Addressing the elephant in the room first, I'd hardly call $420,000 a "bargain", given that most mortals could barely save this much in a lifetime's work for their retirement. But for those lucky few that could splash a cheque that big on a car, then consider that this supremely rare Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato had a suggested retail price of $820,000 just three years ago. That's an astounding 49% loss in value, and for a car this special, it sounds surprising... Almost.

Depreciation is a double-edged sword, and its something we talk a lot about when it comes to cars. There are cars that could maintain their value steadily over years, while other collectable delights gain beyond their MSRP. Think of the Ferrari 250 GTO, which once costs next to nothing, relatively speaking. People were even leaving them to rust in barns, abandoned. Now, they easily cost more than $70-million, probably more, depending on its provenance.

How Angels Are Born.

Credits to: Bring A Trailer - Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato

It could be hard for the seller to accept that something is now worth a princely sum compared to how much they paid for it, but as a buyer, there are more than a few gems ready to be unearthed on sites like Bring A Trailer. You could buy and sell a diverse array of things here, from broken cars, bare engines, and even boats. It's a great place to just endless scroll around for interesting finds, and this is where we stumble on our story; this once crown jewel of a car.

But what makes four-wheels, an engine, and some bits of metal worth more than $800,000, anyway? Well, we first start with the old Vanquish, Aston Martin's top-of-the-line grand-tourer to champion the age old concept of cruising long distances in comfort, and briskly so. Alone, it's already a stunningly beautiful car, as does any Aston has the right to be. But not matter how good something is, you could always make it better.

So, a $300,000 Vanquish is then sent from its home in Gaydon, to undergo an extensive cosmetic surgery by the lovely folk at Zagato, in Milan. It's hard not to admire their coachbuilt creations, as I've written about them passionately more than a few times. The makeover that's been done to the Vanquish is proof of that, and it left me astonished the first time I saw it. I firmly believed at the time that nothing could ever be more beautiful.

Credits to: NetCarShow - Vanquish S, and Vanquish Zagato

Of course, times change and I've seen a handful of prettier cars, yet the Zagato's sensual curves never fail to captivate my soul. The new Zagato-penned bodywork is a mix of cutting edge technology, in the form of moulding carbon-fibre, while practicing their traditional craftsmanship, with hand-rolled aluminium. In total, it takes them 2,000 hours to shape and refine its figure, with a fine-tooth comb and bucket loads of bold ingenuity.

Look at those photos, and compare it with the regular car. Do you notice how few shut-lines, or panel gaps there are? The best example is in the rear, where there'd normally be a small void in joining the side-rear fender panels, to the rear fascia. You won't find them on the Zagato-treated Vanquish, since the panels were made in gigantic pieces, which is neither easy nor cheap. Combined, this has the illusion of making the car look like it's made from a single sheet of material.

The continuity amplifies the smoothness and curvaceous bodywork, which is a minor detail, but I can't help but notice it every time I look at other cars. Then, there's other details to admire on the exterior, like the subtle double-bubble roof. It's a signature trait of Zagato, carried over from race-cars in the 1950s, when bumps were made in the low roofline to better accommodate drivers' helmets. The smooth bodywork flows seamlessly, ending in a sharp tear-drop taper in the rear.

Credits to: Bring A Trailer - Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato

There, there's a retractable spoiler that deploys actively in aid of better cornering and braking, but otherwise remains hidden to maintain the silhouette. Another design cue with these Zagato Astons are the taillights, which has to be the prettiest object I've ever seen. Shaped like blades, they're individual LEDs wrapping around to the bodywork, like the turbine of a fighter jet. This is matched with a pair of art deco-like frosted fog-lights in the front.

In between, there's more than a few touches to remind you that you're looking at something special, with exposed carbon-fibre aplenty, and finely finished bits of metal. One bit of trivia, is that the Aston Martin wings are coloured-in with red, signifying that this is a Zagato collaboration, which would otherwise be green or black. Only 99 Coupes were made in total - not counting the Speedster, Volante, and Shooting-Brake variants - and this particular example listed on Bring A Trailer is the 83rd one in line.

A Brute In A Suit.

Credits to: Bring A Trailer - Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato

It's previous owner had specified it well to accentuate its sensual design. Instead of the default Lava Red, this one is painted in Caribbean Pearl, which I imagine has the same hue to the crystal clear waters of private beaches in the Bahamas. There is a comforting warmth in this colour, which I now know is a fairly expensive bucket of paint, priced as a $6,380 option. Thanks to the included window sticker, we can see some of the pricier options that's been fitted.

The most expensive one, is machined aluminium grilles. I don't know what the normal ones are made off, but this includes the front-grille, and a encompassing a few more panels around the taillights. Now, they're milled from a single block of solid aluminium, machined down beautifully like a piece of fine jewellery. The price for this, is $45,000. Talking about spending big, eh? In fact, the overall cost of optional extras alone is a whopping $72,485.

Befitting the gorgeous exterior, it would mean nothing if you have to sit in some hovel. Appropriately, there's been some minor interior decorations done here, though it's mostly the same. You'll find layers of the most supple leather from the very best of cowhides that once lived in the British Isles. The black leather is accented brightly by vibrant Spicy Red stitching. Apart from some other options, the owner has even specified a personalised messaged on the door-sill plaque, "If not now, when".

Credits to: Bring A Trailer - Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato

It means nothing to me, but perhaps it might ring a few bells to you. One other interesting observation while perusing around, is seeing that the odometer reads just 1,300 miles. This is common enough for a car that's this expensive, but it no doubt pains me to see that this wonderful Vanquish has spent most of its time stationary, sitting pretty in a garage. Given how wonderful the Vanquish is to drive, I personally would've put far, far more miles on it, cruising to the ends of the earth.

Underneath the sultry Italian tailored suit, is a heart as mighty as it is British. It's running gear is entirely the same to that of an uprated Vanquish S, being powered by a 6.0-litre, naturally-aspirated V12. 580 horsepower, and 465lb-ft of torque guarantees that it can leap across continents with great ease. It sounds magnificent as well, and it fits well into my "eargasm" bookmarks folder. The one disappointment is its old Touchtronic 3 gearbox, which in the kindest way possible, is mostly meh, but passable.

Maybe, Just Maybe.

Credits to: NetCarShow - Vanquish Shooting Brake

I haven't yet stopped drooling, and I was personally going to somehow drop a DM and congratulate whoever buys this car, especially at half-off. However, the tables have turned, and we now come back full circle to that 'nearly' in the title. It's highest bid of $420,000 didn't meet the reserve, which in auction speak, is the minimum threshold price that needs to be met before something can be sold. After reading that, my poker face quickly disappeared, as these Vanquish Zagatos are normally valued at $600,000, minimum.

This was a car that I lusted over when it first came out, and it currently fills the void in my life of having two in one. It has that exotic romanticism of Italy, combined with the brutish power of Old Blighty. Even at current prices, I have to calm my excitement, knowing that even if I joined the millionaire's club one day, I would never spend this much on a car. Perhaps, in a decade or two, this could be a wonderful bargain to consider. For my sake then, I wouldn't mind a bit more depreciation, maybe even knock out a zero in there.