Record Bonhams Auction At Aston Martin Works Service

NEWPORT PAGNELL, UNITED KINGDOM - May 25, 2011: On Saturday 21st May, Aston Martin Works Service hosted its 12th and most successful yet Bonhams Auction of Aston Martin sports cars and related automobilia. Again showing the strength of Aston Martin’s brand and the continually growing demand for cars from throughout the marque’s 97-year history, the sale generated almost six million pounds from bidders from around the globe.

Since the beginning of this sale and relationship 12 years ago, Bonhams has sold more than £33 million worth of Aston Martins, Lagondas and related automobilia. The 2011 sale saw this theme continued with unprecedented results and only one of the 345 lots remaining unsold.

Among the lots sold at the auction were two of the original 70 DB4 Convertibles hand crafted at Aston Martins Newport Pagnell factory. The two cars, both built in 1963, differed slightly in specification but were presented in polar opposite form. The first was a beautifully restored and concours winning DB4 Convertible with the rare vantage engine (sold for £507,500) whilst the second was a complete and increasingly rare ‘barn-find’ Aston Martin DB4 Convertible which had lain in dry storage for over 30 years, selling for £309,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £80,000-140,000.

This year’s auction also saw a 2009 Aston Martin Rapide formally used by the company’s Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez, raise a sizeable contribution towards the company’s chosen cause of charities providing relief following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The Rapide was purchased by long–time Aston Martin enthusiast David Linley, a world renowned furniture designer, as he recognized the importance of this appeal.

Kingsley Riding-Felce, Director of Aston Martin Works Service and Parts Operations said: “This year’s Aston Martin auction, the twelfth in succession, has taken things to a new level. More than 2,000 people and numerous telephone bidders from around the world joined us at our workshops at Newport Pagnell on Saturday to take part in what has become such an important part of the Aston Martin calendar.”

“Our partners Bonhams had consigned a superb collection of Aston Martin and Lagondas along with a great variety of automobilia, all creating a real excitement in the marketplace and a set of results which surpassed expectations and reaffirmed the strength of the Aston Martin brand and its heritage.”

Other highlights of the auction were an extremely rare 1965 DB5 Vantage Shooting Brake selling for £430,500, a 1967 DBS Vantage restored by Works Service to the specification of the car used in James Bond’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service selling for £106,000 and a 1986 V8 Volante which had undergone similar treatment to Living Daylights specification selling for £172,000.

Dating back to the 1920s, Works Service has served as a factory-owned specialist with the experience, passion and culture to care for any post-war Aston Martin or Lagonda with exquisite skill and attention to detail. Customers from all over the world choose to have their Aston Martin serviced and cared for by Works Service who can offer services ranging from ground up restorations, to modifying and creating bespoke solutions to individual tastes.