Classic Aston Martins are complicated beasts. So many suffered mechanical failure and neglect in period that picking a good pre-owned example can be tricky. Condition varies wildly, matching-numbers cars are few and far between, and many Aston Martin aficionados will tell you that having all the original (often unreliable & inferior) parts is not a pre-requisite when buying a good car. Most will agree, however, that restoring an Aston Martin can be very expensive and that only the very best cars command the very best prices – and buyers do want the best.

The trouble is, it’s all too easy for the uninitiated to mistake a well photographed, shiny Aston Martin in an auction catalogue for one of the best when it isn’t.

Aston Martin values have fared well over the last few years and better than most marques in the last 12 months, not least because they were built in genuinely low numbers and many succumbed to neglect, leaving a clear division between the best and the rest. The challenge for Bonhams – or any auction house for that matter- is to find the best and bring them to market at a price which they are likely to sell. Bringing fair-to-middling cars to market with over-optimistic reserves carries its own risks – buyers are now aware of the potential costs of restoring or “recommissioning” cars so will pay accordingly. This brings us to the second risk – the corresponding drop in average sold values, sell-through rates and all manner of other auction KPIs makes great fodder for the classic car content creators, who serve no master but headlines and can punish sellers, buyers and classic car values alike.

When all the stars align and everything is just so with a car, then expect a great result. For cars with scant history, long periods in storage and average provenance this is no longer the case. The result at Bonhams seemed a fair reflection of the market – a number of the cars available at the auction could tick at least one of the above boxes.

Those in the know at the auction agreed that the there was very little of genuine interest to tempt the trade or indeed the committed Aston Martin collector. In the face of a dwindling pool of the most exciting stock, Bonhams put on a good show but it seems inconceivable that in the near future any auction house will be able to assemble 40+ Astons of a price and quality that proves to be irresistible to buyers. Has the balance of power swung back to favour the specialist dealers?

Cars of note

1996 ASTON MARTIN V8 SPORTSMAN ESTATE CAR – Sold for £337,500 inc. premium

2007 ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH S 2+2 COUPÉ . One owner, FAMSH, 6,500 miles. Estimate £150,000 – 180,000. NO SALE

2000 ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE LE MANS COUPÉ. No V600 conversion, 4000 miles.  Sold for £309,500 inc. premium.

1989 ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE VOLANTE ‘X-PACK’ 7.0-LITRE. Auto to manual conversion + LHD to RHD conversion. Sold for £387,900 inc. premium.

1953 ASTON MARTIN DB2 DROPHEAD COUPÉ Sold for £180,700 inc. premium

1964 ASTON MARTIN DB5 SPORTS SALOON Sold for £561,500 inc. premium

Results:

2016 results

Full Bonhams Aston Martin Sale 2017 results and heatmap

Images courtesy of Bonhams/ Aston Martin