Huge Brit movie star's Aston Martin for sale and his umbrella is still in boot

A 190mph Aston Martin is on sale for £45,000 - with a very famous former owner. And the star who once drove it still has his umbrella in the boot.

It's a classic British motor for a classic British actor. We're talking about Hugh Grant, of course - who is believed to have bought it after being urged to do so by a co-star on hit film About a Boy.

It's now on sale for £100,000 less than when it was made. The 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish 2+2 was ordered new and owned by the film star. It's thought he bought it after prompts from About A Boy costar Nicholas Hoult.

It still has Grant's umbrella in its boot. The plush, hand-built, 23-year-old supercar has done just 39,738 miles.

The model was famous for its appearance in the James Bond film Die Another Day. It earned the V12 Vanquish the number three spot on a list of Best Film Cars Ever.

It has a 5.9-litre, 48-valve V12 engine and a six-speed gearbox controlled by F1-style paddles. And it can zoom to a top speed of 190mph and go from 0-to-60mph in just 4.5 seconds.

Production ceased in 2007 by which time the UK list price had risen to over £185,000. It is being sold by Iconic Auctioneers based in Ashorne, near Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

The Vanquish was built in two versions, a two-seater and what became known as the '2+2' with two child-friendly rear seats, as reported by Luxury Auto News.

Its listing says: "Perhaps feeling rather flush after the arrival of an undoubtedly substantial pay cheque for his part in the 2001 Oscar-nominated About a Boy, Hugh Grant, the much loved English actor often portrayed as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, decided that a new sports car was on the cards.

"Presumably the on-screen friendship between Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) and co-star Nicholas Hoult, who played the young boy Marcus in the film, was echoed between takes as young Nicholas, who was a keen car enthusiast and really enthusiastic about Aston Martin's new Vanquish, managed to talk Hugh into buying one.

"It was ordered by Hugh in 2+2 configuration finished in Solway Grey with Charcoal Leather interior and was originally registered on his well known plate, APE V12. Other notable features include a built-in phone system, satellite navigation, a stereo system with CD player, air-conditioning, and a tracker.

"We understand that the original umbrella may still be found in the boot, an important piece of provenance perhaps as there is a certain cachet about arriving at the pub on a drizzly Sunday morning sheltering under what was once Hugh Grant's umbrella.

"Hugh Grant's name appears in the owner's guide/service book, the latter boasting 13 stamps from Aston Martin main dealers.

"The car was serviced by Aston Martin Works in 2019 after a period of storage, and subsequently by Harwoods Aston Martin in Chichester. New suspension arms and associated components were fitted front and rear in 2020, whilst the coolant was changed and new coolant hoses fitted that same year.

"Aston Martin-approved Yokohama tyres are fitted all round. "The car was serviced and MOTd on 22nd March 2022 at Harwoods and annually since, the most recent being in April 2025.

"Since its acquisition by the vendor in April 2022, the Vanquish has covered fewer than 1,500 miles and been stored under cover. "A low-mileage V12 Vanquish in gleaming Solway Grey is undoubtedly a very desirable motor car and, for many, its ownership by the nation's favourite floppy-haired romantic hero will simply add to that."