Footnotes

With the resurrection of the 'Vantage' name in 1977, Aston Martin enthusiasts everywhere breathed a sigh of relief; previously applied to high-power versions of the DB six-cylinder cars, it had been dormant since the V8's arrival back in 1969. A heavier car than its six-cylinder predecessor, the V8 suffered as emissions legislation became ever more strangulating, leading to concern that Aston Martin's traditional performance image might be lost. The arrival of the Vantage dispelled any such worries.

Propelling Aston's V8 back into the supercar league was a tuned version of the existing 5,340cc engine breathing through a quartet of 48mm Weber carburettors rather than the standard 42mm instruments. Valves and ports were enlarged and the camshafts changed, the end result being an estimated maximum output of around 375-380bhp - in Rolls-Royce fashion the factory chose not to disclose the actual figure, merely claiming that power was 'adequate'.

In 1978 the V8 Vantage earned the title of 'world's fastest accelerating production car' and throughout its life delivered outstanding performance by any standard, accelerating to 60mph in just 5.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 175mph. With such high speeds attainable, aerodynamic refinements were called for; thus the Vantage gained a deep front 'chin' spoiler, blanked off front grille and a boot lid spoiler, the latter being bolted on to the earliest cars and later integrated into the bodywork. There were commensurate improvements to the suspension, brakes and tyres. Unlike the V8 saloon, which reverted to fuel injection in 1986, the V8 Vantage kept its 48IDF Weber carburettors to the end of production in December 1989, by which time 361 cars had been built.

Originally finished in Old English Pewter with Fawn trim, chassis number '12204' was delivered equipped with the following options: two detachable headrests; electric sliding roof; headlamp wash/wipe; lambs' wool front seat covers; and lockable filler caps. The car's first owner was P Crane Esq of GTV Caravans, Bristol.

The current owner purchased the Vantage from respected Aston Martin specialist Keith Riddington's Classicmobilia in October 2010, by which time it had been refinished in California Sage and re-trimmed in Magnolia. Accompanying purchase paperwork records the displayed mileage as 61,000 and states that the Aston had recently been subject to a full engine rebuild and replacement clutch. The car is offered with an old-style V5C Registration Certificate and copies of factory build documents. As the Vantage was exported, an application will need to be made to retain the registration number.

The V8 Vantage has been on static display for a number of years and will require recommissioning prior to road use. Please also note the Lot will attract the reduced 5% import tariff if it is to remain in the UK.