Series III Project: 1976 Aston Martin V8

There are some cars you simply don’t associate with being a project. Due to collectability, scarcity, value, or all of the above, the vehicle just seems like it could never be treated as someone’s cheaply modified project. This 1976 Aston Martin V8 Mark III does seem like it spent many years just being a cheap driver with some details you wouldn’t typically associate in a model like this. The Series III does run, but it will need some TLC. Find it here on eBay for $69,500 or best offer.

Some people consider this Aston Martin to be Britain’s version of the Mustang, a bruit in a suit, as it were. And you can see why: Aston clearly heaped on the muscular attitude and didn’t shy away from the obvious performance nods, like the dual exhaust, front and rear spoilers, and burbling V8 powerplant. And while this era of heavy-handed emissions equipment and other restrictions put a damper on every make and model, the Aston did quite alright for itself, still generating a healthy 310 b.h.p. at the start of the Series III run, which was good for a 0-60 run of under 6 seconds.

However, the good times didn’t last. By the time this ’76 model rolled into showrooms, power was reduced to 288 b.h.p., which was still plenty respectable. One detail I find fascinating about the Series III cars is that they left the factory with fuel injection, but after experiencing some teething issues with the new setup, Aston reverted back to Weber carburetors in ’73, which certainly added to the model’s chutzpah. The engine bay is tidy enough in this car, and the selling dealer confirms it is mechanically sound.

There seems to be a lot of turquoise in this Aston, and I can’t believe the conservative folks in the design studio would allow the car to leave the factory looking like this. I could be wrong; it was the 70s, after all. However, I can see in the top photo that even the driving lamp surrounds in the center grill have been painted to match, which seems like something a local body shop would do. The seller reports that that this Aston could do with some modest refreshment to make it a turnkey driver, and these remain collectible enough that the investment would likely be worth it. Still – does $70K seem fair for an automatic car in driver-quality condition?