In the 21 years of automotive design since 2005, the car I feel is the single most beautiful is the first-generation Aston Martin DB9. Ian Callum drew on the DB7’s most successful elements and further refined the design. If that design were released tomorrow, it would still look amazing and up to date despite being replaced years ago, while at the same time fully embracing the heritage of Aston. Our Pick of the Day is a stunningly elegant 2006 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania.
In 2004, Car and Driver magazine called the Aston DB9 coupe “the best-sorted, most thoroughly engineered Aston Martin of all time.” I attended the same press launch they did, and I would thoroughly agree. At that time, I actually owned a 1997 DB7 coupe, but the DB9 was so much more car than my old DB7, it was as if it was built by another manufacturer. The DB9 was a clean-slate engineering exercise, and it was also built in a brand-new state-of-the-art Aston Martin factory in Gaydon, England. From its cantilevered swing-up doors to its exquisite interior, the DB9 was in many ways the first true modern Aston Martin.
As you can see in these photos, the exterior design is nothing short of breathtaking. I can still remember how stunned I was with the beauty of the DB9 when I first laid eyes on it; Ian Callum’s design remains one of the finest automotive designs in history, in my opinion. To this day, I feel that every DB-series Aston since the DB9 has just not been in the same league. Sure, they are all excellent designs, but the DB9 truly is automotive perfection.
This specific DB9 is described by the selling dealer as being delivered new in April 2006. Today it shows just 31,800 miles after being under the care of only two owners. The black metallic over a stunning Fox Red leather trim combination is set off by 19-inch 15-spoke wheels. It has always been serviced by a specialist and is accompanied by its original leathe-bound owner’s manual, tire kit, and Aston-Martin branded umbrella — an item that often “disappears.”
To me, this model is the ultimate example of a GT car, with a front mid-engine 444-hp V-12 under the hood kicking out an awesome-sounding exhaust note. The engine is also from the era when designers still strove to make engines look beautiful, with plenty of cast-aluminum to be seen. This car is equipped with an ZF six-speed automatic transmission, which to me is ideal; the car was designed for it, and it suits a GT car nicely. It also does not hamper performance, as the DB9 with the automatic covers the 0-60 sprint in only 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph.
Inside this DB9, you’ll find what you would expect from a top-tier exotic GT car. The finest-quality leather cocoons the driver, and every single thing you touch and see feels special. The gauge cluster is one of the most elegant ones I have seen; it resembles a fine Swiss watch face.
Other manufacturers in the category where used DB9s reside, such as the Ferrari 550 Maranello, cost many times as much as this Aston, yet to me they don’t even come close to delivering in a way that justifies the cost difference. In addition, the running costs of this 2006 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe will be less expensive than the Ferrari. All this makes the asking price of $49,900 seem like a deal to jump on.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
