2004 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S - Ex Top Gear

Highlights

• Aston Martin press car present at the global Vanquish S launch at the 2004 Paris Motor Show
• Featured on Top Gear and driven by Jeremy Clarkson and the Stig
• Gearbox replaced under Aston Martin Warranty
• Excellent Toro Red paint with only minor age related marks
• Extensive service history with main dealers and well known Aston Martin Specialists
• Car comes with Top Gear memorabilia including an official Top Gear branded boxed and unopened model complete with a figure of the Stig with this very car
• This actual car is still featured on Aston Martin’s website

Overview

The updated version of the Vanquish in which Pierce Brosnan died another day, the Vanquish S was released in 2004 with brake horsepower bumped up to 520, and an official top speed of 200 mph. And to test this, Fifth Gear decided to send Vicky Butler-Henderson hurtling down a runway in one — this actual car, to be precise. She didn’t quite hit the 200 mph mark before running out of tarmac.

The car on sale here was also sent to Top Gear, where it was reviewed by Jeremy Clarkson with the assistance of Steve Coogan before setting a very respectable lap time in the hands of the Stig - the footage is still available online. So this Vanquish S certainly has a few stories to tell. Not that you’d notice: it looks extremely fresh inside and out considering that it’s now twenty years old. The styling has weathered the intervening decades without looking dated, and even the two-tone leather interior remains fabulous.

A large lever-arch file accompanies the car, containing its extensive service history and while in the current owner’s hands, the car has been looked after by perhaps the foremost V12 Vanquish expert in the country who also attests to the car’s remarkable condition in an online video. As it was the Aston Martin press car its early service history isn’t stamped into the booklet, but there are service invoices on file file and book stamps at main dealers from when the car was just 18 months old. There are plenty of condition reports recorded over the years, and it has clearly been well maintained even including a replacement automated manual gearbox being fitted under warranty in 2012.

When it was first released, the Vanquish S was an extremely desirable performance car, and this particular example reminds us of that fact. And it shows that the car’s appeal has not diminished since. With its beautifully not-grey paintwork, and gently mellowed leather interior both add to its appeal. As well as the list of well known personalities who are known to have driven this very car.

History and documentation

• Registered 1 Jul 2004
• Initially serviced by the Aston Martin press garage, without stamps in the service book but instead with post-it notes included (apparently not uncommon for a press car)
• Stamped service book, duplicate book, and additional invoices, with services as follows: Jan 2006 @ 12,053 miles, Feb 2007 @ 17,083 miles, Sep 2007 @ 19,071 miles, Jun 2008 @ 20,291 miles, Jan 2011 @ 33838 miles, Feb 2012 @ 37,164 miles, Oct 2013 @ 41,085 miles, Nov 2014 @ 42,458 miles, Mar 2015 @ 41,533 miles, Jun 2016 @ 43,044 miles, Sep 2017 @ 43,461 miles, Sep 2018 @ 43,915 miles, Dec 2020 @ 44,071 miles Aug 2022 @ 44,949 miles, Oct 2023 @ 46,487 miles
• Extensive collection of invoices, the most recent ones being from an Aston Specialist whose founder was part of the original V12 Vanquish engineering team when at Aston Martin
• Screen grabs of the car featured in a BBC Top Gear segment with Jeremy Clarkson, Steve Coogan and the Stig — Series 5, Episode 4, first aired 14 Nov 2004, still available online
• Two keys with remote fobs
• Current MOT with no advisories expires 18 Jun 2025
• No MOT advisories recorded in the car’s entire online MOT history
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear
• Non-transferable registration mark
• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Two-tone leather upholstery in Chancellor Red and Obsidian Black, with colour-matched stitching
• The leather remains in excellent condition throughout
• The seller tells us that the leather has been regularly treated with leather cream
• Even the driver’s seat shows only light signs of use
• 2+2 seating gives space for two small rear passengers
• Heated front seats
• Black footwell mats finished with Chancellor Red leather trim
• The red and black leather upholstery continues onto the door cards
• Steering wheel free from buttons and switches
• The air conditioning was serviced in Oct 2020
• Leather trimmed dashboard and centre console
• Centrally mounted analogue clock
• The instruments are bold and attractive
• Original Aston Martin stereo
• Linn subwoofer mounted in the boot, a factory option
• CD/cassette player with phone connection
• Black headlining clean and tidy
• Spacious, fully carpeted boot to the rear
• CD changer
• Original umbrella still stored in the bootlid

Exterior

• The sleek, elegant lines of this Vanquish S still look good 20 years after it was built
• Toro Red paint — a rare and attractive colour choice
• The paint remains in good shape throughout, with a few small stone chips and two very small areas of oxidation reported: on the bottom corner of a door, and the rear edge of the roof
• Titan ceramic coating professionally applied in Aug 2022 at a cost of £1,200
• Two very small areas of oxidisation reported: on the bottom corner of a door, and the rear edge of the roof
• Overall, the paint is excellent for its age
• A small dent was removed without affecting the paint and is undetectable
• Nearside front wing received some paint work at renowned Aston Martin specialist in 2010
• Correct V12 Vanquish S 19-inch, 11-spoke alloy wheels
• All four tyres were replaced in Apr 2021
• Matching set of Yokohama tyres, said to retain around 4.9mm of tread
• The wheels are very presentable, with a few small blemishes, not kerbed
• Automatic headlights — the lenses remain clear and bright
• Heated front and rear windscreens
• Rear parking sensors
• Some of the suspension components have previously been repainted
• Comes with an Aston Martin branded fitted indoor and a high-quality outdoor car cover for occasional use

Mechanical

• 5,935 cc V12 engine
• Produces 520 bhp
• Top speed 200 mph — as almost achieved by Vicky Butler-Henderson in this car
• Automated manual transmission
• Rear-wheel drive
• Engine bay extremely clean bearing engine number 00009 showing this to be a very early build
• Carbon fibre cross brace proudly on show
• Excellent service history, with plenty of invoices on file
• Gearbox replaced in Apr 2012
• Radiator replaced in Nov 2014
• Four-wheel alignment carried out in Sep 2018
• Rear suspension arms replaced in Apr 2021
• Front anti-roll bar drop link arms replaced in Aug 2022
• The seller reports that they are not aware of any significant mechanical issues or items requiring replacement now
• A few very minor items to monitor were noted at the last service, such as: air box rubber beginning to crack, screenwash cap perishing, damper springs surface corrosion, slight oil leak from engine sump area (though the seller notes no oil is visible on his garage floor) - - none were advised as needing immediate attention
• A video made during the same service by the specialist, commenting on the exemplary condition of the car, is available including the quote “this is the best classic Vanquish that we see”
• A brand new battery was fitted in March 2024
• The exhaust note ‘sounds like the Gods are angry and chasing you down’

Summary

The Vanquish S turned up the wick on the original Vanquish to great effect, which is why reviewers were keen to get their hands on one when it was launched.

With its fascinating early history as a television star, this Vanquish S has certainly led an exciting life. And despite this, it remains in excellent condition throughout, thanks to careful owners who have looked after its every need. In all, it’s an extremely desirable example.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Stourbridge in the West Midlands.