1989 Aston Martin V8 Vantage 'X-Pack' Sports Saloon
Registration no. G499 TYT
Chassis no. 12691

'People who buy the Vantage will do so in the first place for its performance, and they will not be disappointed. The figures speak for themselves. But they should take extra heart because it is one of the easiest true high performance cars to drive well: and it has been given brakes to match. In comfort too, it has much to offer, and there is a great deal of what is best in the British tradition of designing and building sports cars in its making.' - Autocar.

The performance figures Autocar referred to were a 0-60mph time of 5.4 seconds and an estimated top speed of 170mph, figures comparable with those achievable by a Ferrari Daytona or Lamborghini Miura.

With the introduction of the Vantage in 1977, Aston Martin's V8 was thrust back into the supercar league. The name had previously been applied to high-power versions of the DB six-cylinder cars, and in the V8's case the Vantage tune delivered around 375bhp; in Rolls-Royce fashion the factory chose not to disclose the actual figure, merely claiming that power was 'adequate'. Its superior performance aside, the Vantage was readily distinguishable from the standard product by virtue of its blocked-off bonnet scoop, blanked air intake, front chin spoiler and lip on the boot lid.

ZF five-speed manual transmission was standard equipment, though a handful of Vantages were built with the Torqueflite automatic gearbox. With either transmission performance was shattering, the Vantage's 0-100mph time of 12.7 seconds making it the world's fastest accelerating production car at that time. For those with a yen for even greater performance, there was the factory's optional 'X-Pack' of engine enhancements that raised peak power to a mighty 432bhp. By way of comparison, Ferrari's contemporary 12-cylinder Testarossa could only manage a relatively paltry 390 horsepower.

The rare V8 Vantage X-Pack offered here, chassis number '12691', is one of the very last built prior to the model's demise in 1989; in fact, only five right-hand drive manual transmission V8 Vantage saloons were built subsequently. The Aston was delivered new on 1st August 1989 to its first owner, Mr Michael Goold of W A Goold (Holdings) Ltd, who appointed official Aston Martin service dealer Chapman-Spooner Ltd of Aldridge, West Midlands to undertake its routine maintenance. Following Chapman-Spooner's closure in the mid-1990s, John Lane (formerly the Service Manager at Chapman-Spooner) was employed privately in conjunction with André Bloom Thoroughbreds to continue the maintenance of 'G499 TYT'.

In total, the Vantage was serviced on ten occasions up to September 1995 (at 41,808 miles) and details of all these are on file in the form of the stamped service booklet and numerous invoices, testifying to the owner's meticulous attention to detail. Every MoT certificate issued is available also.

After a brief period in storage with an Aston Martin distributor in the West Midlands, the Vantage was next serviced in July 1996 at 42,006 miles. The car remained in storage until August 1998, and in 1999 was despatched to Daypaul Auto Refinishers of Brownhills, West Midlands for full refurbishment. The latter included stripping the bodywork back to bare metal and then repainting it in the original colour of Salisbury Blue. Simultaneously, the underside was stripped back to bare metal, refinished and Waxoyl injected. The alloy wheels were refurbished and various items of brightwork re-plated. Subsequent to this comprehensive refurbishment, in late 1999, the Aston was transported back to the Goold Group's premises where John Lane de-commission the car and placed it on blocks for long term storage (recorded mileage 42,392).

Over the course of the next few years, the Vantage was annually removed from storage, serviced and exercised, the fuel tank being replaced during this period. In October 2003, the car was re-commissioned and offered for sale by André Bloom Thoroughbreds, the recorded mileage at this time being 42,413. Second owner, Mr P Sutherland of London WC2, purchased the Aston in January 2004. André Bloom and marque specialist Rikki Cann maintained the car for Mr Sutherland, and another routine service was carried out in March 2004.

The current (third) owner purchased the Aston in 2007, since when it has formed part of an eclectic collection of classic cars ranging from an original early Mini Cooper S to a concours Aston Martin DB5. While in the vendor's care, the Vantage has been maintained regardless of cost by Rikki Cann. Works carried out over the last 11 years include a full brake and suspension overhaul in 2010 (£16,000), an engine overhaul and upgrade in 2011 (£30,000) and a routine service and other minor works in 2013 (£2,105). Undertaken at circa 46,000 miles, the aforementioned engine rebuild included new pistons and cylinder liners; converting the cylinder heads to accept unleaded fuel; overhauling the Weber carburettors; and detailing the engine bay, etc.

Offered with service book, owner's handbook, tool kit, jack, and warning triangle, the detailed history file contains copies of every invoice, numerous expired MoTs, and the current V5C Registration Certificate. Well maintained throughout its life, this exciting Aston Martin Vantage X-Pack has covered only some 49,500 miles from new is freshly MoT'd and ready for sale.