One to Buy: ex-Hiroshi Itsuki 1 of 1 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato
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.
Reprinted below is Gooding & Company’s description for this one-of-one Zagato-bodied Aston Martin V8 Vantage:
Estimate: $300,000 - $400,000
Chassis: SCFCV81Z0HTL20036
One of Just 52 V8 Vantage Zagato Coupes Built and Only 21 Left-Hand-Drive Examples
Finished in Striking Pastello Bianco over a Blue Leather Interior
Owned from 1987-2002 by Hiroshi Itsuki, One of Japan’s Most Famous Celebrities
Sparingly Used, Showing Just 40,336 Km when Catalogued
A Highly Preserved Example of Aston Martin and Zagato’s Avant-Garde 1980s Performance Car
The incredible success of the DB4 GT Zagato in the early 1960s was proof that Aston Martin and Zagato made a great partnership. During the 1980s, they paired up again, developing a car based on Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage. Shown at the 1986 Geneva International Motor Show, the V8 Vantage Zagato was especially striking in coupe form and was one of the most expensive cars of its time, costing $156,600. Built in very limited numbers, just 52 coupes and 37 convertibles were built over four years of production.
This stunning V8 Vantage Zagato Coupe was imported to Japan in 1987 and is one of only 21 left-hand-drive cars ever built. The Aston Martin is finished in the rare color combination Pastello Bianco (Pastel White) over a blue leather interior and its first known owner was Hiroshi Itsuki, one of Japan’s most famous singers and entertainers. Mr. Itsuki kept the car until 2002, when it was sold to Japanese Aston Martin specialist Azabu Motors.
The consignor, a Japanese collector of rare Zagato-bodied cars, purchased the Aston in 2016 and was invited to display it at the prestigious 2020 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, although logistical reasons prevented it from attending. Showing just 40,336 km at the time of cataloguing (approximately 25,063 miles), the Aston Martin remains in highly preserved condition. With its fantastic color combination and unique ownership history, this V8 Vantage Zagato is sure to appeal to enthusiasts of exclusive 1980s performance cars.
*Please note that this vehicle will not be sold for use or resale in California or to a non-dealer California resident.
