Aston Martin and Zagato rekindled their partnership to celebrate modern coachbuilding with the creation of the Vanquish Zagato Coupe concept, which was first shown to the world at Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in May 2016. Three months later, for the premier concours d’elegance gathering in North America held at Pebble Beach, the two historic companies unveiled an open-top counterpart, the stunning Volante.

Production was limited to just 99 cars, with the number “nine” a recurrent feature in the Italian design house’s history. Founded in Milan on 19 April 1919 by Ugo Zagato, only 19 examples of its first co-venture with Aston Martin, the revered DB4 GT Zagato, were built.

The redesigned Vanquishes gained a new front grille and rear vent meshes detailed with three-dimensional “Z” motifs, plus the rear LED lights were given a similar treatment to the track-only Aston Martin Vulcan, thanks to the adoption of a blade-like design. Meanwhile, twin-cowls on the rear deck lid concealed a bespoke folding roof.

Behind the new carbon fibre bodywork was the architecture of the Vanquish S, meaning the model gained Aston Martin’s sonorous and venerable 5.9-litre, naturally aspirated V-12. Rated at 592 brake horsepower, and paired with a Touchtronic III, eight-speed, paddle-shift automatic gearbox, Zagato projected a 3.7-second sprint from rest to 60 mph.

Delivered on 30 December 2017, according to the vehicle invoice (available to view on file), this 2018 model year example is the 22nd of the 99 Vanquish Zagato Volantes built. It was configured for the United Kingdom in even-rarer right-hand-drive form. The original owner specified Scorching Black over a Pure Black Caithness leather interior, plus a black soft-top. Also selected were 15-spoke, diamond-turned, alloy wheels complemented by dark anodised brake callipers, carbon side strakes, and black exhaust finishers. Meanwhile, the distinctive Aston Martin “waterfall” facia is presented with a herringbone pattern. Interior optional extras included the Zagato logos embroidered in the headrests of the ventilated front seats and carbon fibre-finished gearshift paddles to accompany the squared-off steering wheel design inspired by the One-77 flagship. The final purchase price is recorded at £591,655.

Since leaving the factory, this Vanquish Zagato Volante has been treated to an annual service carried out by Aston Martin Works at the heritage Newport Pagnell site, the most recent completed in September 2023, alongside an MoT. The car comes with a spare glass key, battery charger, and indoor car cover, while the odometer displays just 888 miles at the time of cataloguing. Conceived be an instant modern classic, this stunning and exclusive coach-built Vanquish Volante would be a statement addition to any Aston Martin, Zagato, or supercar collection.