Rare Car Archive

Makes › Aston Martin United Kingdom › V8 › V8 Vantage Zagato · Coachbuilt · 1986–1988 Ultra Rare

Aston Martin
V8 Vantage Zagato

Zagato-bodied coupé on Aston Martin V8 Vantage running gear (separate Volante series of 37)

Body: Zagato
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
50BuiltFactory reported
52All cars built (registry)Registry reported
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
50 Built
Years
1986–1988
Engine
V8 · 5,340 cc / 5.3 LFactory: 5,340 cc
Power
322 kW / 438 PSFactory: 432 hp · converted
Top speed
299 km/hFactory: 186 mph · converted
Body
Zagato
Designer
Zagato (Milan)
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The V8 Vantage Zagato revived Aston Martin's link with the Milan coachbuilder that had bodied the DB4 GT Zagato in the early 1960s. It was a short-wheelbase two-seater on V8 Vantage mechanicals, built in a run of about 50 cars, and Aston Martin aimed at a top speed of 186 mph. It was the first Aston Martin production two-seater since the DB4 GT.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityUltra Rare 50 · Built1,2
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

  • Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)
    Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)
    Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)
    Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (Wikimedia Commons: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato)
    Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionproduction coupés, plus two prototypes 501,2Strongest evidence Factory production Factory reported
Total model productionall cars built, as listed in the Zagato registry: 50 planned and sold production coupes plus two prototypes 523,4 Registry confirmed Registry reported
Why more than one figure?

The 50 counts production coupes; the registry's 52 adds the two prototypes.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Contact between Aston Martin chairman Victor Gauntlett and the Zagato brothers followed neighbouring stands at the 1984 Geneva Salon. By 1985 Aston Martin was accepting deposits on 50 planned cars, and the factory says the model was announced in 1985 and launched for sale in 1986. The first prototype was shown at Geneva in March 1986, and in June it reached 186 mph on test with the French magazine Sport Auto.

The complete rolling chassis was sent from Newport Pagnell to Zagato in Milan, where the body was built, fitted and painted and the interior trimmed, before the car returned to England for final inspection and delivery. Part of Zagato's brief was to save weight, done by shortening the wheelbase and deleting the rear seats. Counts differ slightly by source: the factory lists 50 cars, one auction text 51 coupes and another 52 constructed.

The last car, chassis 20043, was ordered in 1986 and completed in September 1987 but was badly damaged in an accident in Spain in mid-1989. It was rebuilt on the same chassis number with a newly made Zagato body and delivered in July 1991, according to the auction catalogue.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard V8 Vantage Zagato.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine code580X3 Registry reported
LayoutV85 Independently researched
Cylinders83 Registry reported
Displacement 5,340 cc / 5.3 LFactory: 5,340 cc1Base V8 Vantage engine size from the factory page; the Zagato lots state 5.3 litres.
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratio10.2:13 Registry reported
ValvetrainTwin chain-driven overhead camshafts per bank, two valves per cylinder3 Registry reported
Fuel systemWeber twin-choke carburettors6 Independently researched
Power 322 kW / 438 PSFactory: 432 hp · converted5 Independently researchedAuction catalogue figure (S4). Another RM Sotheby's catalogue (S2) gives 408 brake horsepower for the same model.
Power at 6,200 rpm5 Independently researched
Torque 536 NmFactory: 536 Nm3 Registry reportedRegistry lists 536 Nm with the 410 bhp rating and 542 Nm with the 437 bhp rating.
Torque at 5,000 rpm3 Registry reported

Transmission & drivetrain

ManufacturerZF3 Registry reported
GearboxManual or automatic by car (chassis 20054 manual, chassis 20021 automatic)7 Independently researchedChassis-specific facts, not a model-wide specification.
Gears56 Independently researched
Final drive3.31:1 (production cars)3 Registry reported
Driven wheelsRWD3 Registry reported

