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Star car sets world record at Aston Martin auction

16 June, 2014

 


Recently we told you about Roger Moore’s The Persuaders! Aston Martin going up for auction. Well, that very car has set a world record for a DBS sold at auction selling for £533,500 (approx. NZ$1,050,000).

It’s the 15th year of Bonhams’ annual auction and the Bonhams Aston Martin Works sale totalled £8.7 million (more than NZ$17 million). Over 100 lots of collectible automobilia were sold, alongside 50 vehicles which was the largest number Bonhams have ever had at the Aston Martin sale.

The world-record-setting 1970 Aston Martin DBS starred in the British television series The Persuaders! where it featured prominently in all of the show’s 24 episodes. During the auction it held pride of place at the front of the auction hall and attracted huge amounts of interest from fans of the television series as well as Aston Martin enthusiasts. The car itself was specially modified for its role in the show making itself known as the ‘third star’ behind co-stars Roger Moore and Tony Curtis.

One unexpected high-earner was the factory Vantage prototype ‘DP217’ 1963 Aston Martin DB5 project. It sold for four times its highest estimate with the gavel coming down on £393,500 (approx. NZ$775,000) and being received by plenty of applause from the room.

Bonhams Group Motoring Director James Knight said: “The sale has been one of surprise and delight. From selling a DB5 Sports Saloon project at four times its estimate, to setting world records with ‘star’ car, The Persuaders! Aston Martin DBS.

“As ever, in its 15th year the Aston Martin Works sale has been truly tremendous. After 15 years of running this sale we still continue to enjoy our very special partnership with Aston Martin, working collectively to deliver the right results for the brand and our clients.”

General Sales Manager at Aston Martin Works, Paul Spires, said: “The Bonhams auction weekend has once again more than lived up to expectations. The uniquely sociable ‘garden party’ atmosphere certainly seems to have helped some of the 2500 or so people who joined us here at Newport Pagnell take the plunge. With many exceptional sports cars sold, and bids coming in from right around the world, it’s clear that Bonhams’ Aston Martin Sale is, more than ever, a key fixture of the classic car world.”

Ford’s Mustang – the endlessly hip American dream machine

28 May, 2026

Fifty or so years ago, the only place in New Zealand to see a Ford Mustang was on the racetrack. In a local market severely constrained by a lack of new motor vehicles, the new North American Ford was a dreamy icon boosted by considerable motorsport success.
Import licences for cars were limited, and if Kiwis travelled abroad, the amount of currency they could take with them was restricted. What’s more, those funds could not be used to buy a car for importation back home. Yet it was OK to spend the money on heavy drinking at a London pub, Gucci shoes, sable fur coats, and excessive stays at the Hôtel Martinez at Cannes in France.
However, any rare Mustang that landed on our shores would not be destined to pose around Auckland’s then trendy Queen Street on a Friday night but would more likely be found in the care of well-known racing drivers on the starting grid at local motor racing tracks.

Chrysler’s classy cruiser

22 May, 2026

I first saw our feature car, a 1970 V8-powered Regal 770 hardtop, towing a trailer carrying the tidy Ford Anglia classic racing saloon in Broadspeed racing colours that has featured in these pages. The coupe is comparatively rare here, which means anyone contemplating purchasing one of these big two-doors is sure to see prices continue to climb. The latter Charger has claimed much of the Aussie Chrysler limelight, but the simpler and classier lines of this car, which appeared dated soon after its introduction, now have a more timeless appeal.
Former owner, Balclutha motor engineer, Mike Verdoner, remembers the car well. He believes it came from Dunedin originally.
“I’m not sure about the car’s history, but I bought it off its owner at Kaitangata. Unusually, it was advertised in the local newspaper, the Clutha Leader, which was a surprise as these usually go for a lot more money on the internet. I had it for quite a few years. It needed a little bit of work to tidy it up, so I had to decide whether to spend the money on it to do it up, which could have been twenty grand. Its value at the time was not like it is now, so I sold it to Ewan. It’s probably now worth three or four times what I sold it for.”