Supplied byStratstone of Mayfair on the 21/01/1994Order confirmation letter in the file from Stratstoneconfirms that it was the thirdnew Volante built to full 6.3 Widebody specification for registration in the UKSuperbly finished in BuckinghamGreen with a black leather interior piped in SpruceSubstantial service and MOT invoicefrom Joe Macari in 2011 in the file showing a mileage of 10,486Most recent servicein September 2019 at10,878 miles. MOT valid until 01/10/2020Original book pack and leather wallet plus supporting history fileThe Volante (convertible) had been the big seller of the previous generation of AM V8s, so the only surprise was that it took Aston Martin more than two years from the Virage Coup's introduction to come up with a soft-top sister. The production Virage Volante debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1991, a prototype having been displayed at Birmingham's NEC the previous October. Weighing in at over two tonnes, the open Volante was even heavier than the closed coup, itself no lightweight, this increase in weight beingaccounted for by considerable body strengthening to compensate for the absent roof, plus the extra complication of the power-operated convertible hood. Electrically powered, the latter was beautifully made and incorporated a glass rear window, complete with heated de-misting elements. Mechanically the Volante remained much the same as its closed cousin, though with a slightly lower final drive.However, there was no disguising the fact that the Volante simply lacked 'grunt' and from the outset,Aston engineers began working on the problem.Their solution, ahead of the forthcoming twin-supercharged Vantage, was for the Works Service Department to offer 6.3-litre conversions for the existing 5,340cc V8-engined cars. Introduced in January 1992, this package could cost more than 60,000 (depending on options) and offered increased power whilst offering a menu of modifications to the bodywork, suspension, and brakes.Power was upped to circa 450bhp, thanks to boring and stroking the V8 to 6.3-litres, which gave the two-tonne leviathan "more grunt than a pigsty" and, to cope, huge ventilated brakes were fitted to all corners, along with bigger 'OZ' alloy-wheels/tyres, all tucked neatly under muscularflared arches. Most crucially, the suspension was uprated, and a conventional de-Dion rear end was fitted, using Watts linkage/radius arm location, whilst at the front the spring rates were increased. The suspension tuning was the work of Rod Mansfield, the legendary Ford SVO engineer. In addition to the wider wheel arches, there were a number of other bodywork modifications, air dams, sills etc that appeared on the large engined 'Widebody' cars andcustomers with no need for the 6.3's improved performance but who, nevertheless, appreciated the aggressive looks of the 'Widebody', could order the package's cosmetic items in isolation. Aston Martin themselves recognised this demand, building a number ofVolantes to 'Cosmetic Widebody' specificationbut naturally, it is the genuine factory original Widebody cars that are the more desirable and valuable. Only 26 factory-built Widebody cars were ever produced and further provenance with this car is in the fact that according to the Order Confirmation letter in the file from Stratstone to the purchaser, this is the thirdnew Volante built to full 6.3 specifications for registration in the UK.This lovely examplewas supplied by Stratstone and first registered on 21/01/1994 to its first owner who lived in Cavendish Square, London which might explain the low mileage. It was finished in the classic Aston colours ofBuckinghamGreen with a Black leather interior piped in Spruce and, as you might expect with a mileage of less than 11,000 from new, remains in wonderful condition. Its first owner parted with the car in 2017 and since then it has been relaxing in a significant private collection.There is a substantial service and MOT invoicefrom Joe Macari in 2011 in the file showing a mileage of 10,486 and the documentedMOT history is as follows;1997 @ 7,333, 1999 @ 8,105, 2000 @ 8,685, 2001 @ 9,123, 2004 @ 9,668, 2005 @ 10,048, 2007 @ 10,193, 2008 @ 10,312, 2011 @ 10,486, 2016 @ 10,694. The car is supplied with itsV5C registration document, thecurrent MOT valid until October 2020, together with a history folder confirming the low mileage and the original Bill of Sale showing the final invoice price of 195,236.Although the original Virage was not universally admired, the 6.3-litre Widebody was acclaimed by all as the car the Virage should have been all along and this rare, factory-built Volante, in sparkling condition with its tiny mileage must surely represent a serious investment opportunity.