When you’re in love with Aston Martins like we are, questions about how good an investment they represent can seem to be missing the point a bit. That’s because, once you’ve felt the thrill of slipping behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB7, turning the key and hearing that engine come to life, then the idea of actually selling the car to someone else will surely seem like heresy? That’s the romantic view, of course, but we’ve been in this business long enough to know that people weigh up the pros and cons of buying an Aston Martin in terms of cold hard cash as much as stylish lines and timeless, classic design. That’s why we’re ready and willing to ponder the investment value of a DB7.
Market Value
One of the aspects which makes the Aston Martin DB7 such a good investment in the current market is the fact that prices for these cars appear to have gone as low as they’re going to go. It is possible to pick up a car which has seen much better days for around 15 to 16 thousand pounds, but prices really don’t drop any lower than that. At the other end of the scale, for those cars which are still in good condition, the prices have actually started to creep up. This upward pressure is doubtless helped by the fact that older Aston Martin DB7s, from around 1994-95, boast a classic and stylish aesthetic which puts newer models or versions a little bit in the shade.
Quality Engineering
So there’s the look of the Aston Martin DB7 to take into account, as well as the general state of the market, but none of this would matter if the rest of the car wasn’t so incredibly well put together. Whether you’re looking at the engines, the gearbox or the suspension, you’re looking at cars that were built to last and can still perform today. This quality goes across the board as well; you don’t get so many people looking to invest in an Aston Martin DB7 who insist they want, for example, a Vantage or the original, 6-cylinder version - because they’re all equally well put together and, to be honest, the prices are now pretty similar.
When someone does express a preference for one or the other, it will usually be because of a few perceived benefits offered by the Vantage. The first of these is that the Vantage offers greater power and, with taller wheels and lower profile tyres it’s perhaps a bit more ‘modern’ in appearance. Counting against this is the fact that the interior is perhaps more plastic-feeling and less classic than the i6 which, for some people – including us – is a little off-putting. From our point of view, the ideal combination would be the timeless style of an i6 body with a Vantage V12 engine fitted, but even we’re willing to admit that’s probably asking a bit too much (although it would be a great investment).
Vantage or i6
In all seriousness, the truth of the matter is that the Vantage engine isn’t hugely different from the i6, the main differences being that it sounds better and offers a bit more spark. At the same time, the early i6’s offer a visual appeal that’s hard to beat. We know a lot of people prefer them, in those terms, to the more modern DB7. When you put it all together and weigh up the differences between models and eras, it’s safe to say that investing in Aston Martin DB7s offers something for everyone. Put simply, it’s a very good car which has reached the bottom of its value range and is now beginning to edge up in terms of price.
Given the comparisons often made between the two cars it can seem odd to realise that the i6 and the first Vantages were running alongside each other for a while. Both cars are available as convertibles as well, and the value is pretty much the same, which is to say that it’s linked more to condition and mileage than to whether a car is a convertible or not.
Extras
One of the aspects which sets the Aston Martin DB7 apart, and makes it more of a car for the purist, as it were, is the relative lack of luxury extras you’ll find inside. Compared to the likes of the Mercedes and BMWs that were being produced at the same time, the Aston Martin DB7 definitely brought up the rear in terms of gadgetry and what you might call ‘toys’. They had memory seats, air conditioning and cruise control, as well as electronically operated hoods on the convertibles, but not a lot of the more gimmicky touches which other car manufacturers felt the need to add. The sat-nav, for example, left something to be desired. The early i6s didn’t have sat nav at all, and in the Vantage, it was located in the radio. What we would say, however, is that instead of bells, whistles and novelty items, what you get when you invest in an Aston Martin DB7 is the name and everything that goes with it. That name, the style and the history it reflects is something that’s always going to be worth investing in.
