You can pay anywhere from £50k to £500k for an Aston Martin V8 now, so I can’t help but wish I’d taken out a meaty loan to buy the smart £40k V8 Vantage that I borrowed for the day a few years ago. Not because I have any interest in playing the classic car investment game but because, as it turns out, that was my last chance to own one.

Then, as now, repair and restoration costs for these cars were very much in the league of those who can afford to buy a brand-new Aston Martin, and that fearful knowledge kept me from making a begging phone call to my bank’s loan department. That £50k starting point really only buys a project car now, something that you could easily spend £100-£200k on, while usable V8s start at more like £80k, with tidy Vantages at £150k.

So, as with so many cars, your money goes a lot further if you buy a decent example in the first place. The detailed buying guide in the latest issue of Classic Cars magazine takes you through six essential steps to avoid buying a bad one, and help you navigate the subtleties of the different variants on the market.

You’ll find 14 pages of buying information in every issue of Classic Cars magazine, including Quentin Willson’s hot tips, Russ Smith’s market analysis, in-depth buying guides and Ads on Test.

Phil Bell

Editor, Classic Cars magazine

For more details of the latest issue, visit www.classiccarsmagazine.co.uk