The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a grand tourer of the 1980s. Just 52 examples of the coupé and 37 of the convertible were built between 1986 and 1990. The coupé was first unveiled at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, and orders were quickly taken despite only showing the drawing of the car.
The decision to build the later convertible was controversial – all 52 coupés had already been purchased at the height of the supercar speculation market and owners felt that producing additional cars would lower the value of the coupés. The convertibles consistently fetch higher prices than the roofed versions.
As the name suggests, the V8 Zagato was based on the Aston Martin V8 Vantage but with a body by the coachbuilder Zagato.[2]
1987 V8 Zagato (rear view)
The design was an angular modern interpretation of the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato of the 1960s. The squared off grille was especially controversial. The Zagato was powered by a 430 bhp (321 kW; 436 PS) V8 engine with twin choke Weber carburettors. The all-alloy car could reach 300 km/h (186 mph).
It was a luxurious car with a price tag of $156,600 at the time, but with the high rarity, and being released at the supercar price boom of 1987 to 1990, and by the end of the decade, the car was changing hands for £450,000. The later convertible sold for $171,000.
The comedian Rowan Atkinson purchased the first right-hand-drive car produced in 1998 and had it converted to Aston Martin Owners' Club racing series C2 specifications. He crashed it in July 2001 whilst competing at an enthusiasts' meeting, but walked away unhurt.[3] The conversion was undertaken by Aston Martin Works Service with a total rebuild cost of around £220,000. The Tadek Marek 5.3 V8 engine was reworked to produce an estimated 482 bhp (359 kW; 489 PS), carrying the unique designation 580XR. The car retired from racing in 2007 and Atkinson sold it in 2008 for £122,500.[4]
^Edwards, Robert (2004). Aston Martin. Sparkford: Haynes Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 1-84425-014-8.
^"Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato". astonmartinzagato.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
^"Atkinson unharmed after car crash". BBC News. 9 July 2001. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
^Pagnell, Newport (17 May 2008). "The Rowan Atkinson 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupé". Bonhams. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
and 24 Related for: Aston Martin V8 Zagato information
The V8Zagato model AstonMartin was a grand tourer of the 1980s. Just 52 examples of the coupé and 37 of the convertible were built between 1986 and 1990...
The AstonMartin DB4 GT Zagato is a grand tourer sports car designed by Zagato and produced between 1960 and 1963. Introduced in October 1960 at the London...
"entry-level" model below the hand-built V8 Virage introduced a few years earlier. This model was the most-produced AstonMartin automobile up to that point in...
The AstonMartin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer AstonMartin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced...
DBS Superleggera in 2018. The AstonMartin V12 Vanquish was styled by Ian Callum and drew inspiration from the DB4 GT Zagato, projecting a more aggressive...
the 2005 AstonMartinV8 Vantage and its V12 and S variants, as well as the Vantage V12 S based Zagato (VH290Z) and the bespoke AstonMartin DB10 concept...
Convertible Alpina B5 (F10) (facelift) Artega GT Roadster AstonMartinV8 (facelift) AstonMartin V12 Zagato Audi A1 Quattro Audi A3 Audi A4 (facelift) Audi RS4...
The AstonMartin DP215 is a prototype sports car built by AstonMartin for grand touring-style racing in 1963. It was built alongside the similar DP214...
stretched AstonMartin Virage. These were (until the 2018 Vanquish Zagato shooting brake) the only factory-built shooting brakes in AstonMartin's history;...
Insane AstonMartin Cygnet V8 Is A 123 Inch Car With A V8". Top Speed. UK. Retrieved 17 July 2018. Workman, Adam (13 July 2018). "AstonMartin's one-off...
meeting between Hubert Patthey, the then AC and AstonMartin importer for Switzerland and Elio Zagato. The original vehicle from 1957 was delivered to...
Championship. In 2015, Zagato released a car inspired by the 450S Costin Zagato Coupe at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este: the Zagato Maserati Mostro. Willem...
The Fiat 8V (or "Otto Vu") is a V8-engined sports car produced by the Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1952 to 1954. The car was introduced at the 1952...
Global Information
