Buyers like the Aston Martin DB9 because it’s seen as a proper Aston. The Top Gear Cool Wall effect has helped, too. It’s seen as a rival to the Bentley Continental GT and GTC, with a similar token rear seat arrangement (although there’s less space here).
Buyers tend to be a bit more traditional ‘Aston Martin’ than V8 Vantage buyers. They’re less likely to be early adopters, seeking the latest thing, and so generally keep the cars longer. Apart from the early launch cars, which were resold at a premium, there’s less churn, and fewer owner changes recorded in the logbook early on.
The DB9 buyer is also more enthusiastic as it is a less approachable prospect than the V8 Vantage. The V12 engine intimidates some buyers who fear service costs could be much higher. The reality doesn’t bear this out, but it still puts some off. Although early buyers swapped out of Porsches and Mercedes-Benz, early DB9s were unable to live up to the Teutonic ideal. They were not entirely trouble free, while some of the switchgear was fiddly. It was very hard, for example, to work the onboard telephone. It took them until the 2008 model year to replace the heater controls with larger, clearer ones.
It comes in Coupe and Volante open top form. The price and perception gap between Coupe and Aston Martin DB9 Volante is not as large as some think. Certainly, sellers don’t mark up any difference in some cases ‘ I reckon the Volante is worth around 2,000 more for older cars, but the higher mileages they’ve covered has to be considered here. You must be careful with colors. As a rule of thumb, you’re safe with anything silver, grey or black. This is due to the James Bond connotations. Green, which you’d think would be a dead cert, is actually something of a double-edged sword. Aston do a lovely pale silver-green, which suits the car well. However, while it’s traditionally British for some people, others are influenced by superstition.
Very bright colors, such as yellow, are more of a European thing, but they’re not uncommon in big cities. Even so, I’d be careful here.
Moving inside, early imported cars are sometimes identified by a Cognaccoloured interior. This being a color scheme that is popular in Europe, and thus recommended as a ‘must have’ by EU dealers. Trouble is, this is not the case in the UK. It’s only recently that we’ve seen this interior gain any sort of interest. For me, it works best with sober colors, such as dark blue. Also, a number of cars were specced up with a red or burgundy interior. These colors do work with black, silver or grey exteriors, but are less popular, and will therefore cause a car to be less desirable.
In 2005, piano black wood veneer became available. When combined with black leather and silver exterior, this instantly made it more of a younger man’s car widening the DB9’s appeal (older buyers who still wanted to feel young were drawn to such models). Compare such a car to, say, a blue model, with magnolia leather, and a traditional wood interior. The ‘net’ of prospective buyers is much more restricted there.
Looking to options, for cars up to three years old, you can expect to pay 30 percent of the original cost for sensible ones. Other options such as upgraded wheels and parking sensors, heated seats, audio are worth about 20 percent of new cost. After that, the value declines. And, as for more personal options such as bespoke leather, you really shouldn’t be paying much extra at all. The seller may think they’re worth a lot extra, but the market doesn’t.
Demand for new DB9s is limited, but the market for used models is much stronger. What will a new 500bhp Jaguar XKR gives for not much more? It is the brand and the beauty that will ensure that the Aston Martin DB9 has ongoing massive appeal in the used market. We at Clive Sutton offer a wide range of new and used Aston Martin cars for sale. We deal across the UK and can look after your Aston Martin car buying or selling requirements wherever you are located.