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisSteel box-section chassis with steel superstructure3 Registry reported
Front suspensionIndependent, unequal-length double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar3 Registry reported
Rear suspensionDe Dion axle, coil springs, Watt's linkage3 Registry reported
BrakesGirling ventilated discs, 273 mm front, 263 mm inboard rear3 Registry reported
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionCoachbuilt body made and fitted by Zagato in Milan on the Newport Pagnell rolling chassis6 Independently researched
MaterialsHand-formed aluminium body panels; glass/aramid hybrid composite nose and tail3 Registry reported
Wheelbase 2,610 mmFactory: 2,610 mm3 Registry reported
Length 4,388 mmFactory: 4,388 mm3 Registry reported
Width 1,860 mmFactory: 1,860 mm3 Registry reported
Height 1,295 mmFactory: 1,295 mm3 Registry reported
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weight 1,650 kgFactory: 1,650 kg3 Registry reported
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 299 km/hFactory: 186 mph · converted5 Independently researchedReached by the prototype in June 1986 on test; not a production-car measurement.
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
0–60 mph 4.6 s3 Registry reportedThe same page's narrative gives 4.7 s for the factory prototype test.
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Genuine cars are two-seaters on a shortened wheelbase with Zagato-built bodywork, flush glazing and the Milanese double-bubble roofline; the rear seats are absent. The engine is the 5.3-litre four-cam Vantage V8 in 580X tune, and engine numbers follow the pattern V/580/00xx/X (chassis 20013 carries V/580/0013/X(R)). Chassis numbers sit in the 200xx range: 20013 is the first right-hand-drive car, 20043 the last one delivered, and 20049 and 20057 are other documented chassis. Transmission was a five-speed ZF manual or a three-speed automatic, and the later cars used Zagato-specific Speedline wheels and a revised interior with ebony-finish trim.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977-1989) Level A Aston Martin
    • only 50 saloons and 37 Volante versions were produced
    • DOHC V8, 5340 cc, 380 bhp @ 6000 rpm
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    Supercar Nostalgia: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato guide Level C
    • 50 production coupés, plus two prototypes
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  3. 3
    Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato car page and specs Level B astonmartinzagato.com (Zagato registry; text after D. Downsey, Power, Beauty and Soul)
    • Units produced: 52
    • Engine chosen ... was the 410 bhp 580X version
    • 5340cc alloy V8
    • a 10.2:1 compression ratio
    • twin chain-driven overhead camshafts per bank and two valves per cylinder
    • Max. torque: 536 Nm (395 ft·lb) at 5000 rpm
    • at 5000 rpm
    • ZF five-speed manual, limited-slip differential
    • production Zagatos were supplied with the 3.31:1 final drive
    • rear wheel drive
    • Steel box section chassis, steel superstructure
    • Independent with unequal length double wishbones, coil springs and anti-roll bar
    • de Dion axle with coil springs and Watt's linkage
    • Servo-assisted Girling 273mm ventilated discs
    • hand-formed aluminium panels
    • Wheelbase: 2610 mm
    • Max. Length: 4388 mm
    • Width: 1860 mm
    • Height: 1295 mm
    • Curb weight: 1650 kg
    • 0-60 mph (97 km/h): 4,6 sec
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  4. 4
    The Rowan Atkinson ... 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupe, lot 316 Level C Bonhams · 2008-05-17
    • 52 cars built
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  5. 5
    First right-hand drive 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupe (chassis 20013) Level C Bonhams · 2008-05-17
    • The 5.3-litre four-cam V8 was to Vantage specification
    • producing 432bhp at 6,200rpm
    • maximum speed of 186mph while on test with the French magazine Sport Auto
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  6. 6
    1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato (London 2021) Level C RM Sotheby's
    • V-8 engine, with twin-choke Weber carburettors
    • five-speed manual ZF transmission or a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic
    • bodies were constructed, fitted, and painted
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  7. 7
    Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato chassis 20021 Level B Supercar Nostalgia
    • 20054 had a manual gearbox, the Brunei-bound example was optioned with an automatic
    Accessed 2026-11-12

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