Guide: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato
Background
At the London Motor Show in October 1960, Aston Martin unveiled a lightweight version of their DB4 GT with restyled coachwork by Zagato of Milan.
The DB4 GT Zagato was the ultimate Aston Martin Gran Turismo of its day. On track, it rivalled the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione and Jaguar E-type Lightweight.
Thanks to handsome looks, competition prowess and limited production, the 19 DB4 GT Zagatos built went on to become the most sought after production cars in Aston Martin’s history.
Just over 20 years later, interest in the collector car market was at an all time high.
In addition to classic and vintage machinery, a burgeoning market was developing for new limited production models. This was exemplified by Ferrari’s 288 GTO, the entire production run of which sold out before the first car had even been built.
The 288 GTO had been conceived as a homologation special for Group B racing. 200 were required to compete but, such was demand, Ferrari eventually manufactured 272.
At around £85,000, the 288 was easily the most expensive model Ferrari had ever offered but the high price did nothing to deter buyers and soon these second generation GTOs were selling at a substantial premium over list.
Aston Martin Chairman, Victor Gauntlett, decided the firm should get in on the action; a premium priced V8 Vantage with special coachwork would have limited development costs and help fund a replacement for the V8 range that had been around in one shape or form since 1969.
Realising that (outside of sports racing models) the DB4 GTZ was the Aston Martin that every collector desired, Gauntlett decided to re-establish a partnership with Zagato.
At the Geneva Motor Show in March 1984, Gauntlett and majority shareholder, Peter Livanos, discussed the idea of a special low volume model with Elio and Gianni Zagato.
They decided on a limited run of 50 cars. The specification called for a 10% weight reduction, in excess of 400bhp and a more aerodynamic body.
The V8 Vantage Zagato had a target speed of around 190mph and 0-62mph time of less than five seconds. Such figures would make it a serious rival for anything Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche had to offer.
The new car was announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985 when potential purchasers were shown sketches of the proposed design. As hoped, the entire 50 car production run quickly sold out.
A mule was created to trial all the mechanical developments (chassis V8/11967/RCAV). The production-ready car was displayed at Geneva in March 1986.
However, soon after construction of the first customer car was underway, Victor Gauntlett discovered that Zagato was perilously close to entering administration. To ensure all 50 cars would be completed, Aston Martin purchased a 50% stake in Zagato.
Chassis
The new model was built on the same steel platform chassis as the regular V8 Vantage.
Front suspension was independent with unequal transverse wishbones. At the rear was a de Dion axle located by parallel trailing arms and a Watts linkage. Coil springs and telescopic Koni shock absorbers were fitted all round.
Compared to the standard V8, the Vantage was more stiffly sprung and had a lower ride height. A thicker front anti-roll bar was also fitted.
Ventilated disc brakes were fitted all round and mounted inboard at the back. The fronts had a 267mm diameter and the rears measured 264mm.
Unlike the regular Vantage, the Zagato variant did without the spacers that added 20mm to the rear track. Track dimensions were therefore 1499mm at both ends.
The Vantage Zagato also came with special 16 x 8-inch Speedline alloy wheels designed to channel air toward the brakes. They were originally shod with Goodyear tyres.
A smaller 95.4-litre fuel tank was fitted above the rear axle instead of the standard 113.6-litre unit.
Engine & Gearbox
To power the Zagato-bodied car, Aston Martin opted for the V580X engine that, from January 1986, became standard equipment on the last-of-the-line X-Pack Vantage produced until September 1989.
Compared to the regular V580 engine, it featured Cosworth pistons, larger inlet ports and high lift camshafts.
The compression ratio was hiked from 9.3:1 to 10.2:1 but the four Weber 48 IDF3 downdraught carburettors were retained.
Peak output was 410bhp at 6000rpm and 395lb-ft at 5100rpm. This was a useful increase over the 375bhp at 5800rpm and 380lb-ft at 4000rpm produced by the normal V580 Vantage engine.
The V580 engine had gone into production in March 1980 to replace the outgoing V540 unit. It most notably ushered in a redesigned cylinder head similar to the type already used by the four door Lagonda. The change was made in order to have a common basic specification throughout the entire V8 range and meant it was only a matter of selecting the appropriate camshafts and carburettors to make either a V8, Lagonda or Vantage engine.
As usual, displacement of the all-alloy DOHC 90° V8 was 5340cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 100mm and 85mm respectively.
Transmission was via the same ZF five-speed manual gearbox with Borg & Beck single dry-plate clutch and Powr-Lok limited-slip differential as fitted to every other Vantage. Although an automatic option was not officially offered, at least eight cars were equipped as such.
Bodywork
Although the Vantage Zagato retained the 2610mm wheelbase of the standard model, its hand-beaten aluminium body was shortened by a dramatic 277mm thanks primarily to the stubby new tail.
To reduce the frontal area, the new car was 32mm narrower and 32mm lower. Drag reduction was also the reason for flush fitting glass.
The main portion of each side window was fixed in position and just the smaller element could be raised and lowered.
The only non-aluminium body parts were the composite nose and tail panels that meant conventional bumpers were not required (a first for Aston Martin).
Front and rear spoilers were added to reduce high speed lift on production cars but meant the drag coefficient dropped from 0.29 to 0.32.
To accommodate the downdraught carburettors, an enormous power bulge was housed between two NACA ducts on the front lid.
A choice of seven new exterior colours named after British military aircraft was offered: Gladiator Red, Fury Yellow, Hunter Green, Valiant Blue, Lightning Silver, Javelin Grey and Vulcan Black. Other shades were available on request.
Cockpit pillars were always finished in black regardless of the body colour and, as a nod to their heritage, Zagato added a trademark double bubble roof.
Interior
The cockpit was completely redesigned and trimmed in a mixture of leather and alcantara.
A strict two seater as opposed to a 2+2, the V8 Vantage Zagato came with carpeted rear quarters that could be accessed by tilting the high-backed bucket seats forward.
All seven gauges were housed directly behind the two-spoke steering wheel in a black instrument binnacle that matched the centre console and glovebox.
The dash top, sides and knee roll were trimmed in leather to correspond with the rest of the upholstery. The forward section of the dash was normally covered in black anti-glare material.
Door panels were a mixture of leather and carpet. Large grab handles were provided on both sides.
Electric windows, air-conditioning and a stereo were standard.
Weight / Performance
At 1650kg, the Zagato-bodied derivative was 170kg lighter than the standard V8 Vantage.
Aston Martin quoted a top speed of 186mph and 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds.
Options
Options were limited to a walnut centre console and the High Altitude engine originally conceived for the South African market. Cars equipped as such featured special Weber carbs with hand-drilled 50mm chokes, enlarged inlet and exhaust ports and bigger exhaust manifolds. Output rose to 432bhp at 6000rpm.
Production
The first naked chassis (20010) was dispatched to Zagato in 1985 and displayed at Geneva in March 1986. It came with the 432bhp engine and no spoilers.
The first customer car was delivered July 1987 and the remainder followed over the next 18 months.
The V8 Vantage Zagato proved a great success and helped Aston Martin fund development of the Virage.
In addition to a pair of prototypes, 50 production cars were built. 29 were right-hand drive and 21 left-hand drive.
Because many potential customers were disappointed they had missed out on one of the original 50 cars, Aston Martin subsequently built 37 Zagato-bodied Volantes with the standard non-Vantage V585 engine and a redesigned nose. These cars are covered separately.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Aston Martin - https://www.astonmartin.com
