Used car buying guide: Aston Martin V8

If it isn’t quite butch enough, however, in 1977 Aston Martin launched the V8 Vantage, complete with revised ports, larger carbs, new cam timing and other tuning tweaks that resulted in a claimed 40% hike in power and raised torque by 10%. 

Aston didn’t go in for publishing figures, but wise men put the output somewhere around 390bhp. Performance was upped, said Aston, to 0-62mph in 5.3sec and a top speed of 170mph - figures that made it one of the fastest cars of its day. 

Visually, it was disguised by a blanked-off grille, a deep glass fibre air dam and a ducktail rear spoiler. The suspension was stiffened and the wheels and tyres were suitably upgraded, as were the brakes, and indeed the price. 

If the standard V8 could be intimidating, this bespoilered beauty was definitely not one for the faint-hearted. Driving it requires effort, especially the steering, braking and changing gear, and even the turning circle was a massive 43ft.

This was, though, for those who wanted it, the full British Bulldog. The ultimate hairy-chested, flag-waving ‘70s supercar.

What we said then 

6 September 1973: “Full appreciation comes only when the car is used for a substantial Continental journey; then its unobtrusive way of covering the ground at great speed can be enjoyed to the full. Around town, it tends to feel very bulky, and the high noise level in low-speed acceleration is a bit irksome. As a piece of engineering from a small firm with limited resources, it has to be admired and the change from fuel injection to carburettors seems to have worthwhile improvements.”

An owner’s view

John Foreman: “I bought my red 1974 V8 when it was a couple of years old from an Aston dealer. I noticed the initials RM had been forged onto the car’s ashtray and centre console and found out subsequently that the first owner had been Robert Maxwell, the newspaper tycoon. My car ran perfectly, although I was careful not to put a huge mileage on it. It was always serviced by my local Aston dealer, which cost rather a lot. 

“I loved driving the car, though. The rumble from the V8 was addictive. I used it occasionally for commuting from Kent up to my office in central London. In time, once I’d retired, its fuel economy and servicing costs meant it had to go. I’ve regretted selling it ever since.”

Buyer beware

Body: You need to take a good look below the sill covers, which can easily be removed, to check on the structural integrity of the car. Most V8s of this age will already have had some work done here, so check the previous history. You should look at the sills, floors, the lower parts of the A- and B-posts, bulkhead, boot floor and door inner shells. The aluminium panels corrode where they meet the steel, especially if there’s no barrier membrane: inspect all around the lower/inner edges and look for filler. 

Engine: The V8 is a strong engine known, with regular maintenance, to make high mileages. The engine can do 150,000 miles between rebuilds. Most failures are from lack of use and neglect. Scrutinise the paperwork history for sound maintenance and any repairs. Listen for untoward noises and check oil pressure. A rebuild is very costly. 

Transmission: The ZF manuals are expensive to rebuild. Beware clutch slip and noisy layshaft bearings. Don’t expect the rare ZF five-speed gearbox to have a slick change: it never did, and the synchromesh could be beaten even when new. That said, beware of synchros that crunch even with care. The Chrysler Torqueflite automatics are not so bad and can rack up huge mileages with very little trouble. Some may have been updated by now anyway. 

Interior: A hand-crafted wood and leather cabin can be recreated, but at a price. Earlier plastic mouldings, bespoke instruments and switchgear can be more difficult to find. Any tears in the leather or other trim will be expensive to set right.

Also worth knowing

The car has an impressive on-screen CV. A six-cylinder DBS appeared in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, driven by George Lazenby, and the same car had a cameo part in the following film, Diamonds Are Forever. 

A DBS was also used for the TV series The Persuaders!. Roger Moore’s character, Lord Brett Sinclair, drove a Bahama Yellow six-cylinder DBS, which through the use of alloy wheels and different badges had been made to look like a DBS V8.