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| Aston Martin Vantage SWB Volante Special Edition Bonhams Aston Martin Sale at Newport Pagnell 12th May 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Bonhams Auction 12 May 2007 Aston Martin and Lagonda Motor Cars and related Automobilia Aston Martin Lagonda Limited Works Service Newport Pagnell Bucks Automobilia starting at 13:00 Aston Martin and Lagonda Motor Cars starting at 15:30 Due to some considerable early success and a great number of customer requests, the Special Projects Team at Aston Martin’s Works Service began a feasibility study to investigate the possibility of building the ultimate convertible Aston Martin. This was to become the Supercharged V8 Vantage Volante Special Edition. Under the direction and guidance of Works Service Director Kingsley Riding-Felce, the Special Projects Team had become synonymous with the development and building of many significant coachbuilt Aston Martin and Lagonda models for discerning owners around the world. A great deal of research was carried out and the business decision made to manufacture the ‘last of the line’ nine Vantage Volantes to a unique specification. Of these, one would be built to former long-wheelbase Vantage Volante specification while the remaining eight would all become ‘SWB’ Vantage Volantes on the Vantage coupé’s shorter wheelbase. Of these, three were built to European left-hand drive specification and five were UK right-hand drive. This special project encompassed all the development, skill and expertise amassed in the creation of Aston Martin’s V8 product range spanning 30 years, and these special Works Service versions were fully homologated and type-approved. This programme was the pinnacle of a special era of hand-built Newport Pagnell cars that never could or will be repeated again. Such was the enthusiasm and dedication of the owners that the Works Service team built each car to a different specification, a situation not unlike that of the 19 DB4GT Zagatos built in the 1960s. Some incorporated the limited edition Vantage Le Mans Coupé features (including ‘71001’, the car offered here) while others added items of their own or elected to have the engine performance upgraded to 600bhp after the car had been registered. Because these eight Aston Martins were built as the last of the line their assembly was with unsurpassed care and a passion that has become synonymous with Aston Martin over the years. A limited edition of special chassis numbers was allocated to the cars and a certificate was produced and personally signed by Robert A Dover, the Chairman of the company at that time. Each owner’s handbook was specially written for each car to incorporate its unique individual characteristics. In addition a special limited edition brochure was produced and the whole of the manufacturing process for each car was photographed and placed into an album to record for prosperity that special moment in the company’s history. Although the first chassis number of the sequence, ‘71001’ is the last of the nine cars to be completed. The vendor, its sole owner from new, is a noted Aston Martin collector whose stable includes - and has included - DB4GT Zagato, DB4GT, this car and other modern exotica. He assisted in the conception of this special edition project, working closely with Kingsley Riding-Felce at Works Service to ensure that these cars were every bit as good as the idea. ‘71001’ is finished in Antrim Blue with dark blue-piped parchment trim, blue Wilton carpeting and blue mohair hood lined in parchment Alcantara. This car is noted for having a full complement of options including Le Mans starter button and control pedals; Le Mans instruments and burr walnut woodwork to suit; hood envelope fixed to seat back; parchment Alcantara seat inserts and door pads to Le Mans specification; square side repeaters; unique rear-wing styling features requested by the vendor; and works coachbuild badges to the rear wings. This unique and rare Aston Martin is available for purchase with a mere 13,000-or-so miles recorded and is presented in commensurately good condition. It was last serviced by HWM Motors in August 2006. (It should be noted that the seller is willing to offer the buyer the registration number ‘V600 AMV’ via a private treaty sale). Offered with current MoT/road fund licence and Swansea V5 registration document, ‘71001’ represents what may be the only opportunity to purchase one of these very special and unrepeatable motor cars, perhaps for very many years to come. Sold on the 12.05.2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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