For many Americans, the name Aston Martin - opens in new window or tab. triggers a vision of James Bond escaping bad guys, machine guns blazing. However, for much of the 1980s, Aston was selling boxy, outdated cars developed in previous decades.
Unfair comparisons to other sporty brands overlook Aston Martin’s long racing history at hallowed competitions like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And it wasn’t until the 1994 DB7 - opens in new window or tab., produced under Ford ownership, that Aston Martin was modernized. The sporty, Ian Callum - opens in new window or tab.-designed exterior would define the shape of Aston Martins for years to come.
The DB7 started a renaissance for the brand, resulting in successors like this Aston Martin DB9 Volante recently offered on eBay in Los Angeles, Calif. Even the Aston Martin models of today, some 30 years later, owe a debt to the DB7.
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Her Majesty’s Secretly Awesome Sports Car
Introduced in 2004, the DB9 - opens in new window or tab. picked up where the DB7 left off. It boasted an aluminum body, and the 5.9-liter V-12 from the Vanquish - opens in new window or tab. flagship was tuned for 450 horsepower.
Reviews praised the interior for its elegance. Some critics said the DB9’s chassis wasn’t as tight, and one could parse the pros and cons of each car, but there was no denying that the DB9 was a legitimate British rival to German Porsches and Italian Ferraris.
With a revival in its fortunes underway, Aston Martin returned to racing, using the DB9 as a foundation for its touring car racers built by Prodrive. The team won back-to-back class victories at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008.
The example for sale on eBay is said to have been on the mild West Coast its entire life. The racing DB9s were coupes, but this California car was optioned as a DB9 Volante—Aston Martin-speak for convertible—with a six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission.
There’s no GPS, which is a good thing, as the original unit would be outdated by now and never worked that well in the first place. Additional clues about its La-La Land lifestyle include aftermarket black wheels and a matte black wrap (said to be gloss black paint underneath).
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It’s impossible to drive a DB9 and not imagine you’re on your way to stop villains from hatching a world-destroying plot, even though an actual DB9 never starred in a 007 movie. One appeared briefly in Q’s lab in Spectre, and no secret agent would opt for a convertible (though it would make an ejector seat easier to use).
Nevertheless, the brand’s inseparable association with the famous spy will always be an icebreaker. When new, an Aston Martin DB9 Volante would have sold for over $150,000. The car listed, with 87,541 miles, can be had for $34,999, or about the price of a new compact crossover. Q wouldn’t be mad if you crash it at that price.
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