1988 Aston Martin V8

Aston Martin resurrected the 'Vantage' name in 1977, having been previously applied to high-power versions of the DB six-cylinder cars. The name had laid dormant since the V8's arrival back in 1969. The V8 was a heavier car than its six-cylinder predecessor, and the V8 engine had suffered as emissions legislation became even more strangulating. The arrival of the Vantage dispelled any worries that Aston Martin's traditional performance image might be lost.

The Vantage offered a tuned version of the existing 5,340cc engine with a quartet of 48mm Weber carburetors rather than the standard 42mm units. Valves and ports were enlarged and the camshafts changed, helping horsepower rise to around 375 bhp. Chassis changes were minimal apart from the adoption of bigger ventilated discs all round and low-profile Pirelli tires. Distinguishable features from the standard product included a blocked-off bonnet scoop, blanked air intake, front chin spoiler, and lip on the boot lid.

In 1978, the Volante convertible was introduced, but it was not until 1986 that it became available to Vantage specification, which by this time horsepower had risen to 400 bhp. Along with the Vantage engine, other notable changes were flared wheel arches, boot spoiler (something the Volante had previously lacked), and extended front spoiler. Fiberglass extensions replaced the chromed sill overs. In this guise, it claimed to be the world's fastest convertible when it was launched at the October 1986 Birmingham Motor Show, all the more so when it came with the optional 432 horsepower 'X-Pack' (580X) engine. The reworked 5340cc 'quad cam' V8 had four 48mm Weber carburetors, Cosworth pistons, Nimrod racing-type cylinder heads, larger inlet ports, and higher lift camshafts. A 'big-bore' after-market option was also available from Aston Martin Works Service, which featured 50mm carburetors (instead of the standard X-Pack 48mm ones) and a straight-through exhaust system that combined to give a thumping 432bhp (this was the same setup as found in the limited-edition V8 Zagato). Another part of the X-Pack package was 16-inch Ronal split-rim wheels with 255/50 Goodyear Eagle tires.

Approximately 167 examples of the V8 Vantage Volante were completed by the end of production in December of 1989. Of these, around 58 left-hand drive cars were exported (mostly to the United States) and fitted with the less powerful fuel-injected V8 engine. Around 14 of these left-hand drive cars had automatic transmissions. 137 X-Pack derivatives were made all told.

The V8 Vantage had a top speed of around 170 mph, putting it in the supercar league of the period. The engine was shared with the Lagonda, but with several modifications that allowed it to produce more horsepower than its sibling. Zero-to-sixty mph took 5.3 seconds which was slightly faster than the Ferrari Daytona.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: SCFCV81C2JTL15650

This Aston Martin V-8 Volante is powered by a V8 engine that displaces 5340cc and has a light alloy block, a fuel injection system, and dual overhead camshafts. There is a Torqueflite automatic transmission and four-wheel fully independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes.

The V-8 Series was introduced in 1972 as a replacement for the mechanically identical DBS V8. The Aston Martin V8 would be the final model development during the David Brown era, and it would become their longest running model in their history. These were functional vehicles that had seating for four and a top speed in the neighborhood of 160 miles per hour. The design was courtesy of designer William Towns and based upon his designs for the original DBS. The engine was by Aston's legendary Tadek Marek and available in 1986 for the first time with Weber Marelli fuel injection.

This V8 Volante is part of the final iteration of the V8 series, available in the United States until 1989. It is one of only about 65 Aston Martins of all types sold in the United States for 1988. It has had only three owners since new and been driven a mere 11,000 documented miles. It is finished in Dover White with an Oxblood Connolly leather interior with white piping, black Wilton wool carpeting and burr walnut trim. There is a correct Everflex convertible top that has been recently fitted to the car.

In 2009, this 1988 Aston Martin V8 Volante was offered for sale at the Automobiles of Amelia Island Auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $70,000-$90,000. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for $49,500, including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Zagato
Chassis number: SCFCV81Z8HTL20060
Engine number: V580/0060/X

Aston Martin revived its partnership with Italian coachbuilder Zagato at the 1985 Geneva motor show. A year later came the V8 Vantage Zagato, which had a shortened (and lightened) V8 body and sportier coachwork that included the pronounced hood bulge and Perspex windows. The prototype example achieved a top speed of over 185 mph, making it the fastest Aston Martin to date. During its production lifespan, 89 examples of the V8 Vantage Zagato were built with 52 being coupes (including two prototypes).

