Aston Martin DB9 - Surprisingly Affordable

A decade has not diminished the dB9’s visual impact but it has made the earliest examples surprisingly affordable.

Can it really be so long since Frankfurt 2003, when the world first gazed with longing at the DB9? is it really a decade since we were told that it would be called DB9 because it was such a huge leap on from the big-selling (by Aston standards) DB7? and have so many months gone by since Ian Callum (who penned the DB7 and conceptualized the DB9) and Henrik Fisker (who took over from Callum) created a car so utterly and perfectly Astonesque in its styling?

Of course, the DB9 has evolved and improved during that period. the 2+2 Coupé was joined by the convertible Volante, and then the more powerful, hardcore DBs and the short lived Virage (somewhere between the two); there was even a class-winning le Mans racer. But so right was the original car that Aston Martin has only just launched a new version, with a claimed 70% new body parts.

Aston Martin DB9

Even so, line them up side by side and you’ll barely detect any difference, which makes an early DB9 – a pukka, Ferrari-threatening GT, with a 450bhp v12, 186mph top speed and a body so beautiful they couldn’t improve it – one of the great bargains of the moment. Just don’t buy one without reading this first…

Market view

The DB9 is easily the most numerous Aston Martin in history, with around 12,000 produced (plus around 1000 Virages and 2500 of the DBs) and production split slightly in favor of the Coupé. therefore, instantly, the Volante carries something of a premium: ‘of potentially $7,500,’ says Paul spires, general sales manager at Aston Martin Works, ‘although that difference expands and contracts according to the time of year. The Volante also tends to become a second car far more quickly than the Coupé, so that value separation will continue as the cars get older.’

Condition, color and maintenance history have far more impact on value than the year in which a car was built, although the more recent the car, the more advantage you’ll take of the model’s evolution. that said, there is a sweet spot in terms of coupé values around $60,000-67,500, with $52,500 the starting price for a well-maintained early car in a sensible color combination, chancier prospects begin around $45,000, and $75,000 buys one of the better 2004-2007 cars with 40,000 miles or less on the clock.

While the DB9 is ubiquitous by Aston standards, production tailed off after the economic downturn of 2008 so newer examples are rarer, especially in right-hand drive.

While the DB9 is ubiquitous by Aston standards, production tailed off after the economic downturn of 2008 so newer examples are rarer, especially in right-hand drive. around $135,000 is the upper end for a low-mileage 2012 coupé; $150,000 for a Virage coupé and $172,500 for a Virage Volante.

The DBs starts at $112,500 but was a much more expensive car than the dB9 when new. late, low-mileage examples command $200,000.

In a nut shell

‘The DB9 was a huge step forward from the DB7,’ says Spires. ‘Aston Martin took the bold step to produce a unique platform for the car. it continues to be a very robust model.’ the DB9 also moved away from the component wear of the DB7 [which was based on the cheaper, much less powerful Jaguar XJ-S], so service intervals increased from six months to 12. Yet no matter how much less onerous that servicing is, it remains key to any DB9 you will buy.

‘Pick one up with a “winged” service history and you may find all you have to do is keep that history going,’ says Simon Clark, workshop manager at Aston Works. the converse is also true. ‘if it hasn’t been cherished, you could be looking at new brakes, tires – you can be in it for a lot of money.’

‘The DB9 was a huge step forward from the DB7,’ says Spires.

Dealer stamps in the service book should include corrosion checks as well as the mechanical work but, as the dB9 is alloy-bodied on a tub of extruded and bonded aluminum with carbon fiber, this isn’t a ‘check for rusty wheel arches’ kind of buying guide. Avoid cars that have obviously careless owners; while the odd stone chip is forgivable, that ‘sweet spot’ budget should find you an otherwise immaculate example.

If possible, inspect a potential purchase on a ramp so you can check the quality of the automatic gearbox’s oil-cooler pipes. if they leak, they cost around $3750 to replace, but if the gearbox has run on a low level of oil the damage could be far worse.

The engine is hardwearing but won’t put up with neglect. ‘during my time with Aston Martin we have only had to replace a V12 once, and that was because of poor maintenance,’ says Clark. Worst-case scenario means a remanufactured engine, starting around $24,000, plus fitting.

Worst-case scenario means a remanufactured engine, starting around $24,000, plus fitting.

So these aren’t cheap cars, yet servicing costs are more high-performance BMW than Ferrari. You’ll pay $1,570 for an interim service at Aston Works, with those in-between varying from $1,800 at 30,000 miles to $2,137 at 60,000 – plus the $2,884 biggie at 105,000. Brakes (front pads $799, $1,278 including discs; $693/$1,272 at the rear) and correct AML-branded Bridgestone tires ($450-600 per corner) are at a similar level.

Beware wheel damage. While a kerned rim might mean $1,200 for a new wheel, it may hide damage to the suspension alignment that, at worst, could involve replacing the upper and lower arms and bushes then resetting the geometry. all-in? ‘Best part of $1500,’ says Clark – plus that wheel, of course.

The interior is robust, and any carelessness will manifest itself in excessive trim wear. Volantes are equally hard-wearing – ‘We’ve had to adjust the odd hood when there’ s been wind noise,’ says Clark and both types of transmission are tough enough to cope with that v12 torque. Most cars feature the manually controlled Touchmatic auto box; only 5% of dB9s were built with a manual gearbox. if you find a hard-driven one and the clutch is slipping, expect to pay $5,400 to repair a pre-2008 model year car; $4,200 after that.

‘If a seller has nothing to hide, get it inspected. If A Problem is found, you could use that to negotiate the price,’ says Clark. a road test with engineer’ s report costs $450 from Works service.

The interior is robust, and any carelessness will manifest itself in excessive trim wear.

Conclusion

Bear in mind that the DB9 cost $159,000 when it came out, and that a new one is $198,000 today, and $60,000 for a low-mileage example with proper history seems reasonable. running costs are less horrific than those of an equivalent Ferrari and, while this is easily the most numerous Aston Martin there’ s ever been, it’s still exclusive. Buy one now and you’ll enjoy the usability of a modern car with the potential collectability of its Newport Pagnell forebears and none of the pain of an imminent restoration.

Buy one now and you’ll enjoy the usability of a modern car with the potential collectability of its Newport Pagnell forebears and none of the pain of an imminent restoration.