DB7 could really give its key rivals a run for their money dynamically.

Chiltern Aston is arguably the UK’s premier DB7 specialist, and Derek Campbell is their sales director. Says Derek: ‘There are two distinct types of buyer: those who want to use their car and those who want to mothball it. The first kind will typically want a late six-cylinder auto, while the latter choose an early six-cylinder manual or a GT.

‘The earliest cars are now worth £27,000; there are cheaper examples around but they’ll typically need £10,000 spent on them to make them decent. These series 1 DB7s are more rewarding to drive and have a purer interior design than the series 2; those are the cars with airbags, comfier seats and softer damping, but more powerful brakes and headlights.’

Derek continues: ‘Although Volantes aren’t especially sought after, they still carry a 10% premium over the coupé. The cheapest open DB7 currently fetches £35,000; an extra £5000 will secure a Vantage coupé, while the open-topped equivalent is £44,000.

‘That leaves the run-out models, the GT and GTA. Because the GTA is essentially only a restyled Vantage, it isn’t worth a premium over the standard car. But with its Vanquish-spec V12, a GT fetches anywhere between £55,000 and £65,000 – and with just 84 made in right-hand drive form, there’s not much chance of values going down a lot further.’