To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Abu Dhabi
event, 30 November 2019.
Estimate:
$1,500,000 - $2,000,000
- Presented by Auction4Wildlife to benefit African Parks
- The 38th of 77 examples built
- Sparingly driven; currently displays 888 km (552 miles)
- Model that won the modern design award at the 2009 Villa d'Este
Concorso d'Eleganza
- A rare opportunity to acquire Gaydon's expressive and unique
hypercar, combining old-world techniques with modern
performance
At the 2008 Paris Salon, Aston Martin teased the audience with a
partially covered, non-running prototype of a new
limited-production hypercar, the One-77. Ownership of the company
had recently passed from Ford's Premier Automotive Group to a
consortium led by Dave Richards, the principle of the respected and
accomplished Prodrive competition concern. Intended to compete with
the likes of Bugatti and Koenigsegg, this was clearly a prestige
model meant to assure the world that Aston Martin was back in the
business of building boutique speed machines.
At the Geneva Salon six months later, a completed One-77 show car
took the automotive world by storm. Retaining the signature form
that had characterized the popular DB9 and DBS models, the One-77
was a clear amplification of everything that Aston Martin
represented. The new model stood wider and lower than its
predecessors, clothed in aluminium coachwork that appeared to be a
DB9 on steroids, with huge, pronounced rear haunches, beautifully
exaggerated side strakes, and the trademark Aston Martin grille.
The body was a unique blend of old-world techniques and modern
materials, with each single-piece aluminium front wing requiring
three weeks of pounding and formation by an individual
craftsman.
The body was mounted on a stiff, lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque
chassis that tipped the scales at only 180 kg, helping to keep
overall kerb weight to a minimum. Into this jewel of a shell the
designers dropped a 7.3-litre version of the company's highly
developed V-12, which was specially reworked for the One-77 by the
racing engineers at Cosworth. With a minimal flywheel and quad
exhaust pipes, the free-revving V-12 developed an elevated
compression ratio of 10.9:1, good for 750 hp and 553 foot-pounds of
torque. Placed well behind the front axle, the powerful engine also
sat 100 mm lower than in the DB9, thanks to the adoption of a
dry-sump lubrication system. Power was administered to a six-speed
manual automated transaxle through a carbon propshaft that passed
through a magnesium-alloy torque tube, and control of the 20-inch
rear wheels was administered by a limited-slip differential.
Capable of hitting a top speed in excess of 220 mph, the One-77 was
sprung with a fully adjustable suspension that automatically
lowered at triple-digit speeds, at which point a huge rear wing
deployed to increase downforce. Cross-drilled carbon-ceramic brakes
brought the car back to earthbound speeds.
The One-77's interior was no less impressive, with carbon fibre and
black anodized aluminium trim dominating nearly every surface,
while the electronically controlled sport seats and panelling were
upholstered with stitched leather and Alcantara. A squared steering
wheel and graphite instruments completed the elegant design.
Despite the obvious emphasis on performance, the model was equipped
with comfort amenities, including a multi-function infotainment
screen with satellite navigation, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity,
and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with magically rising
bookshelf tweeters. The total design package was so arresting that
the One-77 became the toast of major concours d'elegance through
2009, even winning the design award for prototypes and concept cars
at the prestigious Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza in Lake Como,
Italy.
The finest and most powerful yet of Aston Martin's grand tourers,
the One-77 was built in a smattering quantity of only 77 examples,
and each was pre-sold at an astounding price in excess of $1.8
million. The model was defined with such an aura of exclusivity
that Aston Martin never made it available for review by
journalists, and the trickle of firsthand coverage that followed in
the years to come was solely the result of generous owners lending
their cars to a small handful of respected media outlets. The star
thoroughbred of Aston Martin's 2000s grand touring stable, the
One-77 remains one of the company's most exquisite models, lauded
by marque enthusiasts and supercar aficionados alike.
Chassis no. 17738 is the 38th of the 77 cars built and is finished
in Black Pearl and trimmed with an interior of Blue Gin
complemented by Anodized Blue and chrome metal trim. Equipped with
ten-spoke polished wheels, the prodigious One-77 was sold new to
Markus Jebsen, a Danish nature conservation philanthropist residing
in Hong Kong. After delivery, the One-77 was carefully garaged and
fastidiously maintained, and through less than ten years of single
ownership, the car has accrued less than 1,000 km (620 miles). It
remains a stunning and rare example of the venerable Aston
model.
Actively involved in philanthropic efforts of nature and wildlife
conservation worldwide, and as founder of the Auction4Wildlife
charitable initiative, Mr Jebsen is particularly interested in
saving endangered African wildlife. Among other avenues to this
end, he currently serves as a member of the Asia Pacific Advisory
Group of African Parks, a nonprofit conservation organisation that
assumes long-term management of protected areas, in partnership
with governments and local communities. With HRH Prince Harry the
Duke of Sussex as its standing president and goodwill ambassador,
African Parks currently manages fifteen national parks and
protected areas in nine different countries, covering 10.5 million
hectares, active in areas of Benin, the Central African Republic,
Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the
Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Zambia.
In conjunction with Auction4Wildlife, the consignor will generously
donate the proceeds from the sale of the One-77 to African Parks so
that the charitable organisation may continue its important work
restoring landscapes, saving species, and ensuring sustainable
livelihoods for local communities. The buyer of this extremely rare
Aston Martin can not only derive a sense of pride in contributing
to this commendable pursuit, but will acquire one of the most
beautiful modern hypercars ever built, an astounding blend of
traditional sports car sensibilities and modern aesthetics and
materials that would crown most any collection of roaring speed
machines.
Please note the temporary import symbol incorrectly references the
EU. It should reference the UAE.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ad19.