1990 Aston Martin Virage Coupe

At the Birmingham International Motor Show in 1988, Aston Martin introduced their new Virage which was to serve as a replacement for the Vantage V8 model. It was co-designed by John Heffernan and Ken Greenley from the Royal College of Arts. It was given a distinct wedge shape that blended traditional Aston Martin styling cues into a modern, hand-formed aluminum fastback design. Power was from a 32-valve dual overhead cam V8 that was fitted with a Weber-Marelli fuel injection system and offered 330 horsepower. Buyers had the choice of either a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic gearbox.

Aluminum was used throughout the vehicle, including many of the mechanical components such as the suspension and brake system. The chassis was a box-section steel frame setup that was designed with the Cranfield Institute of Technology Finite Element Analysis Department. The inside was well appointed with Connolly leather used on the seats, doors and console. There was Wilton carpets, heated seats with memory adjustment, and heated and adjustable outside mirrors.

This particular example was ordered on April 15th, 1988 and completed at the Aston Martin Works in March of 1990. The car was given a five-speed manual gearbox, right hand drive configuration, and finished in Buckinghamshire Green metallic over Parchment with Dark Green piping Connolly leather interior.

Furnished to Murray Motor Company in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, it was acquired by the present owner in 1992 from Aston Martin of Mayfair in London. Retained in the UK for a decade, the Virage was exported to his home in the Midwest in 2002. Currently, the car has fewer than 40,000 original miles on the odometer.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2016