Aston Martin V12 Vantage | PH Auction Block

If recent output is anything to go by – think of cars like the Valiant and Valour – then the manual, V12 sports car still has a future in Aston Martin’s product plan. It’s hard to argue with the business case: CEO Adrian Hallmark wants more variants, and the world’s high-end collectors can’t seem to get enough of special editions with a third pedal. Talk about win-win. 

The days of six speeds and 12 cylinders in the ‘regular’ Aston Martins, however, are probably done. The demand simply doesn’t exist; look at how many turbo V8 manuals sold, and how many plumped for the Sportshift when the V12 Vantage S arrived. Make it manual only and expensive enough to require air-conditioned storage and the queue is around the block; give people the option at a price that isn’t stratospheric and they’ll go for the auto. Because it’s easier to live with if you’re actually using the car on a regular basis. So the manual isn’t offered. 

All of which means something like an original V12 Vantage looks more tempting than ever. Because 15 years ago, a manual-only Vantage derivative made sense at £100,000 or so, and nowadays it means all the thrill and engagement of the layout without a ludicrous premium attached. In 2025, Aston’s latest supercar, the Valhalla, has attracted some criticism for not sounding all that special; that’s hardly going to be an issue with a naturally aspirated V12 and a Bamford Rose exhaust…

It’s now almost 18 years since the Vantage RS Concept was first shown; a tremendously exciting concept it was, too, combining the beautiful styling of the Vantage with the prodigious firepower of the 5.9-litre engine. That excitement reached fever pitch with wild test drives of the prototype, but surely Aston Martin wouldn’t – it was simply too crazy an idea, the V12 Vantage, to make production. 

Yet it did. And it was awesome. Perhaps a little too raw and uncompromising for some tastes, though that feels as much praise as criticism when seeking out a memorable modern classic these days. The V12 Vantage S that followed a few years later definitely ironed out a few flaws, though plenty of those are two-pedal. And that’s a very different prospect, particularly as an automated manual. 

This is one of those glorious originals, as stunning today as it was when this Vantage shape first emerged 20 years ago. This 2010 three-owner car is being sold via PH Auctions, and the bidding kicks off today. So it could be yours in little more than a week, with hopefully the last of summer still to enjoy. 

Certainly it will want for nothing, with just 13,000 miles under those distinctive wheels, a service just a few months (and a few hundred miles) ago, plus a fresh set of Pirelli P Zeros. Money has certainly been kept on keeping the V12 in good order, including underbody Waxoyl and paint protection. All Vantages look fabulous, this one especially so. 

Of course, the interior will look a bit dated against Aston’s latest layouts, but the driving experience ought to be classic in the very best way. While Aston Martin does still make V12 manuals a bit like they used to, they’re now much rarer and even more expensive. Here’s a chance to bag the most exotic of mechanical layouts for ten of thousands – rather than millions. Sounds like a great deal…