Aston Martin DB7 buying guide

The six-cylinder car came first, with 335 hp from the supercharged 3.2-litre. It came with a Getrag five-speed manual or a GM four-speed automatic. Of 1,578 six-cylinder coupes built, Car Collector International says only 529 had the manual. Auto Express and Prestige & Performance Car both say a six is far cheaper to run than any V12 and easier to work on at home.

In 1999 the V12 Vantage replaced the six. It came with a Tremec six-speed manual or a ZF five-speed Touchtronic automatic. Car Collector International rates the six-speed manual V12 as the best of the range, and Auto Express says buyers want manual cars because the automatic is slow.

The GT and GTA arrived in 2002. The GT has 435 bhp and a six-speed manual. The GTA has the Touchtronic and 420 bhp, since the automatic could not take 435 bhp, and Car Collector International rates it less desirable than the GT. It also warns that a standard Touchtronic Vantage can be dressed up as a GTA, so only the build sheet proves it. Rarer variants include the Zagato (99 built, 440 bhp) and the Zagato-bodied DB AR1 Volante (99 made, most for the US).

Series 2 cars from 1996 gained airbags, more comfortable seats, softer damping and stronger brakes and headlights. Wings, bootlid and bonnet were composite until 1997, when a steel bonnet arrived. Our pages for the DB7 Coupe and DB7 Volante show every one for sale, and the used DB7 listings cover both.

The faults split by engine, with rust the shared worry.

V12 overheating

Classics World says the V12 tends to suffer from hoses that collapse and a thermostat in the radiator that fails, and either one makes it overheat. The V12 also needs OAT coolant, because standard antifreeze reacts and leaves a gunge that damages the cooling system.

V12 tick

The V12 tick comes from oval bores, piston slap and knocking little ends. Prestige & Performance Car says there is no cure and a rebuild is costly.

Six-cylinder timing chains

Timing-chain tensioners can fail on the six, and rattling from the chains means they need replacing immediately. Engine and gearbox oil coolers can also leak on this engine.

Cracked exhaust manifolds

Exhaust manifolds on the six-cylinder cars can crack. Three of the sources we read mention it.

Floorpan and body rot

Floorpans are widely known as a rot trap. Six-cylinder cars are better rustproofed than V12s, which can corrode in the rear wheelarches and chassis legs.

Volante hood frame wear

On the Volante, the rubber covers on the hood irons can come adrift. The frame then wears holes in the roof.

Air-con evaporator

Evaporator failure is expensive because the dashboard has to come out to reach it.

Touchtronic gearbox

The automatic is slow, and the GTA's Touchtronic could not cope with the GT's power. A rebuild has its own price, listed below.

Auto Express gives the official interval as every 7,500 miles or six months, and calls the 30,000-mile service on sixes and the 45,000-mile service on V12s expensive. It puts an air-con compressor at £2,800 and a windscreen at upwards of £1,800 (UK figures).

Drive-My says the six's dual-mass clutch cannot be bought, so you need a new flywheel and clutch kit at a minimum of £2700 plus fitting. Car Collector International puts a Touchtronic rebuild at $5,000 to $9,000.

Drive-My and Prestige & Performance Car both say cheap DB7s are often neglected and may cost more to fix than a well-kept car.

Buy a six-speed manual V12 Vantage if you want the version Car Collector International rates, or a six-cylinder car if running costs and home maintenance matter more. Skip a GTA unless you want the automatic, and verify the build sheet.

Check the DB7 price guide for context, then insist on a thorough service history, an underbody inspection and a specialist pre-purchase check. A cheap, neglected car is the one most likely to cost you more than a good one, and a V12 with the wrong coolant in it needs its cooling system examined before you pay.