Photo: classic-motor-cars.co.uk
It might seem unthinkable for a man to abandon a rare and pristine 1971 Aston Martin DBS after just eight years of ownership and to have it rot away in a barn for over four decades. Yet it happened. Worry not, the story has a happy ending.
A real treasure was uncovered in a barn in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, in England, when the brother of a man who had died recently came across his former car. It was a 1971 Aston Martin DBS, one of 120 ever made, among the last to leave the Newport Pagnell Factory, and it was in less than stellar condition.
Apparently, for whatever reason, the man locked away the car sometime in 1979 (or maybe even sooner) and never moved it again. His brother only came across it when he came over to settle certain estate issues.
The car is now being restored at Classic Motor Cars (CMC) in Bridgnorth, the same shop that’s handling the restoration of the one-off Aston Martin Bulldog, aka the Aston Martin that should have landed the marque the title of world’s fastest production car. Despite decades of neglect and of being brought in infested with moth and mice, the car is actually in decent condition, Nigel Woodward, Managing Director at CMC, says.
“It is in remarkable condition with just 61,892 miles [99,605 km] on the clock which is believed to be correct,” Woodward says on the official website. “We are carrying out a sympathetic restoration on the car which retains its original Bosch mechanical fuel injection, and its original colors, DuBonnet Rosso with a White Gold interior.”
Every part on the car is original, which is another indicator that the late owner didn’t take it out that much. Remarkably, the paint only needed a good deep cleaning (twice, because it was that dirty) and a polish. Woodward believes that being locked in a dry, well-ventilated environment (aka the barn) helped with maintaining the car in decent condition over such an extended period.
The restoration of the V8 DBS isn’t the only good news here: a buyer has already shown up. He prefers to remain anonymous and he won’t talk about how much money he paid for it, but buzz online has it that it could be worth £170,000 ($222,283) once restoration is complete. He does say this, though: there’s no way the DBS is going back in a barn or garage to keep.
“Acquiring an unmolested and complete example of the DBS V8 is very exciting, and once expertly restored by CMC, will be cherished, enjoyed and driven,” the new owner says. “I am looking forward to taking it out on the road for the first time for over 40 years.”
Apparently, for whatever reason, the man locked away the car sometime in 1979 (or maybe even sooner) and never moved it again. His brother only came across it when he came over to settle certain estate issues.
The car is now being restored at Classic Motor Cars (CMC) in Bridgnorth, the same shop that’s handling the restoration of the one-off Aston Martin Bulldog, aka the Aston Martin that should have landed the marque the title of world’s fastest production car. Despite decades of neglect and of being brought in infested with moth and mice, the car is actually in decent condition, Nigel Woodward, Managing Director at CMC, says.
“It is in remarkable condition with just 61,892 miles [99,605 km] on the clock which is believed to be correct,” Woodward says on the official website. “We are carrying out a sympathetic restoration on the car which retains its original Bosch mechanical fuel injection, and its original colors, DuBonnet Rosso with a White Gold interior.”
Every part on the car is original, which is another indicator that the late owner didn’t take it out that much. Remarkably, the paint only needed a good deep cleaning (twice, because it was that dirty) and a polish. Woodward believes that being locked in a dry, well-ventilated environment (aka the barn) helped with maintaining the car in decent condition over such an extended period.
The restoration of the V8 DBS isn’t the only good news here: a buyer has already shown up. He prefers to remain anonymous and he won’t talk about how much money he paid for it, but buzz online has it that it could be worth £170,000 ($222,283) once restoration is complete. He does say this, though: there’s no way the DBS is going back in a barn or garage to keep.
“Acquiring an unmolested and complete example of the DBS V8 is very exciting, and once expertly restored by CMC, will be cherished, enjoyed and driven,” the new owner says. “I am looking forward to taking it out on the road for the first time for over 40 years.”
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