I wouldn't say they're unloved - POW spec and Vantage Oscar India spec cars can fetch huge money. Series 3 and AMV8 are catching up. But yes, they are cheap compared to DB's (not the 7's and 9's).
To drive? They are not a sports car
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
More a 'sporting' car - they waft and have loads of torque from a lazy engine linked to a (if automatic) lazy torque converter.
I would describe them as a "sense of occasion car" - when you open the door and smell the leather (must be maintained with something like Forte or Connolly hide food or it ruins) then slip into the relatively unsupported
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
seat, touch the leather and the wood, then fire the V8 it can't fail to get the pulse going.
And then you slip into drive (or wrestle with the stupendously heavy clutch if manual - these cars were built for MEN
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
) and then set off you wonder "why so much noise for so little motion?"
The whole thing shudders as it gets going - the chassis flex - yes, even the coupe's - is quite alarming - they make you realise just how big a car they are. They pick up their skirts after a while - and cruise beautifully once up to speed. As long as it's a straight road. With no need to brake........ in which case you wait for them to pick up speed......... repeat:
The problem is that the 'sense of occasion' only works for a while and so you end up thinking "why do I own this??" - then the service bills come in and then something goes wrong.....
They usually have low mileage because they're rarely (able to be) used and require constant sorting. They (sorry, this is my perspective having owned Astons from DB2/4 (which was actually rather good) to Vanquish (which was actually spectacularly awful
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
)) fail to live up to the 'tingle' you first get and after a while you get very bored with them.
For me, every time I get in my RS it could be considered underwhelming: no leather, no walnut, no signature of the guy who made the engine on the top of the cam cover, no thud of the door closing (just the 'thwang' of a well fitting piece of machinery
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
) - but when you set off, every time it reminds you just how special it is - all early 911's do.
Not sure if any of that makes any sense - but it's from my experience
Perhaps this might help: I used to call the guys at JCT Aston Martin (Leodis Court) while in France, Switzerland, Germany - wherever I was with the car and sing this little ditty - to the tune of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head:
"Bits keep on dropping off my Aston......"
I could go on but I guess you've worked out my view on them
P