1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato

The V8 Vantage Zagato was the ultimate iteration of the Aston Martin V8, clothed in a lightweight coachbuilt aluminium body by Zagato on a shortened version of the mighty Vantage 580X platform, featuring the 432bhp V580X drive train and over 100kgs weight saving over the standard Vantage, giving the Zagato scintillating performance

Just 52 cars were constructed, including the pre-production ‘20010’ and prototype ‘20011’. Of the 50 ‘production’ cars only 27 were right-hand drive manual transmission models like this car. Of these cars only two were finished in Gladiator Red, this car is trimmed with red-piped Parchment leather while the other has a black interior, making both cars unique

In an accompanying letter dated 31st March 1998, Stratton Motor Company states that it had collected the Zagato by transporter from Newport Pagnell on 12th November 1987 before selling it to a Mr Saunderson, who never took delivery. During subsequent changes of ownership, the car never left Stratton’s storage facility. When it was eventually registered in January 1990 to Mr Michael Fleming, the car had still not been used. Stratton’s later reacquired it. Their managing Director, Roger Bennington, concludes the letter by saying: ‘The only person to have driven this Zagato since leaving the factory is myself, on the occasional removal from storage to run the engine.’

Acquired in the mid 1990s by respected Aston Martin broker Andre Bloom on behalf of a client with a significant private collection of sports cars, the Zagato remained under his careful custody with regular maintenance carried out ‘in house’ by workshop personnel and resident fully qualified Aston Martin mechanical engineer in order to ensure the car has remained ‘on the button’ despite its incredibly low mileage. This has included regularly running the engine up to full operating temperature and yearly replacement of all fluids, filters and the battery

 With just four recorded keepers from new, we are delighted to offer this special Aston on behalf of the vendor who has owned the car for the past decade. The Zagato remains 100% factory correct, even down to retaining the protective wax coating sprayed over the engine bay before it left Newport Pagnell.

With only 397 miles recorded, this rare and desirable Aston Martin is a timewarp example and arguably one of, if not the most original example of its type extant having been carefully stored in dehumidified professional storage for its entire life. Presented in effectively ‘as new’ condition and thus represents a unique opportunity for collectors to own this exceptional specimen of the flagship V8 Vantage model range in a unique colour combination, offered with owner’s handbook, V5 registration document and its Vehicle Storage Maintenance Log detailing dates and mileage of all works carried out from new