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Aston Martin Vantage Zagato (1986-1988)

Aston Martin V8 Zagato

  • Production Dates: [Saloon: 1986–1988]  [Volante: 1987–1988]

The new Vantage Zagato was first shown as a design at Geneva in 1985. All 50 copies were bought on the basis of drawings and a scale model. Three prototypes appeared a year later at Geneva in 1986.

A Volante version made its debut at the 1987 Geneva Auto Show and was offered at an even more limited run of only 25, although a total of 37 were eventually made due to high demand.

Styling changes from the coupe include flip-up front headlight covers and the removal of the hood bulge, which was not required with the less powerful engine. Not all the Volantes had the flip-up light covers however.

Specification

  • Price New: £95,000 (Coupe) £125,000 (Volante)
  • Engine: dohc V8, 5341 cc, 432 bhp @ 6200 rpm, 395 lbs-ft @ 5100 rpm
  • Transmission: 5-speed manual
  • Suspension:
    – Front: independent wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar
    – Rear: de Dion axle, Watt linkage, trailing links, coil springs, adjustable telescopic dampers.
  • Brakes: Servo assisted vented front/rear discs.
  • Length: 14’5″ (4390 mm)
  • Width: 6’1″ (1860 mm)
  • Height: 4’3″ (1295 mm)
  • Wheelbase: 8’7″
  • Weight: 1650 kg (Coupe) 1685 kg (Volante)
  • Top Speed: 186 mph
  • 0-60 mph: 4.8 sec.
  • Production: 52 (Coupe) 37 (Volante)

Just as the production of the Vantage Zagato was getting under way, Aston Martin Lagonda bought a 50 per cent share in the Milanese carrozzeria. The two companies joined forces to develop a drophead Volante version of the Zagato Aston Martin.

A prototype Zagato Volante was unveiled at the 1987 Geneva Motor Show, and plans were announced for a production sanction of just 25 cars – but Aston Martin had already sold 25 before the model entered production the following year, resulting in a total of 37 cars being produced. Soft top apart, the Zagato Volante differed in several respects from the hard top, most noticeable in the absence of a frontal grille; the headlamps were concealed under covers too.

The engine chosen for the Volante was the normally-aspirated fuel-injection version of the V8 engine, which liminated the need for a ‘power bulge’ on the bonnet like the hard top Zagato, which was fitted with quadruple downdraught carburettors. This allowed a flat bonnet to be fitted, though power output was down by over 100 bhp. Inevitably, some Zagatos were uprated with the carburetted Vantage V8; some even had the same front end as the Coupe.

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