1979 Aston Martin V8 Volante

The first Aston Martin V8 Volante rolled off the production line at Newport Pagnell in 1978 to worldwide acclaim and went on to be Aston's saviour. Much like its older siblings, the DB5 and DB6, the V8 Volante kept the order books full by conquering the North American market. As the convertible version of the new luxury Oscar India V8, the car had the brutish good looks of an aristocratic rugby player and the interior refinement of a gentleman's club. If the contemporary Ferrari of its day was likened to a 'prancing playboy in snakeskin loafers' the Aston V8 Volante was the solid chap in burnished brogues, equally at ease in town or country. When Timothy Dalton took over as James Bond in the 1987 film "The Living Daylights" he did so behind the wheel of the most appropriate car of its era, a V8 Volante. Bestowing the virtues of its heritage, luxury and power, the V8 Volante helped ease Mr Dalton into the role of the quintessential British spy. The car was to feature prominently throughout the film, with the "Winterised" version eventually falling foul of its own self-destruct button. This 1979 V8 Volante has the distinction of being an early right-hand drive Volante in rare Tourmaline Blue with Fawn leather piped blue. The 5.3 litre V8 barks into life effortlessly and then settles to a contented burble. When the current owner purchased the car from Aston specialists Runnymeade in 2010 he started a comprehensive period of restoration and enhancement to his own exacting standards and lots of corrective work was carried out to the boot floor, sills and floor pan. The notoriously fickle servo assisted brakes were rebuilt and now stop the car without a heart-lurching pause and the suspension, which takes a bit of a hammering in such a heavy car, was stripped, re-bushed and reassembled to the factory settings. The dark blue mohair hood works perfectly at the touch of a button. At this time the owner decided to enhance his driving pleasure by commissioning the respected Aston Workshop to fit a six-speed gearbox from a DB7, effortlessly mating the 5.3 litre V8 to the transmission. The original automatic gearbox and all its ancillaries were retained and will be supplied with the car. To suit the conversion, the speedometer was replaced with a later Aston model with a digital odometer and blends in easily amongst the burr walnut surround. The original indicated mileage of 43,966 is believed to have been correct and marries nicely with a number of bills and old MoTs on file. Since this work was carried out, the current owner has added a mere 2,900 miles. The history file lists nearly £50,000 worth of service and maintenance bills by Aston main dealers and marque specialists. There are over 180 photographs in the history file, detailing the work at various stages. The car is regretfully offered for sale as the vendor has numerous business commitments and no local storage, and after a 'last hurrah' with his family on board to Goodwood Revival, is ready to part with his beloved Aston. Presenting today, to this consignor's eye, in a good used condition this lovely Aston stands square in a fabulous colour combination. There are some small patches of paint reaction evident, however, the mechanical and underbody components appear to be in tip top condition.

The private registration has been retained since photography and the car is now registered with its original number 'OPT 775'.

With prices of Volantes reaching ever higher and offered with the original gearbox and components should the new owner choose to restore it to its original specification, this car offers superlative value in this heightened Aston market.