One to Buy: ex-Hiroshi Itsuki 1 of 1 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato
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To capitalise on the booming 1980s market for low volume specials, Aston Martin Chairman Victor Gauntlett decided the firm should create a premium priced V8 Vantage with special coachwork.
Gauntlett and majority shareholder Peter Livanos decided the ideal candidate to produce such a car would be Carrozzeria Zagato who had famously created a run of special-bodied DB4 GTs during the early 1960s.
A limited run of 50 V8 Vantage-based customer cars was decided upon: the specification called for a 10% weight reduction, a short wheelbase chassis with two-seat cockpit, in excess of 400bhp and a more aerodynamic body.
The production-ready V8 Vantage Zagato was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1986 and all 50 production cars were pre-sold in a very short space of time.
Of the 50 production cars built, 29 were right-hand drive and the remaining 21 were left-hand drive. Although an automatic gearbox option was not officially offered, eight were built with a three-speed Torqueflite transmission supplied by Chrysler.
One of these is set to go under the hammer with Gooding & Company at their Pebble Beach auction which will take place between August 18th and 19th.
Uniquely, chassis 20036 was the only V8 Vantage Zagato to leave the factory wearing stunning Pastello Bianco paint. The interior was upholstered in a contrasting blue.
The car’s first owner was Japanese singer and composer, Hiroshi Itsuki, who retained it from 1987 until 2002.
Today the car is offered in completely unrestored condition and is showing a little over 40,000km from new.
