The achingly pretty Aston Martin DB7 made its official debut at Geneva in 1993 as a spiritual successor to the firm’s iconic six-cylinder models of the 1950s and 1960s, and marked the beginning of a bold new era for the brand.

The new car was aimed at a younger audience than its more traditional V-8 machinery.

The drophead Volante joined the DB7 range in 1996, while in 1999 the supercharged 335 horsepower straight-six gave way to a 5,935 cc 420 horsepower V-12 in the subtly restyled Vantage.

By its own standards, the English marque made the DB7 in significant numbers, with some 7,000 leaving the Bloxham works.

However, like its illustrious forebears, the DB4 and V8, the DB7 would also form the basis of an ultra-exclusive masterpiece bodied by Milanese coachbuilder Zagato.

The brainchild of Aston Martin CEO, Ulrich Bez, and his Italian counterpart Andrea Zagato, the car came about as a result of a conversation at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

It was subsequently annou...