1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupe

This Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato was manufactured in early July of 1986 and left the factory finished in Gladiator Red paint over a tan interior and delivered to Brian Taylor. Rowan Atkinson acquired it in 1998, who immediately commissioned Aston Martin Works Service to rebuild it as a competition car. This allowed it compete in the Inter-Marque series, conforming to the mildly modified C2 class. In 2013 it received a fully rebuilt engine, completed at Newport Pagnell. The engine is essentially a 'Nimrod' engine as fitted to the works Le Mans cars of that name. The engine, designated '580XR', has a Weber fuel-injection system and ceramic-coated headers, helping to produce 482 horsepower.

Over 1,480 kilograms were removed from the car, enhancing the vehicles performance even further. The total rebuild cost roughly £220,000, and was completed in early 2000. Mr. Atkinson campaigned the Zagato at venues such as Snetterton, Donnington, and Silverstone, and won his class at Brands Hatch and Thruxton.

Oleg Stepanov of Gaydon, UK acquired the Zagato in May of 2008, and in 2016 it entered the care of its current owner, who immediately had it converted back to road specifications, which included air-conditioning, a different clutch, and the fitment of the original seats. This right-hand drive example is currently powered by a 5,340cc dual overhead cam V8 engine with Weber Alpha fuel injection backed by a five-speed manual gearbox. Disc brakes are located at all four corners.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019