Classic Aston Martin DBS’s were in production from 1967 until 1972. The original DBS was an accidental 6-cylinder car, more on that later, joined in 1969 by its overdue sibling, the V8 version. There were 787 of these cars produced.
Prices Have Sky Rocketed
If you go back about fifteen years, you could buy a classic Aston Martin DBS for peanuts. Fast forward to the pre-Covid pandemic market, and a nice DBS would cost you north of £300,000.
Although the pandemic has taken its toll on the classic car market, a good Aston Martin DBS will still set you back a pretty penny. And prices are sure to rise again as we get back to normality.
So the short answer is, yes, a classic Aston Martin DBS, be it the 6-cylinder version or the V8, is definitely a good investment. But let’s take a look at why these cars were, not so very long ago, relatively cheap.
It’s a V8, No Wait, It’s a Straight 6
Aston Martin enthusiasts will be familiar with the somewhat convoluted story of how the classic DBS came into existence. The car was only ever intended to have Astons new V8 engine, which the DB6 could not accommodate. However, the body and chassis of the, at the time, more modern looking DBS was ready before the new V8 engine. Rather than delay the DBS, the decision was made to release it with the 4L straight-six engine that had served the DB5/6’s so well.
The 4L engine’s use is one reason DBS’s were relatively cheap only a few years ago. The reason for this? Well, the bottom line is they simply were not very fast cars, and you have to remember that Aston Martins were known as being quick at this time.
The later V8 version addressed this issue somewhat. Still, it’s fuel injection system, affectionately known as fuel infection because frankly, it was not very good and didn’t fully address the DBS’s reputation.
The original DBS had an output of 280 bhp, but this simply wasn’t enough to haul around the heavy body and chassis with the usual Aston Martin panache. Even with the Vantage option, which upped the engine’s output to 325 bhp, the DBS 6-cylinder car was lack-lustre.
When the V8 version finally arrived, it was only slightly quicker but did suffer from fuel injection issues which only served to further tarnish the cars’ poor public relations record.
If you fast forward to 2021, this aforementioned performance issue simply evaporates. Nobody today is buying a classic Aston Martin DBS expecting blistering performance. In other words, the Achilles heel that made these cars undesirable has simply gone away.
Restored To Better Than Original
So once you recognise that the lack of performance is no longer an issue and instead appreciate the classic lines of this gorgeous car, you can start to understand why the classic Aston Martin DBS presents an excellent investment opportunity, especially one that’s been restored. Yes, you read that right; we think the best DBS’s are ones that have been restored and here’s why.
The back story of how the DBS came into existence is a bit chaotic. Originally, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera was commissioned to design the replacement for the DB6, the DBS. Although Touring produced two DBS prototypes, they went out of business before they could complete the project.
To get the project over the line, British car designer Bill Towns was brought in, and the DBS we know and love was his design. Interestingly, the DBS was the last Aston project that was created under the control of David Brown.
In our view, in amongst all this chaos, the DBS went into production with some dubious internal finishing. Put another way, the exceptionally high and exacting standards of modern-day classic Aston Martin restorations means that a restored classic DBS compared to an original one is simply a much better car.
In fact, the original cars’ internal finishing has not stood the test of time at all well. If you’re lucky enough to find a vehicle in need of restoration, oh and by the way, we’ve got one for sale, then you’ll see for yourself just how shabby these cars look before people like us get our hands on them.
An Appreciating Asset To Enjoy
So if you want a classic Aston Martin that you can enjoy, that’s going to appreciate in value, and that looks simply fantastic, then a classic DBS has to be on your list.
As mentioned earlier, we’ve got a DBS restoration project for sale as a complete package including the restoration work. It’s a really special car, and all the details are available here. We’ve actually started the restoration project, but the car is still very much at a stage where whoever buys it can specify precisely how they would like it to be finished.
If this sounds of interest, give us a call, and we will tell you all about it.
