1989 Aston Martin V-8 Volante Convertible Coupe

The Aston Martin DBS was introduced in 1967 and was intended to be powered by an all-new eight-cylinder engine. That engine was delayed and did not appear for nearly two years. By 1969 the new DBS V8 featured the long-awaited Tadek Marek-designed 5.3-litre, making it the first eight-cylinder Aston Martin production car. In 1972, the DBS V8 name was dropped for simply 'V8', and the straight-six DBS model was discontinued.

Along with a new nomenclature, the V8 also received significant visual and mechanical updates, notably a change to a two-headlight in-grille fascia and a larger and more prominently shaped iconic Aston grille. In 1978, a convertible version appeared (known as Volante) with a power-operated and fully lined soft top.

The Volante proved successful and by 1981 the coupe model was built only to order. Production would continue with updates and advancements through the 1989 model year.

This 1989 V8 Vantage Volante was completed at Aston Martin's factory on May 5, 1989. It is one of just 58 examples produced in the U.S. Vantage specification. It is visually distinguished from the standard Volante by its wider fender flares, kicked-up trunk lid, sill plates, and front air dam.

The car was delivered new to Palm Beach Motor Cars in West Palm Beach, Florida, and sold to Greg Norman, on July 25, 1989. Currently, the car has 7,890 miles on the odometer. It has the factory-applied Cannock Black paint and a black Everflex top. Inside, there is a Parchment leather-upholstered cabin, with contrasting black piping and carpets. The engine is a matching-numbers 5.3-liter V8 fitted with Weber-Marelli Electronic fuel injection and produces approximately 380 horsepower.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2017