Described by former Aston Martin Chairman Victor Gauntlett as “a stylish thoroughbred, beautifully built, luxurious, fast, and immensely safe,” the Aston Martin V8 was built in several variants, one of the more exclusive being the Volante convertible. Introduced in response to customer demand for such a car, the Volante first appeared in June 1978. Arguably the ultimate in soft-top luxury, the new model boasted a lined, power-operated top which, when raised, endowed the walnut-embellished interior with all the solidity and refinement associated with the coupe version.

Although its open-car aerodynamics meant that top speed suffered with the top down, the Volante’s 150-mph maximum nevertheless ranked it among the world’s fastest convertibles. The V8 Volante received periodic upgrades and refinements, adopting the era-defining BBS wheels in 1983, and then switching to Weber-Marelli fuel injection and a flatter hood in 1986.

The V8 Volante offered here was purchased new by a prominent gentleman enthusiast from official Aston Martin dealer Cole European of Burlingame, California. Per delivery and build information included within the file, it was specified in Winchester Blue over blue-piped Parchment leather interior, and equipped with all the standard amenities, including automatic transmission, full Connolly leather interior with Wilton wool carpeting, cruise control, and air conditioning.

Delivery was made to the new owner’s premises via Cole European’s agent Robert Potts at the end of August 1989—and it has since remained in his distinguished collection, alongside other significant Aston Martins and exceptional grand touring automobiles from all eras. Upkept by his in-house staff, it has been much-appreciated but seldom driven, and today is likely one of the best-preserved, most original V8 Volantes extant—still in remarkably untouched and, indeed, unused condition, with only 2,327 actual miles recorded at the time of cataloguing!

One of the best of this significant model extant, this car is now happily offered to its second caretakers since new, to enjoy as a superior example of the breed.