2014 Aston Martin DB9

The seller bought this wonderful Tungsten Silver Aston Martin DB9 from Aston Martin Chichester in 2017. Used daily for a while, including a honeymoon trip with his wife to Lake Como in Italy, ‘HY64 VXD’ was consigned to the sidelines when his children arrived.

With a full suite of stamps from both main dealers and Bamford Rose, the well-respected independent expert, in the service history booklet, it still only shows 13,500 miles on the odometer, which is a tiny mileage for a nine-year-old car.

Fully specified, including the rare and wonderful Cream Truffle leather interior, it’s had just the two previous keepers and is ready to thrill and delight its fourth in this No Reserve auction.

(Yes, you read that right.)

The DB9’s Titanium bonnet vents are joined by matching side strake meshes, their colour giving a subtle contrast to the Tungsten Silver the rest of the coachwork is painted in.

And what coachwork it is; with mm-perfect shutlines and no dents or dinks, it looks like it’s been carved from a solid chunk of Tungsten. Still one of the most beautiful cars of the era, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was only a couple of years old.

The five-spoke alloy wheels have a slightly lighter silver finish than the body. Grey painted brake calipers peek out from behind, an understated touch compared to the more usual red.

The 20-inch wheels are, as you’d expect, fitted with a matching set of good Michelin Pilot Sport tyres in 245/35ZR20 on the front and a huge 295/30ZR20 on the rear. These Michelins are widely recommended as providing better grip for road use than the factory standard tyres. The vendor has also fitted Aston Martin locking wheel nuts.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The Bi-Xenon headlamps are in great shape, as are the rest of the lamp lenses, the windscreen and the badges. The numberplates feature the supplying dealer’s name too, which is another reassuring touch.

Its condition is good news for everyone except inveterate tinkerers who’re going to struggle to find anything to keep them occupied other than to keep an eye on the tiny chip in the glass of the rear screen and, perhaps, get a new set of centre caps for the wheels after you’ve had the few small scrapes on the rims sorted out.

The interior is a froth of decadence with that unusual Cream Truffle hide interior being joined by a Tailors Grey Alcantara headlining, satin metal accents and controls, and Piano Black fascia trim. It’s a stunning combination that takes an old recipe and turns it into something new and exciting.

As you’d expect given its curation and only limited use, everything in the cabin is still in a very good condition and the lighter colour leather – it’s more usually black – lightens the cabin to a remarkable degree.

The front seats are flawless and almost unmarked, only the very gentlest of creases showing they’re teenagers rather than toddlers. The rear seats are, as is usually the case with a DB9, in an even better condition.

The headlining, carpets, door cards, dashboard, instruments and controls, and the leather gaiters and trim are all excellent.

Condition aside, it’s got all the toys including a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors, Powerfold door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror with memory function to match the seats, and the delightful alloy flappy paddles for the gearbox.

The 700W Aston Martin premium audio system includes Bluetooth telephone preparation and a sat-nav system and the boot is as clean and well-presented as the rest of the car. Home to the warning triangle, tool kit, and the comedy genius escape handle, it needs nothing other than continued careful hoovering.

As for flaws, there are a couple of minor scuffs on the offside sill plate but that’s about all we can spot that might disturb your equilibrium.

Last month, the vendor had the instrument binnacle trim reupholstered in new nappa leather, due to slight shrinkage.

The DB9 features three-stage adaptive damping in addition to the V12 engine and automatic gearbox. Thus equipped, it’ll take you from Silverstone to your Swiss chalet without you, or it, breaking sweat.

Plenty of smiles though because, as you can hear, the six-litre V12 engine shatters into life and then spends its time snarling and spitting and growling.

It’s a wonderfully visceral noise and at least 50% of the reason you should have one in your life. 

(The chassis is the other, which means the way it looks is little more than a very welcome bonus. Can you imagine having so much talent that being this gorgeous is irrelevant?) 

And, while we’re on the subject of the car’s looks, the engine bay and underside look terrific. Obviously.

NB: The seller also remarked on how everyone seems to love an Aston Martin, falling over themselves to let you out of junctions and even filming it when they get the chance. This is in stark contrast to the reaction he’s had while driving some other comparable marques…

The car's first keeper was Harwoods, the Chichester Aston Martin dealer. They used it as a demonstrator - hence why it is fully spec'ed and in the most visually attractive colour combination. 

The Aston’s service and maintenance regimen is as fulsome as you could hope for:

• 01.07.2014 – pre-delivery inspection by Harwoods of Chichester
• 07.06.2016 and 4,079 miles – service by Harwoods of Chichester
• 17.05.2017 and 5,974 miles – service by Aston Martin Chichester
• 12.05.2018 and 11,144 miles – service by Aston Martin Mayfair
• 30.05.2019 and 11,620 miles – service by Aston Martin Mayfair
• 13.07.2020 and 11,779 miles – service by Aston Martin Mayfair
• 10.07.2021 and 12,450 miles – service by Bamford Rose
• 14.07.2022 and 13,270 miles – service by Bamford Rose

It also had a repair to a TPMS sensor in 2020 along with a set of Michelin tyres. A new battery was fitted in February 2022.

During the last service Mike Beake, the co-founder of independent experts Bamford Rose and a man who’s seen more than his fair share of Aston Martins over the years, told the seller that his car is “minted!”

Although last serviced only 200 miles ago, due to time elapsed it is due a service now, so please allow for that when you set your bidding limit.

The DB9’s MoT certificate is valid until July 2024 and it probably won’t surprise you to hear that it was issued, like so many before, with no advisories. In fact, the only advisory points that have ever been raised have been for its tyres.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

The DB9 is every inch the modern Aston Martin. Beautifully built and utterly gorgeous, its cutting-edge engineering and uber-modern design is wrapped around one of the best engines in the business.

And yet, for all its many attractions its price remains stubbornly constant, something that surely can’t continue for much longer. This is, after all, a hand-built British coupé with a V12 under the bonnet and supercar performance…

Which makes the £50,000 and £70,000 we think this one will fetch astonishing value - but as it’s being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid…

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.