Over the past 31 years, this Vantage Zagato has been in the care of just two caretakers. This was the second-to-last coupe built, and is believed to be one of three completed in 1988. It left the factory finished in Swift Azure paint and trimmed with gray Connolly leather upholstery with black piping, gray-edged black Wilton carpets, and a black Alcantara headliner.

The car was sold new in March of 1988 to Nicolas Zapata of Mexico. It was then registered in Switzerland and driven rather sparingly, accruing only 20,300 km over the next nineteen years. Mr. Zapata sold the car in April of 2007 to the current owner, also based in Switzerland. The car was shown at the 2007 British Classic Car Meeting (BCCM) St. Moritz and the 2008 Geneva Classics show, and it participated in the 2011 BCCM St. Moritz tour through the Swiss Alps.

The car is currently in unrestored condition and has 29,000 km on the odometer. It is one of 50 production coupes and one of 20 built in left-hand drive. The engine is a 5,340cc dual overhead cam V8 with four twin-choke Weber 48 IDF3/150 carburetors and produces 432 horsepower. There is a five-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel disc brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: SCFCV81V7JTL15659
Engine number: V/585/5659/LFA

The arrival of the 'Vantage' name in 1977 represented a resurrection of the specification which had previously been applied to high-power versions of the DB six-cylinder cars, having laid dormant since the V8's arrival back in 1969. The 5,340cc dual overhead camshaft breathed through a 42mm carburetors, but in Vantage tune, a quartet of 48mm Weber carburetors was added, the valves and ports grew larger, and the camshafts changed, helping to boost power to around 375 bhp. Larger ventilated disc brakes were added all around and concealed behind low-profile Pirelli tires. The most distinguishable exterior feature was the blocked-off bonnet scoop, blanked air intake, front chin spoiler and lip on the boot lid.

The Volante convertible was introduced in 1978, but it was not until 1986 that it became available to Vantage specification, by which time its output was around 400 bhp. Vantage engines now came with a boot spoiler, extended front spoiler, and flared wheel arches, giving it a more muscular and sinister appearance. With the optional 'X-pack' engine, output rose to 432 bhp. By the end of production in December of 1989, a total of 166 Vantage Volantes had been built.

This particular example was completed on March 23rd of 1988, supplied new to Lake Forst Sports Cars in Lake Forest, Illinois, and first registered in Illinois on July 1st of that year. It wore a Connock black exterior and black piped leather interior. It had electric windows and mirrors, driving lamps, Ronal alloy wheels, a three-speed automatic gearbox, and a 5,340cc DOHC V8 engine. It is one of 47 examples produced with an automatic.

The car spent the early 1990s in California before heading east to New York and Connecticut. In 2003, with approximately 25,000 miles, the Aston returned to the Midwest in the collection of Springfield, Illinois attorney Frederic Nessler. During his ownership, the car gained a few more thousand miles to its odometer before it was purchased in November of 2010 with just under 32,500 original miles. Since that time, it has been on static display.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: SCFCV81C7JTL15644
Engine number: V/585/5644/LFA

This Aston Martin V8 Volante was supplied by Aston Martin Lagonda of North America Inc. to official agents Palm Beach Motor Cars of Florida on March 23, 1988. It returned to Europe in 1989 and into the care of Jeffrey Steiner, CEO of the Fairchild Corporation. Mr. Steiner entrusted the Volante to RS Williams of Surrey, England for a complete restoration in 2009 and a conversion to seven-liter specification. The engine received Cosworth pistons, new liners, a nitrided crankshaft, and a bespoke ECU. Additionally, a new wiring harness and automatic transmission were fitted, the braking system was rebuilt, and the suspension was overhauled. The bodywork was stripped and refinished in Dark Grey, complemented by a black soft top and tan leather upholstery.

When the restoration was completed in 2011, the car's original U.S. speedometer, then showing 26,109 miles, was replaced with a new, zeroed unit reading in kilometers.

In 2017, the car was sold to Kurt Engelhorn of Gstaad, Switzerland who sold it to the current owner in 2019.

by Dan Vaughan

The Aston Martin V8 was produced from 1969 through 1990 and was, of course, powered by an eight-cylinder engine. For many years eager customers had been pleading with Aston Martin to produce an eight-cylinder car. Expected to be completed by 1967, the engine took a few more years of development before being ready. In the meantime, Aston Martin introduced the DBS which borrowed its Vantage six-cylinder engine from the DB6.

In the 1987 film 'The Living Daylights', famous British Secret Agent James Bond could be seen on the big screen driving around in his V8 Vantage Volante. A few years earlier Roger Moore had driven a DBS V8 in the movie 'The Persuaders.' His car was built to resemble the V8 version but actually powered by a six-cylinder engine.

