An ultra-rare Aston Martin was spotted in London and it’s the most British flex imaginable
Published on Jan 11, 2026 at 5:45 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jan 08, 2026 at 10:13 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
An ultra-rare Aston Martin was just spotted in London.
At first glance, it doesn’t scream for attention.
In fact, most people would probably miss it.
But once you know what it is, the whole thing becomes incredibly impressive.
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What makes this Aston Martin sighting so mind-bending
The car filmed on the streets of London is the Aston Martin V8 Sportsman – one of the rarest road-going Astons ever built.
The clip was posted to YouTube by Supercars Europe, who called it the rarest car you’ll see on social media this week.
And they weren’t exaggerating.
Only three V8 Sportsman shooting brakes are believed to exist worldwide, with two commissioned together as a matching pair.
The Sportsman is based on the 1996 Aston Martin V8 Coupe, itself derived from the first-generation Virage.
Power comes from a naturally aspirated 5.3-liter V8, paired with a four-speed automatic.
By modern standards, it’s not about big numbers.
But that’s exactly why it stands out.
What makes the car instantly strange is its shape.
Instead of a standard coupe body, the Sportsman is a shooting brake – a two-door, wagon-style Aston with a long roof and squared-off rear.
From certain angles, even the uploader admits it looks more like a hearse than a supercar.
But that wasn’t what people focused on.
The comments weren’t obsessing over horsepower or value.
They were celebrating the fact that this one – its underside visibly caked in mud and dirt – was clearly being used, driven, and enjoyed.
In a world full of garage queens, seeing a one-of-three Aston Martin doing normal road duties through the UK capital city felt refreshing.
A tiny, strange chapter in Aston Martin history
The V8 Sportsman was never a production model.
In 1996, two examples were commissioned by Swiss brothers, both finished in classic green-over-green.
Aston Martin converted them from standard V8 Coupes into shooting brakes, focusing purely on the bodywork.
In 2000, one of the cars was sold to a French businessman before eventually making its way to the UK a few years ago – where it’s now being properly used by its current owner.
Aston Martin has revisited the shooting brake idea since, but the V8 Sportsman remains in a category of its own.
So if one ever rolls past you on London streets, you’ve just seen something genuinely rare.
Timeline of the ultra-rare Aston Martin V8 Sportsman
1996: Aston Martin builds the V8 Coupe, which later becomes the base for the Sportsman
1996: Two V8 Coupes are commissioned by Swiss brothers to be converted into shooting brakes
1997: Aston Martin completes the V8 Sportsman conversions, both finished in green over green
Late 1990s: A third V8 Sportsman conversion is documented in specialist Aston Martin records
2000: One V8 Sportsman is sold to a French businessman
2017: A V8 Sportsman sells at auction for around $450,000
Early 2020s: One example makes its way to the UK, where it continues to be regularly driven
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
