1979 Aston Martin V8 Volante

• Aston Martin main dealers H.W Motors Ltd, Walton on Thames, supplied the car new to Roger Taylor on the 26/10/1979
• An understated choice for a founding member of the biggest rock group in the world compared to the extravagances of the late 1970s
• Just 439 V8 Volantes were produced which were based on the Oscar India "saloon" power train and sleeker body panels
• The extensive history files includes three service books with corresponding invoices showing factory servicing and subsequent maintenance by marque specialists
• Restored and finished in the beautiful colour of Buckingham Green with re-trimmed Magnolia leather piped Olive Green
• Entered into the Aston Martin Owner's Club Concours at Blenheim Palace in 2000, the car was placed third
• With an odometer reading of some 103,000 miles (atoc) this car is presented in simply beautiful condition
• The V8 engine's thundering beat complements the car's first owner's status as one of the best drummers in the world.

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 ' 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. We note that the 2021 James Bond film “No Time To Die” features a variant of the original car from 1987 and a renewed interest in the Aston Martin V8 must surely be anticipated.

The first owner of this very special Aston Martin V8 Volante took delivery from H.W Motors Ltd. of Walton-on-Thames on the 26th October 1979. As a founding member of one of the World's most successful supergroups with a legacy that would become eternal, the Aston was a modest choice for Queen drummer Roger Taylor. After being owned by Mr Taylor, the car was acquired by well-known Aston Martin aficionado, Howard Masters. Subsequent owners have maintained the car diligently adding to the extensive history file as one would do the library of an historic house.

The original service book plus two continuation Aston Martin service books are with the car and document the supplying dealer services at 1,078, 4,500 and 9,370 miles before Ian Mason Aston Martin Services took over maintenance at 21,154, 29,488, 36,641, 42,689, 46,238, 50,485, 55,576, 64,060, 69,008, 70,839, 73,588, 75,459, 76,520, 78,206, 79,623 and finally at 80,199 miles in 1997. Runnymede Motor Company then serviced the car at 81,540, 85,046, 93,520, 99,381 and 101,536 miles. Last service by Fisher Performance Cars at 102,400 miles including all front lower arm bushes, rear shock dampers and front anti-roll bar bushes. Adding to the impressive service books are invoices for maintenance and service work dating back to the 1980s, MOTs going back over 20 years, spare keys and handbook.

In later years the car was subjected to a full body restoration by Alan Smith Motors with re-trimming by Gary Wright. It is a reflection of the quality of that work, that the car was placed third at the Aston Martin Owners Club Concours at Blenheim Palace in June 2000. Presenting today in a superb condition in a colour scheme that perhaps suits the V8 Volante the best with the beautiful Burr Walnut dashboard and door inserts complementing the Magnolia leather piped Olive Green and Dark Green carpeting. The mileage was some 103,000 at the time of cataloguing, and the car will receive a fresh MOT prior to the auction.

Often described as the Mustang that went to Eton, the Aston V8 Volante is perhaps the only classic car on the market that combines the subtly aggressive stylings of a muscle car with the luxury that matches any Rolls-Royce of the period. Any car that is good enough for James Bond is special enough and the fact one of the best drummers in the world bought this car new at the height of global success says it all.