Aston Martin Sportsman (1997)

Best known for the iconic chosen drive of James Bond, Aston Martin have since been synonymous with luxury lifestyle and bespoke options. Having dipped a toe into the multi-function vehicle on several occasions previously, it was arguably the creation of the DB5 Shooting Brake for David Brown in 1965 that cemented Aston Martin’s ability to deliver on a client’s every request. Such was demand in the factory in the mid-1960s that David Brown subcontracted subsequent conversions to renowned coachbuilders Radford at the time.

The supercharged Vantage offered owners a huge bump in performance over the preceding Virage. Power rose to 550bhp & 550lbft of torque earning it the accolade of the most powerful production engine in the world, it also received the largest production brakes to be fitted to a road car.

Please note, this vehicle is no longer for sale.

As early as 1992, Aston Martin had debuted the 3-door Virage Shooting Brake at Geneva, and would build about 5 or 6 cars in total ahead of 6, 5-door Virage shooting brakes in 1994.

This V8 ‘Sportsman’ Shooting Brake was commissioned as one half of a pair in 1996 by two Swiss brothers. Not content on sharing a bespoke car, but happy enough with the specification, two near-identical examples were built by Aston Martin Works over a 15- month period between September 1996 and December 1997. Both cars were non-metallic British Racing Green, with matching dark green leather interior. Both cars were supplied in left-hand drive and this example was first registered in the UK in December 1997, although received its first service in Switzerland shortly after.

In 2000, this example was purchased by the most recent owner. A prominent French businessman, the car was stored in Paris and used occasionally for 23 years ahead of repatriation to the UK by DK Engineering in 2023. Marking an exceptional chapter for Aston Martin and remarkably in vogue in 2023, this V8 Sportsman has recently been rehomed by DK Engineering.