﹒Serviced at the same dealership since new

﹒Classy silver over black combination

﹒Tyres replaced only 1000 miles ago

The Vanquish of 2001 brought Aston Martin kicking and screaming into the new millennium, but the modern-day Aston came of age with the DB9 revealed in 2003. It was the Vanquish that debuted the firm’s sharp new styling direction, clearly related to the DB7 of the 1990s but with crisper lines and more pronounced haunches. The DB9 though marked the debut of the aluminium VH platform, giving us cars like 2005’s V8 Vantage, 2007’s DBS and 2010’s four-door Rapide.

So it was significant then, but the DB9 was also truly beautiful. More elegant than the Vanquish, its Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker styling paired elegant proportions with restrained detailing, while inside too it had a class that its DB7 predecessor couldn’t have hoped to match, with bespoke components replacing the old Ford-sourced switchgear.

Power came from a 5.9-litre AM11 V12, producing 450bhp and 420lb ft of torque at launch, with gradual developments over the years liberating greater outputs, the final DB9 GT iteration in 2015 making 540bhp and 457lb ft. That cultured V12 howl was the main selling point though, conducted by either a six-speed manual or a six-speed ZF automatic.

This particular DB9 was originally supplied by Stratstone in Cardiff on the 6th April 2007. It was specified in the classic combination of Titanium Silver paintwork with black leather interior trim, and equipped with the automatic gearbox. Since 2007 it has been serviced by the supplying dealership, with the most recent service around 900 miles ago.

The current owner acquired the car around two and a half years ago, but now fancies a change, hence the car now being offered for sale. The seller replaced the original registration plate with the number currently on the car; D9 DWO, but the car will be supplied with the original registration, CN07 CZG, which explains why there are 2 reg numbers in the gallery!

There is a folder of paperwork supplied with the car, including the DB9’s service book with stamps from its history at Stratstone in Cardiff. The most recent service was recorded at 67,404 miles in October 2016, with photographs showing previous service stamps at around 1100 miles, 11k, 17k, 27k, 38k, and 53k miles.

There are also several old MOT certificates with the car (though of course this information can be checked online using the car’s current registration number), as well as invoices for work undertaken by Stratstone, and the V5 registration certificate.

When new the DB9’s interior was a marked step up from that of the Vanquish that heralded this period in Aston Martin’s design, and after more than 68,000 miles it appears to have held up very well. From the photographs the black leather trim that covers nearly every interior surface seems to be in excellent condition, with only very minor age-related wear on the seat bases and bolsters and only a slight shine to the leather on the steering wheel.

Other interior trim panels over the dashboard, centre console and door cards all look to be in excellent shape, as do the carpets, which are protected by mats in both footwells. Unsurprisingly for a car marketed as a 2+2, the rear seats appear to have hardly ever, if ever been sat in, and are still as-new as a result.

From the detail images the distinctive instrument cluster with its contra-rotating speedometer and tachometer is also unmarked and minor switches seem to be in great shape. The piano black surfaces on the door cards and on top of the centre console have held up very well it seems, as has the matte finish below on the centre console. The boot too looks good, with a tyre inflation kit and unopened tow hook kit pictured.

In silver the DB9 really is a timeless shape, and surely remains one of the more beautiful ever to emerge from Aston Martin. As with the interior, the photographs show a car in very fine shape with no obvious blemishes. The seller reports that there are a few small age-related marks to the exterior, but that they’re very minor, and not picked up by the photographs.

One mark the camera does pick up is a scuff on one of the spokes on the front-right wheel, but otherwise the multi-spoke alloys appear to be in very good condition at all four corners. There’s little concern with the tyres either, having been replaced around 1000 miles ago, so there’s a full set of Bridgestone RE050A rubber on the car in the correct 235/40 ZR19 at the front and 275/35 ZR19 at the rear axle.

With a comprehensive service history there should be little concern with the 5.9-litre V12. The most recent service took place around 900 miles ago, though as this service was recorded in 2016 the buyer may wish to have the car serviced again soon to keep the car and service record fresh on age as well as mileage.

The MOT history looks good though, with no advisories against the car since the MOT carried out in May 2017 at around 67,600 miles, so the car should be in good mechanical shape underneath as well as visually. The seller reports that the car is excellent for its age, and drives superbly, just as a DB9 should.

This is an opportunity to own perhaps one of the great British grand tourers. As noted earlier the DB9 was a hugely significant car for the Aston Martin brand - while not a car without compromise, it felt like an indication of Aston Martin’s potential, something that would be further realised as models like the V8 Vantage, DBS and Rapide were eventually added to the lineup.

It hasn’t really aged, either. Place the DB9 next to its more aggressive successor, the DB11, and while the new car has more impact you’d be hard-pressed to call it more attractive. Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker really did get it right the first time around, and while later Astons are also quicker, the 5.9-litre V12 in the DB9 will always be a fine way to travel.


** The photos in this listing have been provided to us by the seller **