2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage - The First Car to Cross the Asia-Pacific Highway

• Manufactured in 2005 in left-hand drive with a manual gearbox and 380bhp from its 4.3-litre V8
• Almost certainly the most well-travelled modern Aston of recent years and presenting very well
• Used by Aston for its Project 30,000. The first car to complete the Asia-Pacific Highway
• The subject of Driven Together by Richard Meredith. A signed copy is included
• Purchased by our Aston-enthusiast vendor at a UNICEF charity auction in December 2007
• Offered from his significant private collection with 207,700km/129,060 miles (atoc)
• Freshly serviced at Rybrook Aston Martin. Recently subject to an advisory-free MOT
• Detailed history file showing factory service invoices and the aforementioned book

Aston Martin's V8 Vantage Coupe was launched at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show and although it resurrected a famous model designation from the Company's past, the Vantage was all-new and featured a 4.3-litre quad-cam V8 engine with dry-sump lubrication. The latter enables the engine to be mounted low in the bonded aluminium body/chassis for better handling, whilst the use of a rear transaxle resulted in near-perfect 49/51 front/rear weight distribution. With 380bhp on tap, the V8 Vantage accelerates from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 5.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 175mph.

The V8 Vantage Coupe offered here is the first car to cover the entire length of the newly completed Asia-Pacific Highway, which stretches 10,000 miles from Tokyo to London. Driven by two intrepid Britons, Richard Meredith and Phil Colley, the V8 Vantage - prepared and loaned to them by Aston Martin - completed the epic journey on 14th August 2007, having travelled for 49 days through 18 countries, raising awareness and much-needed funds for children's road safety campaigns in the developing world. Having featured in 'Project 30,000' in 2006, when 30 employees drove 30,000 miles in 30 days to celebrate Aston Martin's 30,000th production vehicle, the V8 Vantage had already accumulated 100,000 miles before embarking on this marathon expedition.

Prepared at Aston Martin's headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire with minor modifications such as a strengthened sump guard and raised suspension to deal with the often gruelling conditions, this otherwise standard car completed the task without missing a beat, proving a model of reliability and performing faultlessly throughout the trip. There surely has been no sterner test of a modern production sports car.

Richard Meredith and Phil Colley overcame oppressive heat, frustrating bureaucracy, inhospitable terrain, and petrol supply problems to arrive in Trafalgar Square, London on 14th August, exactly as planned. They undertook the challenge, which was titled 'Driving Home Road Safety 2007', with the support of the United Nations, UNICEF and the FIA Foundation. Apart from the aforementioned book by Richard Meredith, a copy of which is included in the sale, we can provide via email a 14-page illustrated PDF document compiled by Mr Meredith that chronicles the journey and items that may be of interest to the buyer.

Purchased from auction on the 3rd December 2007, with the proceeds going to charity, the car joined our vendor's private collection that includes an historically important classic Aston Martin. The car was enjoyed by our vendor for thirteen years, covering some 12,000 miles in it, and the odometer reading is currently 207,700km or 129,000 miles at the time of cataloguing. Our vendor, a retired CEO of a multi-billion pound civil engineering PLC, was awarded a CMG by Her Majesty The Queen in 2004, and now in his mid-seventies, is looking to enjoy his retirement with motorcars that he can tinker with, which precludes a more modern car for obvious reasons.

Presented to auction with a recent main dealer service (October 2020) at Rybrook Aston Martin, Henley in Arden, an MOT valid until September 2021 and in a condition that is more often found in a car with 100,000 fewer miles. This very special V8 Vantage offers a unique opportunity not only for an Aston enthusiast who appreciates its provenance but as a continental tourer that gives modern, manual gearbox sports car performance, in countries that favour the other side of the road.