Entering the Nineties, Aston Martin was riding high on a wave of James Bond, with Timothy Dalton having driven a Vantage V8 in The Living Daylights. However, the British automaker’s lineup was looking tired and they needed a fresh offering with a new styling direction. That came in the form of 1994’s DB7, a coupe and convertible that could be had as a cruiser or a bruiser. This 1997 Aston Martin DB7 is the cruiser variant, with the smaller engine and drop-top, but has done just 44,000 miles to get here, and is a fine modern classic Aston Martin to own and drive. The seller reports that there’s a box of records and manuals included with the sale, instilling confidence that this car has indeed been given the required TLC.

Exterior and Interior

Penned by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet, the DB7 was designed as a two door four seat grand tourer with a fixed roof (coupe) or convertible (Volante). This 1997 Aston Martin DB7 is a Volante variant in a shade of burgundy that like fine wine, has aged well with its tan convertible top. The wheels appear to be chrome aftermarket units with burgundy center caps to match the body paintwork. One of the distinctive aspects of the DB7 is the fact that the convertible top does not lie flush when lowered, lending it the name “Pram Top”. While this was jested upon back in the day, it’s something that’s made the side silhouette of the DB7 even more unique now. Let’s venture aboard the four seat cabin that features beige, wood trim, and red leather accents on the steering wheel and shift knob. We say four seat, but the reality is, the rear seats are better suited for children and smaller adults on shorter trips. Tech toys include climate control, electrically adjustable front seats with seat heaters, a radio cassette stereo, power windows, power mirrors and power door locks.

Engine

This 1997 Aston Martin DB7 may be the 3.2L six-cylinder cruiser rather than the 12-cylinder bruiser, but a supercharger was mounted on the in-line six at the factory itself, making for a healthy power output of 335hp, augmented by 361lb-ft of torque. That granted a top speed of 150mph, and zero to sixty in just six seconds, admirable figures when you consider that a four-speed automatic gearbox is handling power delivery to the rear wheels. This example has reportedly received a recent oil change.