Description
The 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupé is one of the most fascinating collaborations between a British sports-car manufacturer and an Italian coachbuilder. It blends Aston Martin engineering with the distinctive styling of the Milanese design house Zagato, creating one of the most controversial yet collectible Aston Martins of the 1980s.
Origins of the Car
The project was born during the mid-1980s when Aston Martin wanted a dramatic limited-edition version of its V8 flagship. The company partnered with Zagato, the Italian coachbuilder that had already created the legendary DB4 GT Zagato in the 1960s.
The goal was simple:
Produce a lighter, faster, more exclusive V8 Vantage
Create a modern interpretation of the DB4 GT Zagato
Build it in very small numbers for collectors
The car debuted at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, immediately drawing attention even before customers had seen the final production model.
Remarkably, all production cars were effectively sold before they were built.
Design & Construction
The Vantage Zagato wasn’t simply a cosmetic version of the standard V8. It involved a complex cross-border production process:
Rolling chassis built in Newport Pagnell, England
Sent to Zagato in Milan
Zagato craftsmen hand-formed aluminium body panels
Interior trimmed and body painted
Completed cars shipped back to Aston Martin for final preparation and delivery
Styling
Designed by Giuseppe Mittino, the car featured:
Sharp, angular 1980s styling
A distinctive square grille that split opinion
A shortened wheelbase and lighter body
A huge bonnet bulge to clear the carburettor intake system
The bold styling was controversial at the time, but today it is seen as a classic piece of 1980s supercar design.
Engine & Performance
Under the hood was Aston Martin’s famous Tadek Marek-designed 5. 3-litre V8.
Typical specifications included:
5. 3-litre V8
~408–432 hp depending on specification
Twin Weber carburettors
5-speed ZF manual or Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic
0–60 mph in about 4. 9 seconds
Top speed around 186 mph
For the late 1980s, these numbers placed it firmly in supercar territory, competing with Ferrari and Lamborghini of the era.
Ultra-Limited Production
The V8 Vantage Zagato was deliberately rare.
Production numbers:
52 Coupés
37 Volante (convertible) versions
Built between 1986–1990
The coupé version like the 1987 model is usually considered the purest and most desirable because it retained the full high-performance Vantage engine.
The 1980s Supercar Boom
Timing played a huge role in the car’s legend.
When the car was announced:
Price: about £87, 000 in the mid-1980s
Buyers paid £15, 000 deposits immediately
All cars sold before completion
By the end of the 1980s speculative supercar market boom:
Some examples traded for £450, 000 — over five times their original price.
This speculation helped cement the Zagato as a collector’s investment car from day one.
Famous Owners & Cultural Status
One notable enthusiast was Rowan Atkinson, a passionate car collector.
He owned the first right-hand-drive Vantage Zagato
Later converted it into a racing car with ~482 hp
Competed in Aston Martin Owners’ Club racing events
Cars like this helped give the Zagato a reputation as both a collector’s piece and a genuine driver’s machine.
Legacy
Today the V8 Vantage Zagato is considered:
One of the rarest 1980s Aston Martins
A key chapter in the Aston Martin–Zagato partnership
A design that perfectly represents 1980s exotic-car culture
The collaboration also paved the way for later Aston Martin Zagato models, including:
DB7 Zagato
V12 Zagato
Vanquish Zagato
In short:
The 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupé was a bold Anglo-Italian supercar created during the height of the 1980s supercar boom—hand-built, extremely rare, and controversial in design, yet now one of the most collectible Aston Martins ever made.
This car was chassis number 20031 and was built and destine for Zubair Motors in Oman for their client who ordered the car finished in Gladiator Red with Tan trim.
The car was used in Oman for a number of years and a few kms when it was involved in a front-end accident in 1988. (Photographs of the car are excisable).
The car lay up in a garage for a while and was advertised in the same condition.
Mr. Rene Bloom went to Oman to view the car in 1995 to see the extent of the damage. Photographs were faxed back to Aston Martin to prepare a rough estimate of the work.
By September 1995 the car had been shipped back to Aston Martin where a full and detailed estimate was prepared. (Photographs of the work are excisable).
By January 1996 work had commenced and Mr. Bloom decided to change the exterior colour to British Racing green, while the repair was undertaken.
The car was completed by the end of 1996 and driven back to Holland where it was registered with Mr. Bloom.
The car was then sold to the current owner in May 1997 with 7, 800 kms on the clock. The car has been loved and cared for by the same owner since, using it for European tours and holidays.
With only 56, 000 kms on the clock the car sits and drives so well.
With only 20 of the 50 production cars built being left hand drive and one of only eight with automatic transmission, makes this a very desirable collectors motorcar and one, which can be driven with a smile.
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