1987 Aston Martin Vantage V8 X Pack

As we’ve already established, a RHD factory X-Pack Vantage Volante is a very rare beast indeed.

How much rarer, then, is one that’s had one owner/driver from new until the present day and has a genuine mileage of just 28,630...

Good luck finding another one.

The car was first registered to a company, then registered in the name of the man who owned the company and had been the driver of the car from day one, when it was supplied new to him by H.W.M of Walton-On-Thames.

Over the years, he has owned plenty of Aston Martins (his favourite marque) and thinks he’s probably had around seven of these William Towns-era V8s.

He kept this one all the way through, which should tell you something about his enduring fondness for the car.

As even a disinterested and rather casual observer would instantly agree, this car is in absolutely exceptional order and its superb condition is a revelation even for the car’s low odometer reading, never mind its 38 years of service.

And the good news extends way beyond the merely cosmetic: this is a properly sorted and fettled V8 Vantage Volante X-Pack and it is optimally set-up for fast, assured, balanced and hugely rewarding pedigree motoring pleasure.

The car has led a stress-free, pampered life and, accordingly, the bodywork is entirely free of any dinks, dents, creases, folds or ripples.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are exactly what you would hope and expect to find on a hand-built car created by dedicated chaps (often called Brian or Geoff) with micrometers and pens sticking out of their pockets and working in some sheds in Newport Pagnell.

This is bespokery and artisanal craft in the last glorious days of its no-expense-spared expression – just before the accountants, management consultants and focus groups squeezed all of the fun out of it.

The Ronal wheels have clearly never been introduced, either formally or informally, to any kerbs or other roadside obstacles.

All four, matching, Michelin Pilot Sport tyres are in good order and look to have plenty of dutiful service left in them. The fifth wheel is shod in Goodyear rubber and is in its rightful place in the boot.

The chrome is bright, shiny and entirely untroubled by any foxing, pitting or tarnishing that we can see.

Equally bright and shiny, the Salisbury Blue paintwork has survived the passage of time with commendable resilience, and even entirely standard stone chips and minor scratches and scuffs are far more notable for their absence than their presence.

Over-engineered, constructed and finished to levels that would put a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible to shame, the car’s blue vinyl hood is every bit as good as the rest of it and powers up and down as it should.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are entirely beyond reproach.

Faults? We’ll we’re really just nit-picking now, but that’s our job, so here goes: there’s a minor scuff and a couple of thin cracks to the paint at the rearward base of the n/s/f wheel-arch, plus a tiny scuff on the lower nearside edge of the front valance.

That’s it.

Everything else is minty fresh, squeaky clean and far more a reflection of the car’s mileage than its age.

It really is quite exceptional.
 

The interior is a testament to the arcane skills and expertise of gifted saddlers and French polishers.

It is a treat for the senses and, with an old-world ambience born of rich wood veneers, Connolly hides and thick lambswool over-rugs, it must be just about the fastest gentlemen’s club ever built.

The parchment upholstery, piped in dark blue, is in fine fettle wherever you rest your gaze, and only the outer bolsters on the driver’s seat have any light creases to show for their long service.

The seats, front and back, are comfortable and supportive.

The door cards are in very good order and the wood veneers on the dashboard, doors and other inserts have resisted the temptation to crack, fade or lose their lacquer.

The only exception is the cover for the central storage cubby, which is detached from its surroundings and has a small patch of damage to the veneer at the rear.

The thick, soft, roof lining is fine, as are the car’s carpets, mats and over-rugs.

As far as we and the vendor are aware, all buttons, switches, levers, dials and knobs do as they are told in an accurate and timely fashion, the only known exception being the after-market radio (the vendor has the original), which has retired hurt – possibly in a show of solidarity with the aerial, which has also taken a rest from working.

The boot, you won’t be remotely surprised to hear, is every bit as good as the rest of it.

It contains a set of matching, blue leather, Aston Martin luggage which was supplied new with the car and doesn’t look as if it’s ever been used.
 

The engine bay is clean, dry and orderly. Everything is in its right and proper place and the car’s undersides have given us no reason whatsoever to doubt the car’s structural integrity.

It all looks very sound, solid and honest to us.

Indeed, the undersides were fairly recently treated to a dry-ice clean which, in case you don’t know, consists of blasting soft CO2 particles at high pressure onto the surface to be cleaned. The low temperature of the CO2 (-79 degrees C) reduces the adhesion of any grime or grot and, when the dry-ice sublimates back to gas, its rapid expansion creates a series of mini explosions that blow the unwanted detritus away from the surface.

So, now you know.
 

In 2006, the car’s mileage was recorded as being 24,692. Today, it has 28,630 miles under its various belts.

That’s an average annual mileage of just 207 over the last 19 years.

The car’s paperwork consists of plenty of invoices, bills and receipts from the right people – Oselli in earlier days, and R.S. Williams in recent years.

No corners have been cut, no bills dodged, and no deadlines missed in the servicing, maintenance and repair of this fine Vantage Volante X-Pack.

The car comes with an MoT certificate (with no advisories whatsoever) that will be valid until 4th August 2025.

It also comes with full sets of keys, books and a recent, clear HPI report.
 

Famously, HRH Prince of Wales - now HM King Charles III – asked Aston Martin to make him a Vantage Volante but without the Vantage’s steroidal bulges and squat, aggressive, what-are-you-looking-at stance.

With respect, Your Majesty, we think you missed a trick.

In our opinion, this car looks all the better for its cosmetically enhanced attitude and big, beautiful bruiser features.

It drives as well as it looks, and it looks sensational.

A rare car by any measure, this one benefits from the even rarer bonuses of a very low mileage and single person ownership from new.

We really don’t expect to see a better one any time soon.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £250,000 - £300,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.