Ed Sheeran calls his Aston Martin his ‘worst purchase ever’ after ditching the six-figure car on the side of the road
Published on Aug 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM (UTC+4)
by Callum Tokody
Last updated on Aug 22, 2025 at 1:56 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Ed Sheeran once thought his Aston Martin DB9 would mark the moment he had truly made it, but he now calls it his ‘worst purchase ever.’
The singer explained that the car broke down after he tried to drive through floodwater on a country road near his home.
The DB9 stalled and could not be restarted, forcing him to leave it behind.
His story sets up a rare glimpse of how luxury cars can fail in real-world conditions and how one of Aston Martin’s most notable models left a lasting mark on its owner.
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Sheeran and the Aston Martin DB9
Ed Sheeran purchased the Aston Martin DB9 at the height of his early music career.
The car carried a six-figure price and was seen as a milestone purchase, but its appeal faded quickly.
On the night of the breakdown, Sheeran recalled returning from the studio when he met a flooded lane close to his property.
He tried to move through slowly, but the water rose to window height, and the engine gave out.
With no way to restart the DB9, Sheeran walked home on foot and had the Aston Martin collected later.
He never drove it again and has since described the breakdown as the reason he considered the DB9 his worst purchase.
The frustration is understandable, but the circumstances also underline the limits of a car like this.
The Aston Martin DB9 was built as a low, performance-focused grand tourer.
Its V12 engine and ground-hugging design made it ideal for motorways and open roads, not flooded lanes in the English countryside.
Luxury cars in this category are rarely engineered for water intrusion, meaning Sheeran’s situation was less about a flaw in the car and more about the conditions it faced.
Aston Martin’s troubled icon
The Aston Martin DB9 was produced from 2004 to 2016 and became one of the brand’s most recognizable luxury cars.
Roughly 16,500 units were made during its run, each combining power and craftsmanship in a design that became a benchmark for the marque.
It was eventually replaced by the DB11, which marked a shift to modernized engineering and updated reliability.
For enthusiasts, the DB9 remains an admired model, but Sheeran’s account shows how even luxury cars with global prestige can be vulnerable in everyday situations.
His experience also highlights a broader truth about luxury cars.
They represent style and exclusivity, but they can be impractical in settings outside their intended use.
Today, Aston Martin continues with newer generations like the DB11 and DB12, both designed to improve on areas where the DB9 struggled.
For Ed Sheeran, however, he has never driven a sports car that was built with the ability to wade through water.
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Callum Tokody is a content writer at Supercar Blondie, where he covers the latest in the automotive world with a focus on design and performance. Callum has a background in automotive journalism and has contributed to a range of publications in Australia and the UK. Outside of work, he’s a design enthusiast with a soft spot for anything with a V8 and a good story.
