Generally speaking, the more money you have to invest, the more you're likely to make, so in simple terms, the best investments are often the biggest. However, no matter much you shell out, whether it's £50,000, £200,000 or £400,000 plus, you can be confident of seeing a good return.
Any classic model Aston Martin is a great investment.
Few people have invested in an Aston Martin and regretted it. A classic Aston Martin, that is. Buy a brand-new or year-old model and you're sure to lose money, as with most new cars. When we talk about ‘classic' we mean cars from the 1950s through to the 1990s and while some may need restoration, they're still very desirable, and always will be.
A £25,000 - £50,000 Investment
DB7's are starting to become classics so this is a great place to start. If £25k is at the high end of your budget, we recommend you look for an i6 saloon in good condition or a DB7 Vantage. If £50,000 is your maximum, you could do very nicely with a Volante. A budget somewhere in the middle ground (say £40k-ish) could find you a 1970's-80's V8 restoration project, if you're lucky, and if a project's what you're looking for.
A £50,000 - £100,000 Investment
How much bang can you get for your buck when parting with that kind of money? Well, you'd definitely be looking at a 1970's V8, albeit one that needs a bit of work done. For example, ten years ago you could've bought a roadworthy V8 needing work for about £12,000, today that same eight-cylinder car would easily be a £70,000-£80,000 vehicle. You should still pick one up for less than that though; again, this would most likely be a restoration job.
We think a 1970's V8 is a perfect car if you're looking to invest in this range.
We need to say this, even if it does sound harsh. If you're set on a DB5 you'll be struggling. Fifteen years ago a DB5 would have cost you around £55,000. These days you'd need to find at least £600,000. Not a bad investment!
That said, we think a 1970's V8 is a perfect car if you're looking to invest in this range. If you hit the jackpot and manage to find one that's been properly serviced and with low mileage, we'd say it's the best car you can find for your money.
A £200,000 Investment
If you're a buyer with around £200k to spend, which classic models would be in your market? First of all, it's important to remember that an older car doesn't have to be in excellent condition to be a great investment. As long as you've got one, and make the sensible decision to keep it professionally looked after by an Aston Martin specialist, you're virtually certain to see a significant increase in its value in the years to come. As we mentioned earlier, there are few classic Aston Martins you can buy that will lose you money.
When shopping around, definitely consider a DB6, which evolved from the popular DB4 and DB5 in 1965. At £200,000 you might pick one up as a restoration project. However, these are as rare as hen's teeth! If you get lucky and find one it's unlikely you could take it for a spin whenever you fancied. But, you could buy a DBS six-cylinder which is really a lovely car – an unquestionably classic vehicle made in '68 up to '72. Or you could go for an AM Vantage, which was a later version of the DBS six cylinder with a V8-type front.
You could buy a DBS six-cylinder which is really a lovely car.
Cultivated collectors should scout around for a 1980 or ‘81 V8 Vantage, or an injection V8 with twin headlamps. We think they're such striking cars. Legendary even! £200,000 might buy you one, but beware, although you purchased it as an investment, you'll probably fall in love with it! Your only ‘problem' then will be having to part with it when it's time to cash in, never fall in love with an investment!
A £400,000 Investment
£400,000. At almost half a million, can you really find a classic Aston Martin and make money on it later? Absolutely.
We'll start by saying that oddly enough, the model you get for this amount might not be in great condition. The reason for this is you're now into Aston Martin DB4, 5 and 6 territory. The DB series was named honouring Sir David Brown, owner of Aston Martin from 1947 to 1972. £400,000 might get you a fabulous DB5, a renowned British luxury grand tourer, but, again, don't expect top quality.
A DB5 of this ilk would certainly be a restoration project. How about a much-coveted DB4 or an equally sought-after DB6 instead? The DB4's are worth a bit more than a 6, and there's a series of them. As an added bonus, the DB4 series 5 looks identical to the Bond DB5 and for many this just increases their desirability! To summarise, £400k would get you a decent DB4 or very nice DB6 Mk1 but not a DB6 Mk2. The Mk2 has similar values to DB5.
A DB5 of this ilk would certainly be a restoration project.
Still not sold on the DB models? Perhaps you should look at spending your £400,000 on a flagship performer, a 1988 V8 Vantage X Pack – the ultimate in V8 Vantage saloons. You may get one for that sort of money. We'd advise not hanging around though; at this point in time, prices are on a steady move upwards.
A £600,000 - £700,000 Investment
First of all, we have to hold up the celebrated DB5. What a mouth-watering motoring masterpiece that is! You'll be looking at more than £400,000 for one of these. This investment was definitely worth it to one investor though; a DB5 that we restored sold at auction last month for £860k!
At £600k to £800k you can start looking at convertibles. A gorgeous Aston Martin DB6 convertible perhaps? This is the kind of vehicle to put you in mind of cruising gently curving country roads on sunny August afternoons! If you're opting for a convertible, and you would rather it was a really nice DB5 or DB4 it could take a miracle to get your hands on one - even in this price range. However, still within reach of this sum is a DB6 convertible (aka a DB6 Volante). A real jewel of a car and well worth the investment.
Pre-Purchase Advice?
From an investment point of view an Aston Martin is undoubtedly a good bet. Obviously, anticipating what the market's going to do is always tricky, but classic Aston Martins do tend to increase in value over time. If you do have your eye on a particular car, it might be worth asking an Aston Martin specialist for a pre-purchase and inspection report to get their advice on your potential purchase.
Looking After Your Investment
The truth is, whether it's to drive and enjoy or to keep solely as a garaged investment, you must make sure your Aston Martin is well maintained. Once the excitement of finding the car and making the purchase is over, don't think “that's that”. It's not the action of a savvy owner. You've made an expensive purchase; keep it in tip-top condition. Our most important piece of advice? Store your car in a heated or dehumidified garage and never, ever ignore anything that needs attention (whether that's regular servicing or more extensive repairs). Making the effort will absolutely pay off.
Remember if it's a car you want to use immediately buy the best available in your price range.
