2007 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Navigation 6-speed on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Why you should run out and buy a vintage Aston Martin Lagonda right now

Aston Martin has a reputation for crafting some of the world's finest luxury GTs, and with a little help from James Bond, it has also become a quintessential British brand. While the company's models are known for combining speed and luxury, they certainly aren't recognized for being inexpensive. However, there might be a way to get the Aston badge and potentially make a little extra money if you ever decide to divest. Bloomberg suggests looking outside the mainstream by taking a closer look at the original wedge-shaped Lagonda (above). First shown in the mid '70s, the Lagonda looks like nothing else on the road before or since. Early models feature pop-up headlights and styling so sharp the sedan appears to be slicing through the air, even while sitting still. Later revisions softened the design slightly, and even Aston Martin's modern reinterpretation (inset) doesn't go as far as its predecessor. The interior is what really makes the Lagonda famous (or infamous), though. With instruments displayed on LEDs or CRT screens, depending on model, it's like the science fiction in there. Power is provided by a 5.3-liter V8 quoted at around 280 horsepower, according to Aston Martin. Unfortunately, the Lagonda's avant-garde styling and reputation for unreliability hasn't garnered much love for the super saloon over the years. Aston Martin only made 645 of them by the time production ended in 1989. The tide appears to be turning, though, and the sedan's value is rising strongly. According to Bloomberg, citing Hagerty, prices currently average about $44,000, up 61 percent since 2010, and the later, somewhat more reliable examples are up 85 percent. Perhaps those values are soaring because those lining up for the new Lagonda (a.k.a. Taraf) are looking for a historical counterpart to display alongside their next car. Head over to Bloomberg to get the full story on why it might be time to reconsider these once unloved four-door Astons.

Miami real estate investor selling world's largest collection of Bond cars

In 2011 Miami real estate investor Michael Dezer bought dozens of cars used in the James Bond films from the Bond Museum in Keswick, England. Since then, he's added to the trove which now stands at 59 cars, as well as motorcycles, boats, jetskis, tanks and thousands of photos, posters and memorabilia. It is the largest collection of 007 cars in the world, and Dezer has put it up for sale for 20 million pounds ($33.25M US) - the caveat is that you have to buy the entire collection. But what a collection it is. Among the six Aston Martins are the DB5 from Goldeneye, the Vanquish from Die Another Day and both V8s from The Living Daylights. There is also the Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me - not the Esprit submarine that Elon Musk bought last year at auction, but the pre-dive roadgoing car. The new owner of the collection will keep things up to date with the Audi A5 and the Land Rover Defender 110 from the opening scene of Skyfall, and properly varied with the dragon tank from Dr. No, the Fairey Huntress yacht in From Russia with Love, and the chopped-in-half Renault 11 from A View to a Kill. An agency in the UK is handling the sale. We will now leave you to handle the money transfer from your people in Liechtenstein. News Source: London Express via Driven Auto News Celebrities TV/Movies Aston Martin Lotus lotus esprit

Jay Leno drives James Bond's new Aston Martin DB10

With only ten examples made exclusively for use in the latest James Bond movie, the Aston Martin DB10 is exceedingly rare. So we counted ourselves as fortunate to have seen one up close at Pebble Beach this past summer, and another on a recent visit to the UK. But Jay Leno has done one better. For the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage, the former talk show host and consummate car collector had Aston's design chief Marek Reichman stop by with one of the DB10s built for the filming of Spectre, which will hit theaters in just a few weeks. Reichman and company actually let the denim-clad celebrity drive the thing on the open roads around his warehouse. That's something that only a few people (namely Daniel Craig and his stunt doubles) usually get to do. Fortunately, Leno being the world-class showman that he is, he and his crew caught the whole experience on video, and you can see the results in the sixteen-minute installment above. Of course this isn't the first Aston that Leno has had by the garage and driven. Nor is it even the rarest, for that matter, having previously hosted the one-of-a-kind CC100 speedster concept almost exactly two years ago. But as far as harbingers of things to come, the DB10 will likely go down in history as a turning point for the company, which is on the verge of launching a whole new lineup based on new architecture and components and with a new design language previewed by the vehicle you see here. Related Video: