Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there’s no denying the Aston Martin One-77 is one of the most beautiful modern cars. Originally previewed with a 1:1 scale model at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, the stunning supercar made its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show where the Gaydon-based marque brought a rolling chassis finished in metallic blue. The actual production car was unveiled the same year at the Concorso d’Eleganza Ville d’Este.
Priced at a hefty £1 million, the One-77 was the fastest Aston Martin ever at the time, topping out at over 220 mph (354 km/h). Power came from a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12 Cosworth engine with 750 hp and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) routed to the road via a six-speed automated manual transmission.
Only 77 production cars were ever made, but the gorgeous coupe became slightly less exclusive when the 78th car hit the road. This video tells the story of a One-77 prototype that was turned into a street-legal car. Carrying the chassis number “10711,” this is the last of the eleven prototypes built by Aston Martin. It was subjected to numerous track tests at the Nardo circuit in Italy as well as at the Nürburgring in Germany.
It went up the famous hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and traveled to North America where it attended various events organized by dealerships. This One-77 also appeared on the cover of duPont Registry magazine in February 2012. About three years later, it served as a Safety Car for the Aston Martin Racing Festival at Le Mans and it also attended an SRO Ultra Sports Club event during which one of the side sills caught fire.
After an eventful life as a prototype, the One-77 was retired with 23,835 miles (38,358 kilometers) on the clock. Instead of being crushed, the V12 beauty was sold to a private owner who decided to turn it into a road car and register it in the United States as one of the only seven One-77s in the country. Aston Martin needed seven months to restore the car, stripping it down to bare aluminum and painting the body in Copper Pearl, which hides underneath this satin chrome wrap.
AM also installed new headlights, taillights, front grille, rear diffuser, and wheels before replacing the entire cabin. The engineers also worked on the mechanicals by overhauling the suspension and replacing the exhaust, clutch, and oil pan. However, the engine and gearbox did not receive any attention.
The One-77’s first private owner drove it for about 500 miles (805 kilometers) during his two years with the car. Before changing hands, the car’s air conditioning system broke down, and the sale price included a hefty $45,000 repair bill to fix the leaking AC. The exorbitant price is partially explained by the complex procedure as it involved taking out the engine.
It’s still not in perfect shape since the windshield wiper motor is not working anymore. Aston Martin is apparently charging $10,000 to replace it. In addition, the One-77’s motors to adjust the side mirrors are no longer working while the motor that powers the tilting infotainment system needs to be replaced as well.
Fast forward to 2023, it has 40,840 km (25,377 miles) on the clock. This likely makes it the highest-mileage example, with an interesting history to boot.
Source: High Mileage Reviews / YouTube
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