1989 Aston Martin V8 Volante
Registration no. F507 GNT
Chassis no. SCFCV81C5KTR15757

'It's not by any means the world's most expensive drophead in production (the Corniche costs an extra £23,000) nor is it quite the quickest, though a Porsche Cabrio would have to be very well driven to get away from it, but the Aston Martin Volante is perhaps the greatest. It is a true sports car which is also luxuriously comfortable.' - Fast Lane.

Aston Martin had always intended the DBS to house its new V8 engine, but production difficulties meant that the car first appeared with the DB6's 4.0-litre six. Bigger and more luxuriously appointed than the DB6, the heavyweight DBS disappointed some by virtue of its slightly reduced performance, but there were no complaints when the V8 finally arrived in 1969. With an estimated 315bhp available from its 5,340cc four-cam motor, the DBS V8 could reach 100mph in under 14 seconds, running on to a top speed of 160mph, a staggering performance in those days and one which fully justified the claim that it was the fastest production car in the world.

After Aston Martin's acquisition by Company Developments in 1972, production resumed with the Series 2, now known as the Aston Martin V8 and distinguishable by a restyled front end recalling the looks of earlier Astons. The most successful Aston Martin ever, the V8 survived the changes of ownership and financial upheavals of the 1970s, enjoying a record-breaking production run lasting from 1969 to 1988, with 2,919 cars sold.

Described by former Aston Martin Chairman Victor Gauntlett as, 'a stylish thoroughbred, beautifully built, luxurious, fast and immensely safe,' the V8 was built in several variants, one of the more exclusive being the Volante. Introduced in response to customers' demands for such a car, the Volante first appeared in June 1978. Arguably the ultimate in soft-top luxury, the newcomer boasted a lined, power-operated hood which, when erected, endowed the walnut embellished interior with all the solidity and refinement associated with the saloon version. Although its open-car aerodynamics meant that top speed suffered with the hood down, the Volante's 140mph maximum nevertheless ranked it among the world's fastest. V8 Volante and Vantage Volante chassis numbers ran from '15001' to '15849', a total of 849 cars.

Chassis number '15757' is a fuel-injected Series 2 model equipped with automatic transmission. The car was purchased new from Aston Martin Sales Limited on 27th January 1989 by one Ryder Ascott Esq of Blackheath, London SE3. A copy of the sales invoice records that '15757' was delivered fitted with a Vantage type bonnet and front spoiler, and a blanked front grille. The car also comes with a copy of the original warranty document recording the first registration as 'F878 PYV'.

In May 1998, '15757' was sold by renowned marque specialists R S Williams Ltd, probably to Mr I Miller of Woodside Park, London N12. There are numerous RSW service invoices on file made out to Mr Miller and subsequent owner Mr D Gradi of Willaston, Cheshire (believed to be football manager Dario Gradi of Crewe Alexandra). The current vendor purchased the Aston from R S Williams in December 2015. Expired MoTs on file confirm that it has covered only 10,000 miles in the last 10 years, Offered with a current V5C document and full service history, '15757' has covered only some 18,500 miles since it left the Newport Pagnell factory and is presented in generally excellent condition.