1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Sports Saloon
Registration no. B535 LNU
Chassis no. 12472

With the resurrection of the 'Vantage' name in 1977, Aston Martin enthusiasts everywhere breathed a sigh of relief; previously applied to high-power versions of the DB six-cylinder cars, it had been dormant since the V8's arrival back in 1969. A heavier car than its six-cylinder predecessor, the V8 suffered as emissions legislation became ever more strangulating, leading to concern that Aston Martin's traditional performance image might be lost. The arrival of the Vantage dispelled any such worries.

Propelling Aston's V8 back into the supercar league was a tuned version of the existing 5,340cc engine breathing through a quartet of 48mm Weber carburettors rather than the standard 42mm instruments. Valves and ports were enlarged and the camshafts changed, the end result being an estimated maximum output of around 375-380bhp - in Rolls-Royce fashion the factory chose not to disclose the actual figure, merely claiming that power was 'adequate'.

In 1978 the V8 Vantage earned the title of 'world's fastest accelerating production car' and throughout its life delivered outstanding performance by any standard, accelerating to 60mph in just 5.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 175mph. With such high speeds attainable, aerodynamic refinements were called for. Thus the Vantage gained a deep front 'chin' spoiler, blanked off front grille, and a boot lid spoiler, the latter being bolted on to the earliest cars and later integrated into the bodywork. There were commensurate improvements to the suspension, brakes, and tyres.

Offered here is an example of the (AMOC designated) 'Series 2' Vantage, which featured the extensive mechanical and bodywork revisions of the 'Series 4' (Oscar India) V8 saloon. '12472' appears to have benefited from an extensive restoration at some point in its past, these works included renewing the sills and a full re-spray, and has bills on file for other work carried out by marque specialists Oselli. The history file is substantial, containing numerous bills from Aston Martin, a quantity of expired tax disks and MoTs; a CD-ROM of photographs; and old/current V5C Registration Certificates. Freshly MoT'd, the car also comes with its original jack, tool kit, triangle, spare wheel, and a spare set of keys.