Last standard V8 Volante off the production line
1989 Aston Martin V8 Volante

•Ordered new by our vendor in 1986
•Delivered in November 1989
•Factory provenance on file
•Recently checked and lightly serviced by R S Williams

"It's not by any means the world's most expensive drophead in production (the Corniche costs an extra £23,000) nor is it quite the quickest, though a Porsche Cabrio would have to be very well driven to get away from it, but the Aston Martin Volante is perhaps the greatest. It is a true sports car which is also luxuriously comfortable." - Fast Lane.

Aston Martin had always intended the DBS to house its new V8 engine, but production difficulties meant that the car first appeared with the DB6's 4.0-litre six. Bigger and more luxuriously appointed than the DB6, the heavyweight DBS disappointed some by virtue of its slightly reduced performance, but there were no complaints when the V8 finally arrived in 1969. With an estimated 315bhp available from its 5,340cc four-cam motor, the DBS V8 could reach 100mph in under 14 seconds, running on to a top speed of 160mph, a staggering performance in those days and one which fully justified the claim that it was the fastest production car in the world.

After Aston Martin's acquisition by Company Developments in 1972, production resumed with the Series 2, now known as the Aston Martin V8 and distinguishable by a restyled front end recalling the looks of earlier Astons. The most successful Aston Martin ever, the V8 survived the changes of ownership and financial upheavals of the 1970s, enjoying a record-breaking production run lasting from 1969 to 1988, with 2,919 cars sold.

Described by former Aston Martin Chairman Victor Gauntlett as, 'a stylish thoroughbred, beautifully built, luxurious, fast and immensely safe,' the V8 was built in several variants, one of the more exclusive being the Volante convertible. Introduced in response to customers' demands for such a car, the Volante first appeared in June 1978. Arguably the ultimate in soft-top luxury, the newcomer boasted a lined, power-operated hood which, when erected, endowed the walnut embellished interior with all the solidity and refinement associated with the saloon version. Although its open-car aerodynamics meant that top speed suffered with the hood down, the Volante's 150mph maximum nevertheless ranked it among the world's fastest convertibles. V8 Volante and Vantage Volante chassis numbers ran from '15001' to '15849', a total of 849 cars.

Chassis number '15844' comes with copies of original factory correspondence showing that our vendor ordered this V8 Volante in July 1986, specifying well in advance that it should be the last production model built (production would continue until 1989). On file is a letter from Nicholas Mee, then Aston Martin's Sales Manager, confirming that '15844' is 'the last standard V8 Volante chassis number built by Aston Martin'. The use of the word 'standard' is significant, as there are a few Vantage Volantes with higher numbers. Dated 2nd November 1989, the sales invoice records the specification as follows: Manual Gearbox; British Racing Green paint; Dark Green-piped Fawn hide interior; spare front footwell carpets; badge bar; lockable centre armrest; sunken switches; and coin tray in place of ashtray. The car also comes with its full set of green leather luggage.

To date this historic V8 Volante has covered only some 700 miles from new, and has just been checked over and lightly serviced by marque specialists R S Williams. As well as the aforementioned correspondence, the history file also contains details of the car's early service history, owner's handbook, fuel injection supplement, service book (no stamps), warranty, wiring diagram, and operating instructions for the Blaupunkt Toronto radio. With its 'POW' appearance, manual gearbox and supreme history, this must be the best V8 Volante on the market today.

It should be noted that the AMOC Register (2000) lists two V8 Volantes with higher chassis numbers than '15844'. Their chassis numbers are outside of the main production sequence so presumably these cars were built to special order at a later date.