Aston Martin V8 Volante - 1989
Bonhams
Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris
The Grand Palais Éphémère
Place Joffre
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2023
Estimated : € 200.000 - 240.000
Sold for $ 207.000
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 customer demand 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 top 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 top down, the Volante's 150mph maximum nevertheless ranked it among the world's fastest convertibles.
The V8 Volante received the same periodic upgrades and refinements as the saloon version, adopting BBS wheels in 1983 and switching to Weber-Marelli fuel injection – and a flatter bonnet – in 1986. V8 Volante and Vantage Volante chassis numbers ran from '15001' to '15849', a total of 849 cars. The last V8 Volantes were built in 1989.
According to copies of Aston Martin's factory build records, this elegant V8 Volante was hand built at Aston Martin's Newport Pagnell plant during the spring of 1989, and was among the last 80 cars produced in the final year of production. The car received the final inspections in March 1989 and was then shipped from the UK to the USA. The car was of left-hand-drive configuration and was equipped with the desirable ZF five-speed manual transmission. The Volante was finished in British Racing Green with a fawn leather interior, beige carpeting and a fawn Everflex convertible top, just as it appears today. It is believed that this car was among just 13 V8 Volantes produced for the United States market in 1989, not all of which would have had the desirable ZF manual ZF transmission.
The new V8 Volante was delivered to its first owner, a Mr A M Pilaro of Southampton, NY through the Greenwich, Connecticut-based Aston Martin agency, Miller Motors. The car is believed to have remained with this first owner until 2016, being kept in excellent original condition. The CARFAX report issued for the Volante has recorded the mileage since new, and many New York State inspections are logged on the report.
The current vendor purchased the Aston at Bonhams' Amelia Island sale in March 2017. At that time we said the following: "Today this highly original Aston Martin shows less than 17,500 miles on the odometer, a figure that is indeed believed to be original. A major service was recently performed by Aston Martin of Long Island, NY. A solid and very well cared for car; close inspection of the Aston Martin V8 Volante reveals mostly original finishes throughout. The luxurious cabin presents beautifully, with the original interior and wood finishes intact. The dash pad and steering wheel are neatly colour-coded in green, matching the car's exterior. A set of custom luggage can be found in the trunk, also trimmed in green. The exterior looks magnificent, with sparkling chrome and brightwork, and the original BBS alloy wheels in place."
Our vendor paid the shipping costs back to Europe and paid the necessary EU duties. The owner then spent some £38,000 with respected marque specialist Chris Shenton on various works including the installation of the aesthetically more appealing EU-specification chromed bumpers (bills on file).
As a desirably equipped example built in the final year of the V8 Volante production run, this immaculate Aston Martin features all the refinements accumulated during the V8's evolution and must be considered among the best examples currently available. A set of AML fitted luggage is included in the sale.
Aston Martin V8 Volante - 1989
Bonhams
Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris
The Grand Palais Éphémère
Place Joffre
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2023
Estimated : € 200.000 - 240.000
Sold for $ 207.000
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 customer demand 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 top 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 top down, the Volante's 150mph maximum nevertheless ranked it among the world's fastest convertibles.
The V8 Volante received the same periodic upgrades and refinements as the saloon version, adopting BBS wheels in 1983 and switching to Weber-Marelli fuel injection – and a flatter bonnet – in 1986. V8 Volante and Vantage Volante chassis numbers ran from '15001' to '15849', a total of 849 cars. The last V8 Volantes were built in 1989.
According to copies of Aston Martin's factory build records, this elegant V8 Volante was hand built at Aston Martin's Newport Pagnell plant during the spring of 1989, and was among the last 80 cars produced in the final year of production. The car received the final inspections in March 1989 and was then shipped from the UK to the USA. The car was of left-hand-drive configuration and was equipped with the desirable ZF five-speed manual transmission. The Volante was finished in British Racing Green with a fawn leather interior, beige carpeting and a fawn Everflex convertible top, just as it appears today. It is believed that this car was among just 13 V8 Volantes produced for the United States market in 1989, not all of which would have had the desirable ZF manual ZF transmission.
The new V8 Volante was delivered to its first owner, a Mr A M Pilaro of Southampton, NY through the Greenwich, Connecticut-based Aston Martin agency, Miller Motors. The car is believed to have remained with this first owner until 2016, being kept in excellent original condition. The CARFAX report issued for the Volante has recorded the mileage since new, and many New York State inspections are logged on the report.
The current vendor purchased the Aston at Bonhams' Amelia Island sale in March 2017. At that time we said the following: "Today this highly original Aston Martin shows less than 17,500 miles on the odometer, a figure that is indeed believed to be original. A major service was recently performed by Aston Martin of Long Island, NY. A solid and very well cared for car; close inspection of the Aston Martin V8 Volante reveals mostly original finishes throughout. The luxurious cabin presents beautifully, with the original interior and wood finishes intact. The dash pad and steering wheel are neatly colour-coded in green, matching the car's exterior. A set of custom luggage can be found in the trunk, also trimmed in green. The exterior looks magnificent, with sparkling chrome and brightwork, and the original BBS alloy wheels in place."
Our vendor paid the shipping costs back to Europe and paid the necessary EU duties. The owner then spent some £38,000 with respected marque specialist Chris Shenton on various works including the installation of the aesthetically more appealing EU-specification chromed bumpers (bills on file).
As a desirably equipped example built in the final year of the V8 Volante production run, this immaculate Aston Martin features all the refinements accumulated during the V8's evolution and must be considered among the best examples currently available. A set of AML fitted luggage is included in the sale.