Beschreibung:

With the introduction of the Vantage Zagato in 1986, Aston Martin renewed its association with one of Italy’s most illustrious carrozzeria, Zagato having been responsible for that most celebrated and desirable of all post-war Aston Martin coupes, the DB4GT Zagato. Neighbouring stands at the 1984 Geneva Salon facilitated the initial contact between Aston boss Victor Gauntlett and the Zagato brothers, and by the following year the project had progressed sufficiently for Aston to accept deposits on the 50 production cars planned. Part of Zagato’s brief was to shed some of the standard Vantage’s not inconsiderable weight, and this was achieved by the simple expedient of shortening the wheelbase by a little over 17cm and deleting the rear seats, thus creating the first production two-seater since the DB4GT. The 5.3-litre four-cam V8 was, naturally, to Vantage specification, producing a mind-bending 432bhp at 6,200rpm. The first prototype was shown to the public at Geneva in March 1986, and in June successfully met its design target by achieving a top speed of 185.63mph (298.75km/h) while on test with the French magazine Sport Auto, a mere fraction away from the target 300km/h maximum. The fact that the projected price had risen from £70,000 to £87,000 between the car’s announcement in March 1985 and its arrival did nothing to deter the 50 customers, all of whom had all paid deposits of £15,000 by August 1985. In July 1986 Aston Martin cemented its relationship with Zagato by taking a 50% stake in the Italian company. One of just 52 cars eventually constructed, Aston Martin Vantage Zagato ‘G908 CPL’ was first registered in 1990, serviced at Aston Martin Works Service in 1996 at 450 miles and subsequently with Sargeants of Goudhurst. The current recorded mileage is 902.