In 1969 the eight-cylinder engine was ready and successfully adapted to the DBS. The engine had been designed by Aston Martin's head engineer, Tadek Marek. The engine had made an appearance in the Lola T70 LeMans racer but was more of a learning and testing experience than a true success. The DBS was now available with either the six- or eight-cylinder engine, with the eight-cylinder version being the more popular. Over the years, the 5.3 liter V8 was fitted with either Bosch fuel injection or carburetors, double overhead camshafts, and was capable of producing around 300-315 horsepower. Zero-to-sixty took a mere 5.9 seconds with top speed being achieved at 160 mph.

The square grille, four headlights, and large front air dam were the traditional Aston Martin persona. Gone were the wire wheels.

By 1972 the DBS V8 became the Aston Martin V8; since the six-cylinder DBS was no longer offered. This left the V8 and the Vantage as Aston Martins's entire model line.

In 1972 Aston Martin offered the Series II which incorporated minor visual and mechanical changes. The front featured a mesh grille with twin quart headlights while under the hood the engine was given a little extra tuning. Production of the Series II continued until 1973 with just over 285 examples being produced. After the Series II came the Series III which incorporated four twin-choke Weber carburetors and a larger hood scoop. The 310 horsepower engine took the car from zero-to-sixty mph in 5.7 seconds, when equipped with the manual transmission. Soon strict emissions and government regulations sent the performance tumbling. A new exhaust and camshaft helped boost power a little but was still down by about ten horsepower.

The Series III continued production from 1973 through 1978 except for 1975 when production was temporarily halted. In total, over 965 examples were produced. Production ceased in 1975 due to financial difficulties. A take-over from a consortium in 1975 meant the company could continue producing vehicles. It was decided that instead of creating new models which often consume large amounts of capital, the company would focus its attention and abilities on fine-tuning the products already in production.

At the Birmingham International Motor Show in 1978, Aston Martin introduced the Series IV, also known as the 'Oscar India.' The hood scoop was replaced with a bulge, and a spoiler could now be found on the rear. On the interior could be found wood trim, not seen on an Aston Martin since the DB2/4 of the 1950's. Most were equipped with Chrysler's Torqueflite 3-speed automatic gearbox. Production continued from 1978 through 1985, with a total of 291 examples being produced.

1978 also saw the introduction of the V8 Volante which was a convertible. Though the United States had strict rules concerning safety and convertibles, many of the 650 Volantes produced during the 12-year period made their way State-side.

In 1985 a partnership was formed with the famous Italian coachbuilder Zagato to build a limited-edition Zagato-bodied version of the V8 Vantage. Sketches were shown to the public at the 1985 Geneva Motorshow with the production version making an appearance a year later. These cars were lighter and smaller with an estimated top speed of around 300 km/h. Though production was limited to only 50 examples, demand was much higher. Even before the cars were produced, the money had already been collected from buyers and the original sticker price had even seen escalation due to the popularity.

Planning always takes a back seat to reality. The car was estimated to have a top speed of 300 km/h but when testing began, the engine proved inadequate to meet the goal. The fuel injection system was replaced with Weber carburetors but this caused a new problem. The hood needed to be enlarged to house the cabs resulting in a design that was not aesthetically pleasing to many customers.

The 'double bubble' roof was Zagato's signature trademark. The aerodynamic body was shorter than its counterpart and weighed 10% less. Handling was considerably better as was the overall performance.

Since the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato was produced in limited numbers many investors purchased the vehicles in hopes of turning a profit. Though the designs are very elegant, the true strength of the car was in its performance; sadly many have not been given the opportunity to prove their potential to their owners.

At the 1986 New York Auto Show, Aston Martin introduced their fuel-injected Series V. Since there were no bulky carburetors, there was no need for the bulge. Production continued until 1989 with around 61 examples being produced.

In 1998 a limited edition version of the Vantage was introduced and dubbed the V600. Outfitted with the 5.3 liter V8 and fitted with dual superchargers, the car was capable of producing an astonishing 600 horsepower. Some of the design cues were taken from the DBR1 LeMans racer that won the 1959 LeMans race. Production was low due to problems with emission regulations. Instead, Aston Martin introduced the V12 Vanquish in 2001.

During the production of the Aston Martin V8, it was hailed by many as Britain's 'super car'. It's eight-cylinder engine was a bold move for the small, low-production quantity Aston Martin firm. In the end, it was the right decision and one that carried the company for many years. Its performance was legendary and the design was elegant.

by Dan Vaughan