I did the math and figured if I kept and drove one for a decade that I'd make $100k disappear, and decided it was well worth it.


Anybody worrying about the resale value of their cars probably isn't driving and enjoying them enough.

 

Couldn't disagree more...but ok

 

That 993 is beautiful.......ouch!

 

That I can make 100k disappear? Or you're not driving and enjoying your car enough?


I'd never say anybody should or shouldn't be concerned about the value of their toys. But if I was going to buy something I thought had a chance of appreciating it wouldn't have been a Vantage. It's not like AM's aren't bringing big money, if you have the right car. But what always brings the most is cars with the lowest miles, the most desirable options, and the most originality [or they only made 12]. Right now modern AM's are in a heavy depreciation. Thankfully, I got to buy mine for 1/2 sticker with 5700 miles [I still paid too much]. And it's not like I love that it's still depreciating heavily, but I knew it was going to because I'm going to put miles on it. I bought it because like somebody already said, I think it's the most beautiful car since the E Type and I just couldn't stand not being able to drive one any longer.


Now, if I had a car corral with 23 exotics and my modern AM's just weren't performing as an investment, then consider it's possibly just untapped potential and someday the market will wake up, like they have with a lot of marques. Or, buy a Birdcage or a 4 cam and hope you're not in at the height of a bubble. If you have 23 cars you're not putting many miles on any of them and still get to enjoy them all. But I only have 1, the only one I want to have. And it gives me much pleasure everytime I have to drive anywhere.


But I do get it. I've been making jokes about it to friends. Like, At my current depreciation rate, I used to drive to BK on Whopper Wednesdays for my $2.34 Whopper. But if you do the math and figure depreciation is around 80 cents/mile right now, that I'm getting 12 mpg [and it's a 12 mile round], it basically ends up costing me $15 for my $2.34 Whopper. I have a Wendy's around the corner, I now do a single cheese instead

 

Interestingly they both have about 630 miles.
However not done intentially.
First spring ride tomorrow.
Pics of my Volcano red Vantage are in the For Sale section of the forum.
I came to my senses and turned down a few offers.
It will be a keeper

 

on the plus side ,,
price drop made it possible for my dream. to own a vantage, i didnt have 100,000$$$$
of dollars to burn ,so for me the average middle class joe it was perfect timing to jump in at $50k canadian for my 07 v8v

 

Great thread,

I always dreamed of owning a AM. Like a lot of young people, of course I liked the F cars, L cars and the one off exotics. I had the fortune of a friend owning a 80's something Contach and after looking at it closely i realized the build quality appeared to be crap. spiderwebbing in many places, cheap looking interior (yes leather but done Italian style and minimally) and i said only a new type one for me. Then started to see the DB9's mostly online. I have only seen 3 in person, ie....not at dealerships. A DBS in Va, and 2x in Tampa. Really thought they looked special. Vantages started to see them about once a month and felt that they blended in with traffic rather than standing out. I did want something special.

I tossed the idea between the Vantage and the DB9 but always felt the Vantage looked to plain or short. I still like them though. I had only driven a DB9 once, and Vantage about 5 times. I decided after about 6x months of play talking with Speedracer800 that his 05' rare 6-speed DB9 in black was the car I wanted. (Criteria---Onyx Black (had to have the metallic version), obsidian interior, white/silver stitching). Well I only learned by the Book we all read, that the 6-speed manual were not offered until 2006. So that made this 05' very special but looking down the road I realized that if I changed anything on the car, I needed to keep it as OEM as possible in order to maintain value.

So have made my changes and additions and kept my OE parts. Now---- I don't want to mileage it up and ruin potential value either, but i do want to drive it, and love doing that. It helps i am in the Middle East a year at a time, that keeps the mileage to about 2k a year. It has 31k on it now.

I enjoy it so much, I have contemplated getting another exotic just to play with mileage between them. But need a DD also when I return. So here are my thoughts---

R8-- an 08' with 6-speed manual will likely retain more value than the auto version, white seems to hold more value also for some reason. But, could pick it up likely in a year around 60k or so and drive the crap out of that and keep the DB9 pristine.

Then thought why not grab a 20k mile Vantage around 08-09 and then drive that and mileage it up not worrying about investment money.


So those two right now are my thoughts about how to solve the enjoyment factor for me, which should allow me to drive but not wear out my DB9

 

Today my 2015 Vantage reaches a milestone - over 10,000 miles on it! I really hate to see it roll over but then again, you only live once and not driving it is also a waste. Just like miles on an Aston color also dictates resale value, a reason why I specifically searched for the green GT with a grey interior. I figure about 4,000 to 6,000 miles a year. If I can afford it and actually like the 18' vantage I'll begin again, if not I decided to just enjoy it.

 

Last month. It was sad to see that 5th digit, but it's also liberating. It's no longer super low miles and now they can just add on.

 

Good choice on both your cars. Is your R-8 the last year it was available with a stick? If so it will be worth more down the road. I think it is the same for our cars. Has more manufactures drop manual transmissions from their product line up, a few years down the line people realize what they're missing. Look at Ferrari. When the F1 trans came out, every one wanted one. Now that the gated shifter is a thing of the past, the manual Ferrai's are worth more when compared with the same model with the F 1 trans.
Ron

 

We're already there, manual AM's are always at a premium over the SS, and if the cars ever did take off in value absolutely the sticks are going to be at the top. The problem is the big money is always for the lowest mileage.

 

My 2015 R8 is likely one of the last built with a manual transmission.
It is my understanding that Aston will offer a manual transmission in the next generation Vantage.
IMO the younger generations not only have less interest in specialty cars but few can even operate a manual.

 

An astute British gentleman once said:

"Having an Aston in the driveway and not driving it is like having Keira Knightley in your bed and sleeping on the couch.

 

Yup
One of the biggest ferrari guy in the world said this
"Not putting miles on your Ferrari is like not having sex with your girlfriend so she'll be more desirable to her next boyfriend."
Jim Glickenhaus

In my 15 months of owing my scud I have driven 2500 miles while the car had 5000 miles in its first 8 yrs of life.