Aston Martin DB7

This modern classic is probably one of cheapest routes into Aston Martin ownership – and it’s got plenty of service history

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

This DB7 has all the basics of a well sorted, straight car. The steering is quick and has plenty of feel, while the 3.2 straight six pulls well and idles nicely. The automatic gearbox goes up and down all of its gears with no issues, and kickdown works. The only issues are worn brake discs, which hampered the car’s stopping power, a creak from the suspension at lower speeds from the front offside and a potential cooling issue, with the needle creeping away from the halfway marker during idling and low speeds. The vendor told us that the car will be mechanically worked through to have its niggles sorted once it finds a new home, so the new owner doesn’t have to contend with the DB7’s glitches personally.

BODYWORK CHECK

DB7s often suffer from rot behind their plastic side skirts, and while this example was no exception the previous owner has already remedied it. Last September the car had more than £3000’s worth of structural welding work completed, meaning this Aston’s structure shouldn’t have any serious issues. It’s very well presented, and looks more like it has covered just 20,000 miles rather than 100,000. The paintwork is excellent, with only a scuff to the nearside corner of the front bumper spoiling things. All the panels line up perfectly.

HOW’S THE INTERIOR?

After 20 years and 100,000 miles of use you’d expect to see signs of wear and tear, but we struggled to find any at all. There’s some mild UV-induced fading to the wood trim on the dashboard and a scuff on the glovebox, but that’s it. The seats, carpets and roof lining are in lovely condition, and all of the buttons are present and correct. Nothing rattles or squeaks. The air conditioning has a strange fault of turning off and re-starting at random, but again, the vendor says this will be rectified once sold.

UNDER THE BONNET

The engine is spotlessly clean. All the fluids are filled to the correct level and there’s not a wire or lead out of place. The radiator and all of the cooling hoses are in good condition, and we couldn’t find any signs of leaking.

OUR VERDICT

It might have some issues, but with Arun Ltd promising to sort these out, this car looks like a bargain. DB7s probably won’t get much cheaper than this, and with most Aston Martins proving solid investments, it’s only a matter of time before prices rise. So if your pockets are deep enough to run it, we say go for it. But go in with your eyes open.