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Nothing can quite prepare you for the first time you come across one of these magnificent cars. Stunning from every angle, they represent the pinnacle of decades of hand-assembled Aston Martin production. True craftsmanship in every detail and a combination of beauty, luxury and power that is as rare today as it was when this car first saw the light of day. This totally original and very well maintained X-Pack Vantage Volante is supplied in Chichester Blue with a ‘blue piped’ Parchment leather interior, making this one of the most desirable of all the Volante models ever produced by Aston Martin in what must surely be one of the most desirable colour combinations. With only 28,940 miles from new and presented in outstanding condition throughout, this car has been owned and cherished by a collector of late and is well known to Works Service. A formidable piece of automotive history that represents a rare opportunity to acquire what many collectors consider to be the ultimate soft-top Aston Martin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Outline of the V8 Vantage X-Pack: With the introduction of the Vantage in 1977, Aston Martin’s V8 was thrust back into the supercar league. The name had previously been applied to high-power versions of the DB six-cylinder cars, and in the V8’s case the Vantage tune raised maximum output to around 375bhp: in Rolls-Royce fashion the factory chose not to disclose the actual figure, merely claiming that power was ‘adequate’. Chassis changes were minimal apart from the adoption of bigger ventilated disc brakes all round and low profile Pirelli tyres. The Vantage was, nevertheless, readily distinguishable from the standard product by virtue of its blocked-off bonnet scoop, blanked air intake, front chin spoiler and lipped boot lid. ZF five-speed manual transmission was standard equipment, though a handful of Vantages were built with the Torqueflite automatic gearbox. With either transmission performance was shattering, the Vantage’s 0-100mph time of 12.7 seconds making it the world’s fastest accelerating production car at that time. Produced to satisfy demands from the USA, the Volante convertible debuted in 1978, but it was not until 1986 that it became available to Vantage specification, which by this time meant around 400bhp. Along with the Vantage engine and bonnet came flared wheelarches, boot spoiler (a feature the Volante had previously lacked) and extended front spoiler, while glassfibre extensions replaced the model’s hitherto characteristic chromed sill covers. The result was a muscular, aggressive-looking car that could justifiably claim to be the world’s fastest convertible, all the more so when it came with the optional 432bhp ‘X Pack’ engine. A total of 166 Vantage Volantes had been completed by the end of production in December 1989.