As an auto enthusiast who “came of age” in the early 2000s, I’ve always loved cars from that period. Great leaps were made in safety, production quality, performance and technology in that era—yet the experience was still an analog one. This is especially true when compared to cars today, which are laden with nanny systems, complex drivetrains and distractions. The 60s are considered the golden era for classic cars and I believe the 2000s will be seen the same way by a new generation of enthusiasts. One car I absolutely love from this new “golden era” is the Aston Martin DB9, and the state of the DB9 market is the focus of today’s Market Monday post.

Launched in the US at the 2004 Los Angeles Auto show, the Aston Martin DB9 was styled and designed by Ian Callum and was built at Aston Martin’s new Gaydon factory. Powered by a 450hp 5.9-liter V12, the DB9 sprinted to 60mph in 4.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 186 miles per hour.

The DB9 was built on Aston’s new vertical/horizontal platform, which refers to a flexible architecture designed to support multiple models. Featuring an aluminum and composite body over a bonded aluminum structure, the DB9 was twice as rigid as the DB7 and much lighter. The suspension consists of forged aluminum control arms and coil springs all around with front and rear anti-roll bars.

Featuring the iconic multi-slate Aston Martin grill, side air intakes, swan doors, beautifully integrated headlights, sculpted taillights and luxurious interior, the sleek DB9 clearly echoes Astons of the past in a timeless design that still looks good today. Part of that longevity could be that the overall shape of the car remained mostly unchanged for its ten-year production run.

Motoring press of the time praised the DB9’s balance and responsiveness, somehow simultaneously delivering flat cornering with a comfortable ride. Braking is handled by 14-inch front and 13-inch rear ventilated discs that provide plenty of stopping power. Eschewing complexities like ceramic brakes, active damping and other technologies, the performance of the car belies its primitiveness.

Some of that impressive handling is no doubt due to its 50/50 weight distribution, aided by the front-middle engine placement and long wheelbase. Extensive use of lightweight materials, such as a magnesium-framed door, help keep the weight down on this big grand tourer.

The DB9 was available in both coupe and convertible forms from its debut, and initially only offered a ZF paddle-shifted automatic. From 2005, the car could be ordered with a 6-speed manual. Approximately 5% of DB9s were optioned this way, making them quite rare. 

Additional variants, including the exciting DBS model debuted in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, were released over the years. The entire line was lightly refreshed in 2010 and then again in 2013 after the one-year-only Virage was dropped from the lineup. Performance changes were similarly introduced over the years, culminating with the DB9 GT in 2016.

The DB9 was built in two primary generations designated VH1 and VH2, relating to the vertical/horizontal platform mentioned earlier. The difference in value between the generations is starkly different. VH2 cars generally regarded as more attractive and more refined—prices reflect this, though it’s worth noting the VH2 was not offered with a manual transmission. The DBS is an exclusive variant of the DB9 featuring aesthetic and performance improvements, also available in manual and automatic versions and is the most pricey variant—though the final-year DB9 GT gives it a run for its money.

Diving a little deeper in the chart below, you can clearly how each model stacks up in terms of value. The DBS Coupe with a manual transmission is the most desirable variant from this generation and all DBSs are more valuable than DB9 models. The Vanquish, not listed here as my focus is more on VH1 models, would fall just below the DBS.

Interestingly, the drop-top versions of the VH1 and VH2 DB9 are worth more than their coupe variants. The exception to this rule is the performance-focused DBS, where it flips. Being limited in production, the 6-speed DB9s are more desirable and bring much higher prices than the automatics.

Before I try to answer the question posed in the title, it’s interesting to compare the value trend between the James Bond-connected DBS and the DB9. The chart below reflects the average price of all DB9s against all DBS variants over the last three years.

While it’s not dramatic, it’s clear to see that DBS prices are softening while DB9 prices are slowly rising by comparison. While much of the collector car market is focused on how the market overall is performing—even highlighting which individual cars have seen the most losses—there are a number of positive stories out there that buck the trend. It would seem the DB9 is one of those.

It’s important to note that the manual version of the DB9 seems to be the only variant seeing increases in value, as can be seen in the chart above. The first generation of the DB9 with the paddle-shift automatic is slightly up or flat over the same period. Even three-pedal DBS cars are down in the current market. There’s no guarantee this is a sustaining trend or more than just a random spike. Past performance is no indicator of future results, but it could be a leading indicator of a shift in interest among the buying public.

The headline of this post asks whether the DB9 is poised to rise. With Aston Martin getting recognition by the ever increasing popularity of Formula 1, Lawrence Stroll’s commitment to the brand winning the World Championship, and the high entry cost of present-day Astons, I believe the demand potential is there. Additionally, I think enthusiasts who were young admirers of these cars when they were new and unaffordable (The DB9 had a starting price of around $150,000 20 years ago) are starting to consider adding one to their garage.

While Aston Martin continues to struggle a bit financially, it did post quarterly earnings showing a fall in year-over-year pre-tax losses. Less bad news is kind of good news for such a consistently beleaguered brand during a period of economic uncertainty.

If you desire a DB9 and the budget allows, seek out and find the newest and best-condition manual transmission car you can. As a normally-aspirated V12, three-pedal, beautiful and usable grand tourer it checks a lot of boxes for petrol-heads and collectors. Obviously the automatic is a more budget-friendly alternative, but I don’t see the automatic transmission price penalty going away any time soon.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisals, and auction services for buyers and sellers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring an overseas car, give us a call or drop a line!