A rare 1997 Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550 first delivered to Elton John is now being offered for sale, bringing together celebrity ownership, low mileage and one of Aston Martin’s most powerful hand-built grand tourers of the 1990s.
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The right-hand-drive coupe was supplied new to the British singer, songwriter and longtime car enthusiast through H.W.M Ltd. in Surrey in May 1997. Finished in black over black leather with wood veneer trim, the car reflects the traditional luxury and performance character associated with Aston Martin’s Newport Pagnell era.
Power comes from a twin-supercharged 5.3-liter V8 engine rated at 550 brake horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired with a six-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels. When new, Aston Martin claimed the Vantage could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 186 mph, impressive figures for a front-engine grand tourer weighing nearly 4,400 pounds.
The V550 occupies a distinctive place in Aston Martin history. Based on the Virage platform, it represented one of the last major expressions of the company’s old-world, hand-built approach before models such as the DB7 and Vanquish helped move the brand into a newer era. Production was extremely limited, with roughly 235 to 239 standard examples built, depending on how late-production and special-order cars are counted.
Its bodywork used hand-formed aluminum panels and a more aggressive design than the Virage, with widened arches, deep side skirts, hood vents and a redesigned rear section. Inside, the car featured Connolly leather, Wilton carpet, burr walnut trim, sport seats and a supercharger boost gauge.
This example shows 9,971 miles, which the seller believes to be genuine. Its service history is documented from new, beginning with Aston Martin H.W.M in 1997 and 1998, followed by work from Weybridge Automobiles, HA Fox Jaguar, Rikki Cann Ltd. and Aston Martin Works. A major UK service was completed in January 2017 at 8,634 miles and included brake fluid and coolant renewals, a water pump gasket, thermostat, exhaust flexi pipes, fuel pipes and a cam cover gasket.
The car was later imported to Hong Kong, where it was first registered in January 2023. Reported road registration costs exceeded 1 million Hong Kong dollars, or about $127,600. Since arriving there, the Aston Martin has received additional mechanical attention, including work to the fuel system, cooling system and clutch components.
The Vantage is offered with service records, past MOT documentation, a copy of the UK V5C, Hong Kong registration documentation and two keys. For collectors, its combination of rarity, manual transmission, twin-supercharged V8 performance and Elton John provenance places it among the more notable Aston Martin V550 examples currently available.
See the listing here.