There’s an air of Noah’s Ark to The Aston Martin sale this year, an auction that’s been a staple of Bonhams’ British activities over the last 20 years. For 18 years, the sale was held at Aston Martin Works Service at Newport Pagnell, but last year it moved to Englefield House. 

For 2019, it’s followed the Aston Martin Owners’ Club Spring Concours to Wormsley Estate in High Wycombe. And while the catalogue for both automobilia and automobiles is slimmer than in previous years, there are still some very desirable cars offered, which, for the purposes of this preview, we’ve divided into thematic pairs. 

The definitive Aston Martin

Arguably the definitive Aston Martin and a car that’s on many a collector’s wish list, the DB5 is a veritable automotive icon. Bonhams is offering two DB5s on Sunday: a left-hand-drive ‘Fiesta Red’ example from 1963 (est. £625,000–700,000) and a Silver Birch car built a year later (£620,000–700,00). The latter has had just five owners, as verified by its comprehensive history file, though we’d likely opt to return it to its original shade of Aegean Blue. 

Centenary celebrations 

It’s not too late to join in the Zagato centenary celebrations, you know. The Milanese design house’s relationship with Aston Martin is its most enduring, and both the silver-over-burgundy 1986 V8 Vantage Zagato (£420,000–480,000) and the virtually brand new Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake (£625,000–750,000) embody its avant-garde philosophy. We’re not sure about the latter’s bronze accents, though its rarity – it’s the 68th of just 98 built – will no doubt render it very collectable in the future. 

X marks the spot 

Not one but two 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage X-Packs finished in Chichester Blue will cross the block on the Wormsley Estate this weekend: a Volante estimated at £300,000–350,000 and a spectacularly original, never-restored coupé that’s expected to chart £320,000–360,000. Both look to be fine examples of this ultra-desirable 1980s Aston. Aren’t they handsome?

Vivacious Virages

We’ve made no bones about our appreciation of the Aston Martin Virage – a charming and undervalued Grand Tourer we believe is long overdue a renaissance. There is a handful of intriguing examples offered by Bonhams this weekend, of which our favourite is either the British Racing Green 6.3-litre that’s had just three owners from new (£100,000–120,000) and the special 6.3-litre ‘Works Special’, whose first owner kept the car for 13 years (£150,000–180,000).

Bang for buck 

In terms of bargains, two cars stuck out over any of the others. We think the £60,000–80,000 estimate of the 2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, a two-owner example with less than 10,000 miles on the clock, is very reasonable indeed. At the lower end of the catalogue, it’s hard to argue with the £18,000–26,000 estimate for the six-cylinder DB7 Volante from 1998. 

Photos: Bonhams © 2019