• Built to EC specification
• Special 'Aston Martin Racing Green' livery
• Numerous extra-cost options
• Offered from an extensive private collection
• Recently recommissioned by Stratton Motor Company

The unique V8 Vantage offered here is one of a series of seven commissioned from Aston Martin by their VIP customer and known as the 'V8 Racing Collection', each of which features a unique livery celebrating Aston Martins Racing heritage. This car carries the iconic metallic racing green that has decorated some of the most important racing Aston Martins, from the elegant sports cars of the 1950s through to the recent V12 and V8 engined GT racers. This livery took Aston Martin back to the top step in the GT1 category of Le Mans in 2007 with the iconic DBR9.

Introduced for the 2006 model year, Aston Martin's V8 Vantage Coupé was launched at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, a convertible Roadster following later that year. Although it resurrected a famous model designation from the Company's past, the latest Vantage was all-new, featuring a 4.3-litre quad-cam V8 engine loosely patterned on Jaguar's 'AJ' unit and equipped in its Aston guise with dry-sump lubrication. The latter enabled the engine to be mounted low in the bonded aluminium body/chassis for better handling, while the use of a rear transaxle resulted in near-perfect 49/51 front/rear weight distribution.

The Vantage was manufactured at Aston Martin's Headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire, a facility that combines the firm's renowned hand-crafted bespoke capabilities with the technology required to manufacture the bonded aluminium body/chassis structure. Exquisitely designed and detailed while possessing class-leading agility and performance, the Vantage was nevertheless a practical two-seater with a large tailgate providing access to the 300-litre rear luggage compartment. The Vantage also benefited from numerous passive and active safety systems.

In May 2008, Aston Martin introduced numerous updates for the Vantage, the most significant being an extensively revised engine of 4.7 litres capacity producing 420bhp and 347lb/ft of torque (a 15% increase). There was also new software for the 'Sportshift' automated manual transmission and stiffened suspension featuring Bilstein dampers. New styles of wheels were also part of the update. Thanks to the increased power and torque there was a welcome boost in performance, the 0-60mph (97km/h) time dropping to 4.7 seconds and the top speed increasing to 180mph.

Built to EC specifications, this car boasts numerous special features in addition to the generous inventory of standard equipment. Option highlights include the following: special Aston Martin Racing Green paintwork; Russet interior trim; Gunmetal facia trim; black steering wheel; red brake callipers; power-fold exterior mirrors; 19" 10-spoke alloy wheels; Xenon HID headlamps with power wash; 700W premium audio with Dolby Pro Logic II; cruise control; memory seats; memory exterior mirrors; satellite navigation; voice activated Bluetooth telephone; and auto-dimming interior mirror.

The Vantage has been kept on static display as part of the vendor's extensive private collection. Benefiting from recent recommissioning by Stratton Motor Company (invoice on file), it is offered with photocopies of the sales invoice, specification sheet, Swiss Carte Grise and EC Certificate of Conformity, the latter stating that this car can be permanently registered in EC member states that have right-hand traffic and use metric units for the speedometer.

Please note that this vehicle is only offered with a photocopy of its old registration document, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction. Please contact the department for further information.

Please note that this vehicle is from outside the UK. Our customs agents, CARS UK, will manage all post sale customs administration. A fee of £350+VAT will be charged on the buyer's invoice to administer both import or export customs movements. If the buyer also chooses to ship with CARS UK, this will be quoted separately. If this vehicle is to stay in the UK, it will be subject to Import VAT at the standard rate of 20% and Import Duty at 10%+VAT on the hammer price. This vehicle will not be available for immediate collection after the sale and will only be released on completion of customs clearance. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department.